Healthy Foods To Eat When Breastfeeding

Women’s fitness and health suggests a healthy and well-balanced diet to keep your body and mind working at its best. It’s important to remember that if you are breastfeeding your new baby, you will need about 500 extra calories per day. Follow the Fitness4Her diet and eat regularly and frequently, every 3 hours when awake, keeping meals small.

The best and easiest way to make this diet work is to plan meals in advance so you will have all the ingredients to prepare a healthy meal. Luckily, the same healthy foods recommended for women’s fitness is suitable for nursing mothers.

Foods such as fresh leafy greens, vegetables and fruit are nutritious because of the vitamins and antioxidants plus they are very low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Starches, such as rice, potatoes, bread and pasta will give you the energy you need to take care of yourself and your newborn baby. Eating these daily will curb the need for sugar to fuel your energy levels.

Because every cell in the body is made from protein, every meal should include a serving of protein. However, it’s important to remember that nuts, beans and avocadoes all have good levels of protein and they are low in saturated fat.

Get plenty of fiber filled foods such as oatmeal, beans, citrus fruits, mango, figs and whole grain bread. Constipation can become an issue after having a baby and fiber can help relieve this problem and the discomfort that accompanies it.

Below is a breakdown of the basic food groups and suggestions for healthy foods to choose from. Small, frequent meals based on these healthy choices, are an excellent choice for post pregnancy, nursing mothers or any woman who wants to slim down the healthy way.

Grain Group:
Wheat germ
Cous Cous
Orzo
Quinoa
Oatmeal
Whole grains

Vegetables:
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin
Spinach
Kale
Collards
Tomatoes
Red Sweet Pepper

Fruits:
Cantaloupe
Honeydew melon
Apples
Mangoes
Prunes
Bananas
Pears
Apricots
Oranges
Grapefruit
Orange Juice
Avocado

Protein:
Chicken
Dry beans and peas
Nuts and seeds
Lean Beef, Lamb, and pork and chicken
Shrimp, clams, oysters, and crab
Halibut, cod, rainbow trout, herring sardines, rockfish, and yellowfin tuna