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Boiled vegetables and other foods when breastfeeding
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Boiled vegetables and other products during breastfeeding should be present in the diet of a woman, because they not only provide energy balance, but also contain many vitamins. But not all boiled vegetables can be eaten during lactation and not for all mothers, which must be taken into account when choosing a diet.
Boiled vegetables during lactation
Why should vegetables be a must in a young mother's diet? Is it really impossible to get vitamins from fruits, for example? Some fruits can cause allergic reactions in your baby, while vegetables, in addition to being very useful, also have many advantages. Vegetables have many vitamins, as do fruits, but fruits are sweet, so they are more caloric. For a child, certain fruits can cause bloating due to the high glucose content. Therefore, vegetables have advantages here. And vegetables can be eaten daily, they contain many useful vitamins. Eating a lot of vegetables can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, including heart disease and some types of cancer. Vegetables contain vitamin A, E, C, B.
Vitamin A plays an important role in your baby's vision development, bone growth, and immune system development. A diet high in vitamin A can reduce your baby's risk of developing vision problems. The best plant sources of vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, and kale.
Vitamin C helps heal wounds and protect the body from infections and viruses. Vegetables that contain vitamin C include red and green peppers, broccoli, baked potatoes, and tomatoes. Although peppers and tomatoes are technically fruits, they are used in cooking as vegetables and are often considered vegetables.
Folate is a B vitamin that your body needs to produce and maintain the structure of new cells and prevent birth defects in babies. In addition, infants need folate to prevent anemia. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and turnip greens are the best sources of folate, but this nutrient is also found in peas and asparagus.
Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin because without it, the blood will not clot. Children with vitamin K deficiency are more prone to bleeding. Vitamin K is found in cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables. For a breastfed newborn, vitamin K intake is especially important.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the body from infection and helps new blood cells grow. Over time, without enough vitamin E, a child will not be able to fight infections. Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, oils, and vegetables. Avocados, which are technically fruits but are considered vegetables, are also rich in vitamin E.
Having made sure that vegetables are highly necessary in the diet, you need to find out why boiled vegetables? Considering that the baby's digestive system is slightly underdeveloped, any changes in the mother's diet can cause fermentation processes in the baby. Raw vegetables can cause increased gas formation in the baby and other unpleasant sensations. Therefore, some vegetables must be consumed boiled, then their benefits are maximally preserved.
What boiled vegetables can be eaten during lactation?
Can a nursing mother eat boiled beets? The benefits of boiled beets during breastfeeding are undeniable. And don't let the red color scare mothers - allergic reactions to beets are very rare. Moreover, the cooking process reduces the risk of harmful effects of beets on the baby's body. Boiled beets have many beneficial properties.
Beetroot is rich in folate, which is essential for regular tissue growth. In addition, folate is crucial for the development of the spinal cord and for completing the development of your baby’s nerve fibers during the first three months of life. Eating beetroot during lactation ensures good development of the nerve tissue. High levels of immunity are also necessary for nursing mothers and their babies to stay safe from various diseases and infections. Beetroot has antioxidant properties that significantly increase immunity levels.
Breastfeeding women are more prone to osteoporosis than others. Beetroot is rich in calcium and silica. Therefore, eating beetroot prevents decalcification of your teeth and bones and prevents the risk of osteoporosis. For the baby, it also plays an important role as an ossification enhancer.
Beetroot is a great source of potassium. Beetroot contains betaine, which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Thus, beetroot during lactation prevents pain and soothes the baby.
Beetroot has the ability to purify the blood. Purifying the blood prevents the risk of your baby getting infected. It increases your physical stamina, which is useful when breastfeeding in the first month after giving birth. Eating beetroot also maintains blood pressure.
Beetroot is rich in iron and helps increase the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Therefore, eating beetroot prevents the risk of anemia and ensures adequate hemoglobin levels in mother and child.
Beetroot is rich in vitamin A and vitamin E. Eating beetroot while breastfeeding improves digestion and prevents various digestive disorders. It also helps in healthy bowel movements and prevents constipation in your baby.
