Postpartum diet: menu to get back in shape –

Proper nutrition, combined with breastfeeding, works wonders to dry the extra pounds (and so necessary!) of pregnancy. Especially when combined with physical activity.

real food

Created by nutritionist Andréa Rahal, from the P4B clinic, in São Paulo, the following menu has around 2000 calories and offers everything a breastfeeding woman needs – in quantity and quality. Sounds like too much food? By following this program and breastfeeding, in about six months you can probably get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.

post pregnancy menu

Breakfast

Option 1
1 bowl of fruit of your choice (ex: 1/2 small papaya + 1/2 banana) with 1 tbsp. (dessert) of oats or linseed or amaranth or quinoa flakes (or a mix of all)
1 or 2 scrambled eggs with 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat bread

Option 2
Green juice: 1 fruit or 1 portion of 90 g of fruit pulp + 1 portion of dark green leaves (2 cabbage leaves or 1 cup of spinach or 1 cup of watercress) + 1 col. (dessert) flaxseed + mint leaves to taste + 1 cm piece of ginger
Tapioca sprinkled with chia and stuffed with 2 medium slices of white cheese or 2 col. (soup) of ricotta or 2 col. (soup) of cottage cheese seasoned with oregano and rosemary

Morning snack

Option 1
1 small portion of unsalted nut and seed mix (Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin) + 1 fruit

Option 2
1 pot of skimmed yogurt with 1 col. (dessert) quinoa flakes

Lunch

Salad: lettuce, arugula and raw beetroot with grilled zucchini and eggplant with 1 drizzle of olive oil or kale salad with chard and steamed carrots

1 col. (for serving) of carbohydrates: brown rice or cooked quinoa or cassava or cassava or sweet potatoes or pumpkin or whole grain pasta with beaten tomato sauce, crumbled ricotta and basil leaves

1 col. (serve) legumes: beans or lentils or peas or chickpeas

1 medium serving (about 120 g) of lean protein: beef, chicken or fish

1 medium slice of pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon

Afternoon snack

Option 1
Brown rice biscuits (2 large units or 6 small units) with chickpea paste (hummus) with sesame seeds or guacamole (mashed avocado with tomato, onion, lemon, parsley and chives)

Option 2
Vitamin: 1 glass (200 ml) of skimmed or vegetable milk mixed with 1 fruit (banana or papaya) + 1 tbsp. oatmeal (dessert)

To have lunch

Option 1
Same schedule as lunch (including carbohydrate portion)

Option 2
Steamed vegetables with 1 fish fillet (about 120 g) in the oven (seasoned with lemon, onion and grated ginger) + 3 col. (soup) pumpkin puree (just cook and mash)

Option 3
Leaf salad + 1 chicken fillet (about 120 g) in strips, grilled, with curcuma (turmeric) + manioc or sweet potato chips (slice, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, oregano or other spices to taste, and bake for 30 minutes)

Option 4
1 bowl (bottom) of vegetable soup with lean protein (chicken or beef)

Supper

Option 1
2 or 3 col. (soup) of avocado with 1 col. (tea) cocoa powder

Option 2
Porridge: 1 glass (200 ml) of vegetable or skimmed milk + 1 col. (soup) of oats + 1 col. (tea) powdered cinnamon or powdered cardamom (take the milk and oats over low heat and stir until you get a creamy consistency. Add the cinnamon or cardamom)

table rules

See other important recommendations for postpartum nutrition:

Drink more water. Even if you have this good habit and carry the bottle around, during lactation you will need much more. “At least 3 liters per day”, calculates clinical nutritionist Marina Feliconio, from São Paulo. “Prefer water, because juices, although healthy, can be very caloric. If you drink teas, avoid those that contain caffeine, such as black tea, as this substance is passed to the baby through the milk and can make him fussy.”

Eat every 3 hours. This precious rule is important to keep glycemia – blood sugar rate – stabilized, avoiding those “attacks” of hunger. “Many women breastfeed during the night. I recommend they even have a snack in the middle of the night if they are hungry – yogurt, for example”, says Marina Feliconio.

Avoid certain foods to prevent cramps. “Although colic is related to the maturation of the child’s intestinal flora, it is possible to help them overcome this phase more calmly by taking care of maternal nutrition”, argues obstetrician Julio Elito Jr. Nutritionist Nayara Massunaga, from VP Consultoria Nutricional, in São Paulo, recommends keeping an eye on foods that cause flatulence, such as cabbage, chickpeas, onions and sweets, as they can also cause discomfort in the baby. It is also suspected that chocolate may have this effect.

Beware of chemical additives. “It is also worth remembering that the additives present in industrialized foods, as well as the pesticides used in the production of various vegetables, fruits and vegetables, can be transferred to breast milk, and, consequently, to the child. It’s time to look for a profile that is as natural as possible”, she recommends.