Therefore, eating beets can be a great addition to your daily diet.
Can a nursing mother eat cooked carrots? Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and other nutrients that are essential for your baby’s growth. If you love carrots, don’t be shy—they’re good for you. Carrots are rich in fiber, an indigestible carbohydrate found in plant foods. Fiber comes in two forms, called soluble and insoluble, and carrots are a good source of both types. For example, a 1-cup serving of sliced, cooked carrots provides a total of about 3.5 grams of fiber, with about the same amount of each type. Although it doesn’t contain any nutrients, fiber plays an important role in digestion. Healthy adults need 20 to 30 grams of fiber daily for good health, and nursing mothers should definitely get at least 40 grams.
The insoluble fiber in carrots helps move food smoothly through your digestive tract, adding bulk to your stool and helping prevent constipation, which is common in healthy breastfed babies. Insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of some digestive disorders. Unlike insoluble fiber, the soluble fiber in carrots forms a gel when it mixes with liquid in the stomach. This slows down the digestion process, which helps keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels low. This is a benefit for breastfeeding moms because it reduces gas in your baby, which can help prevent colic.
Carrots are especially rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, or retinol. Your body converts beta-carotene into the active vitamin it needs. A 1-cup serving of chopped carrots provides enough beta-carotene to produce just over 1,000 retinol activity units, which is slightly more than the daily amount an adult needs. Vitamin A is sometimes called the anti-infection vitamin because it boosts your immune system by supporting the formation of immune cells called lymphocytes. These cells are found in the tissues of the digestive tract and help fight pathogens that come from food. This is especially important for your baby, who has not yet developed an immune system, so you're helping her. Vitamin A is also needed to maintain the mucus barrier of the digestive tract, which is the first line of defense between food pathogens and the rest of the body.
Cooked carrots are a source of several important minerals, including calcium and potassium. Both minerals are needed for normal contraction of all types of muscle, including the smooth or involuntary muscle that lines the stomach, intestines, and colon. After you eat, the rhythmic contractions of this muscle layer help move food through the digestive tract, so getting enough of these minerals is essential for good digestion. If mom has good digestion, the microflora there feels good, and therefore, so does the baby.
But don’t forget about the other effects of carrots. When you’re breastfeeding, everything you eat will reach your baby. If you eat a lot of carrots because you’re trying to lose weight or just increase your vegetable intake, your baby will also get a good dose of the ingredients in carrots. While carrots are a healthy food filled with vitamins and minerals, it’s possible to develop an allergy to carrots and this can affect your baby. Carrots can also cause harmless changes in your baby’s skin color. But this happens when you eat a lot of raw carrots, so always eat them in moderation, preferably cooked.
Carrots contain high amounts of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Beta-carotene can also pass through your breast milk and slightly affect your baby's skin. Beta-carotene can build up in your baby's skin if you eat a lot of foods high in the nutrient. You may notice this harmless discoloration, especially on your palms and soles of your feet.
As for allergies, your baby may not have the same food allergy as anyone else in the family; it is a tendency to have allergies, not a specific food allergy that your baby inherits. A baby with a carrot allergy, if it occurs after you feed him, may have a stomach ache that makes him irritable.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled onions? Onions offer many health benefits. But is it considered safe to eat onions during lactation? Onions are a popular vegetable, not only for their unique, pungent taste and culinary benefits, but also for their medicinal properties. Onions are rich in vitamin C, biotin, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B6, folate. Onions are flavorful vegetables filled with essential nutrients and flavonoids. Onions contain an essential antioxidant element called quercetin, which helps prevent cancer. Onions contain essential phytochemicals such as disulfides, trisulfides, cepanes, and vinyl dithiins. These elements help maintain good health and have strong antimicrobial properties. The vital antioxidants and flavonoids present in onions help improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and lower the risk of cancer. Onions contain the most vitamin C. The antioxidant properties of this vital nutrient can help boost a mother's immunity and protect the baby's development.
Onions are extremely low in calories, cholesterol, sodium, and unwanted fats. This vegetable contains dietary fiber and folate, which helps in cell regeneration. Onions are a good source of B-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folate, and thiamine.
Onions are a rich source of chromium, which is a trace mineral that helps regulate insulin levels in the blood and minimizes gestational diabetes. The presence of heavy metal in the body is harmful to both the mother and the unborn child. Amino acids such as cysteine and methionine present in onions help in detoxifying your body. Onions are a rich source of dietary fiber and can help regulate bowel movements. If the mother or the infant suffers from constipation, then boiled onions have a good prokinetic property.
There are certainly health benefits to eating onions while breastfeeding.
Although there are many health benefits of eating onions during lactation, you should also consider their side effects and limit your consumption. Onions are rich sources of essential nutrients and antioxidants. But excessive consumption of onions can increase the susceptibility to heartburn in nursing mothers.
If you have an allergy to certain food elements, it is better to consult your nutritionist and then include such vegetables in your diet. But if the mother does not know what kind of reaction she and her child will have to onions, then boiled onions are a great option. They do not retain the smell that can make your child refuse to eat. In addition, boiled onions have all the same nutrients as raw ones, if they are cooked correctly.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled corn? Boiled corn is a very popular vegetable and is a good source of minerals and vitamins. But, is corn good for lactation? Corn is rich in vitamins C, B5, B1, manganese and fiber, which you need while breastfeeding. Corn has many health benefits. Corn is rich in fiber, which eliminates problems such as constipation, which is very common during breastfeeding and in a healthy baby as well.
Corn is rich in folate. Sweet corn is rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants such as xanthines, lutein, which improves your baby's vision. Boiled corn is a major source of beta-carotene, which supplies vitamin A to the body. Vitamin A during lactation ensures healthy mucous membranes and skin in your unborn baby. It also helps boost the immune system.
There is no doubt that boiled corn is a storehouse of all the nutrients you need while breastfeeding your baby. However, you need to be careful before eating sweet corn. Make sure that you do not consume it in excess, as too much can cause adverse effects. When a mother consumes boiled corn, if the baby is under three months old, then he or she may probably develop colic from this product. When the baby is older, the mother can try to introduce corn into her diet, but it must be cooked properly.
It is best to avoid salt when boiling corn, as it will toughen the corn. Cook the corn only until it is soft. If you want to retain the sweet flavor, make sure not to overcook it.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled potatoes? Potatoes are rich in nutrients that provide almost everything you need in a healthy lactation diet, and your baby too. Potatoes contain semi-soluble and soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol. Potatoes contain flavonoids, which lower blood pressure.
Raw potatoes are a rich source of vitamin C, which offers numerous benefits for a child's immunity. Boiled potatoes also contain this vitamin, but the amount is slightly lower.
Boiled potatoes are a rich source of energy. However, the amount of carbohydrates you need depends on the frequency of feeding. This is because you need more nutrients to maintain your condition, especially in the newborn period when the baby feeds almost every two hours. What you eat affects your baby's health as well as your own. You will have to avoid certain foods during feeding, but potatoes are not one of them.
Potatoes are known as starchy carbohydrates, which means they are often removed from the menu of a conscious person. But in fact, they are low in fat and calories, while providing high levels of dietary fiber and vitamin B-6. Your baby’s main source of energy is breast milk, and for mom, it is glucose, which is found in carbohydrate foods such as potatoes. Therefore, in order for a nursing mother to ensure the necessary energy balance for good lactation, boiled potatoes can be an excellent product. They have useful nutrients, and also in boiled form have a minimum of harmful elements that will affect your weight.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled cabbage? Yes, as long as you cook it properly, you can safely eat cabbage while breastfeeding. Raw cabbage, like other raw vegetables, is a potential source of bacteria that can lead to many diseases. The constant use of pesticides and fungicides also makes cabbage more prone to fungal and bacterial infections. So, try to use organic cabbage that has not been treated with pesticides, and especially boiled cabbage, which does not contain harmful substances. You should consider eating cabbage while breastfeeding your baby as it has many health benefits for the body. It is a real storehouse of many essential nutrients. The main nutrients present in cabbage are vitamins K, C, B6, B1, B3, manganese, folate, calcium, iron.
Cabbage improves the health of your digestive system and the baby. It promotes digestion and helps overcome problems like constipation and irregular bowel movements. Since constipation is one of the common symptoms after pregnancy, regular use of cabbage can help control it. Cabbage contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which helps regulate bowel movements and digestion.
Cabbage is low in calories and thus helps women maintain weight.
Bright purple cauliflower contains anthocyanins, which studies have shown to have cancer-fighting properties. Green leafy vegetables like kale have a low energy density, meaning you can eat a lot of them while eating very few calories. They also provide a large amount of essential nutrients, so they can help breastfeeding women meet their growing nutritional needs.
Therefore, if eating raw cabbage while feeding increases the risk of colic in an infant, then you can eat boiled cabbage.
Can nursing mothers eat boiled pumpkin? Boiled pumpkin is one of the most useful products during lactation, which does not cause allergies, but is rich in vitamins and minerals. Boiled pumpkin provides essential nutrients, because the vitamins and minerals found in pumpkin are suitable for the development of babies. For example, calcium and magnesium help in building stronger bones, phosphorus helps in brain function, digestion, hormonal balance. Pumpkin is a storehouse of vitamin A, which is especially useful for good vision. Pumpkins contain carotenoids, which give them a bright orange color. Beta-carotene, present in pumpkins, is an antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress in many organs. Your baby's body also converts some of the beta-carotene into vitamin A.
Cooked pumpkin is a great source of fiber, which supports digestion, again in cases of constipation in both mother and baby. It can help regulate your baby's bowel movements.
One serving of pumpkin contains a large amount of potassium, which is a great source of energy. It helps balance electrolytes in the body and improve muscle function. Good for the immune system is the vitamin C content in pumpkin, as well as several important biochemicals that can help protect your baby from colds and flu. They also have antimicrobial properties. Pumpkins contain tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin. The amino acid helps induce calmness and sleepiness. The serotonin content in pumpkin will help your baby relax and sleep better after breastfeeding.
Therefore, boiled pumpkin may be the best option for a child, especially if he is allergic to carrots, then the source of vitamins may be pumpkin in the mother’s diet.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled garlic? Mothers are often afraid to introduce garlic into their diet during lactation, since it has a specific smell. This can affect the smell of breast milk, so the child may refuse milk. And despite the benefits of garlic, its preventive antibacterial effect, its use is limited. As for boiled garlic, it has no smell after cooking, so as a seasoning it can be used in boiled form when preparing dishes. But when boiled, the beneficial properties are lost, so the advisability of eating boiled garlic remains unclear.
Other products during lactation
Can a nursing mother eat boiled eggs? Breastfeeding, like pregnancy, requires the new mother to constantly monitor a healthy and nutritious diet. Most mothers already know that there are certain foods to avoid while breastfeeding, as these foods can enter the baby’s bloodstream through breast milk and may adversely affect the baby’s health. One such food is eggs, a rich source of dietary protein. But is it safe to eat eggs while breastfeeding? The basic rule to follow while breastfeeding is to ensure that you are getting about 500 extra calories per day to meet your baby’s needs, and most of this should come from healthy foods.
Eggs are generally good to eat while breastfeeding. Boiled eggs can actually be a good natural source of protein that both you and your baby need, and it is okay to eat them several times a week. Eating eggs while breastfeeding can be a good choice because eggs are loaded with many health benefits.
Eggs contain a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, folate, selenium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and many more. They contain 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats. Eating eggs is believed to increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body, which reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and many other health problems. Eggs contain a compound known as choline, which is important for many different functions in the body.
Eggs are the best natural source of protein and they contain different amino acids in the right proportions required by the body.
While it's generally fine to eat eggs while you're breastfeeding, there are some important points to keep in mind.
Firstly, whether you are breastfeeding or not, you should never consume raw eggs. It is believed that eating raw eggs while breastfeeding increases the risk of salmonella infection, which can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and fever. Based on this argument, boiled eggs are fine. But do not forget that eggs are one of the foods that babies are often allergic to. If your baby is allergic to eggs, he may develop symptoms such as rash, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you notice any of these symptoms in your baby, try to avoid eggs for a while and see if the condition improves.
Another condition is the ability of boiled eggs to increase gas formation, which leads to the development of colic. Therefore, if your baby has colic, then even boiled eggs should be excluded from your diet. And if the baby is older and you have not encountered colic, then boiled eggs can be a useful and necessary product.
Can a nursing mother eat cooked sausage or wiener? Sausage and wiener are products that are a secondary product of meat processing and not only. Any sausage or wiener, regardless of cost, does not contain enough useful substances to introduce this product into the daily diet, especially for nursing mothers. Sausage or cooked sausage can provide energy potential, and the woman will feel full, but there is most likely no benefit from this product. Of course, this is possible during breastfeeding, but only if you really want it and not often.
Here is boiled pork that a nursing mother can eat, and it will be an excellent alternative to any sausage. In this case, you need to choose lean types of pork, then you will be provided with protein. A nursing mother can eat such meat several times a week.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled condensed milk? This question interests many, since there is an opinion that this product increases lactation. It must be said that this is not true at all. Condensed milk is a product made from burnt sugar and dry milk. There are no useful properties in this product for a nursing mother, and especially for a baby. Therefore, it is not recommended to eat boiled or raw condensed milk, since this can only affect your weight, and cause an allergy in the child.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled shrimp? Any seafood, even shrimp, is beneficial during lactation under certain conditions. Shrimp is one of the most delicious seafood you can eat. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are so important for the development of your baby's intellectual functions. It is also a source of essential amino acids and phosphorus. Shrimp is considered a product containing low amounts of methylmercury and, therefore, can be consumed by a breastfeeding mother from time to time. But you must remember that a breastfeeding baby may sometimes have allergies to foods that the mother eats. Common such foods include soy products, wheat, corn, eggs, peanuts, and fish such as shrimp.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled squid? Squid is also a representative of seafood. Like other shellfish, squid contains high amounts of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients, while low levels of saturated fat and sodium. Shellfish, including squid, are safe for nursing mothers to eat because they have low levels of mercury.
Squid is a rich source of the minerals copper, selenium, phosphorus and zinc. Copper helps form hemoglobin and maintain healthy bones, blood vessels and nerves. Selenium protects against oxidative stress and regulates the action of thyroid hormone. Phosphorus helps build strong bones and teeth; release energy during metabolism; forms genetic material, cell membranes and enzymes. Zinc is a component of many enzymes and, by helping to build proteins, promotes wound healing, blood formation and the growth and maintenance of all tissues.
Several B-complex vitamins are provided by squid, including vitamin B-12; riboflavin. Vitamin B-12 helps in the formation of nervous system function and the metabolism of proteins and fats. Riboflavin helps in energy metabolism. But since squid is a very uncommon product, if you have not eaten it before feeding, you should not start when breastfeeding. If it was your usual product before, then you can eat it during lactation.
Can a nursing mother eat boiled fish? It is rather a necessary product, and in terms of content in the diet, it should take second place in the diet of a nursing mother after boiled meat. Fish is a must in the diet, since it provides essential amino acids, phosphorus and calcium. Preference is given to white sea fish.
It is necessary to say that all products in boiled form, be it vegetables or meat or fish, can be useful and necessary for a nursing mother and her child. And the main principle is to choose those products that your child tolerates well. Only a mother can know this, and then both the mother and the baby will be happy with breastfeeding and healthy.