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Vegetables for breastfeeding: what can and what can not?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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What kind of vegetables can a nursing mother? This is a very important issue, because despite the fact that vegetables are useful and contain many vitamins, they may not be suitable for a nursing mother. This is due to the child's reaction to a particular vegetable, which must be taken into account when choosing a diet.

Which vegetables are useful for lactation?

Fruits and vegetables play an important role in the diet of a nursing mother. They contain vitamins and minerals, folic acid, fiber. Each vegetable or fruit has its own useful elements. Good sources of vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach and mango. Foods rich in vitamin C include broccoli, sweet peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and citrus fruits. Spinach, asparagus, broccoli and orange juice are excellent sources of folic acid. But, despite the benefits, not all vegetables and fruits, young mothers can eat.

Moms are often concerned about what foods they should or should not eat in order to preserve the health of their children. Although it is important to eat healthy foods, but the excellent quality of breast milk is that it can meet your baby's nutritional needs, even if you do not have the necessary amount of vitamins. One of the healthiest foods that you should include in your balanced breastfeeding diet is vegetables. Most vegetables are rich in vitamins and nutrients, but there are special vegetables that are eaten by breastfeeding that will keep your energy high and can even increase milk intake.

What kind of vegetables and fruits can a nursing mother after delivery on the first day after birth? The main purpose of the diet in this case is to feed your own body properly so that it can produce the healthiest breast milk for your child, and it is important to do this from the first day after birth. Consuming a lot of unhealthy foods or not consuming enough calories will cause your body to dip into its nutrients that will leave you exhausted and susceptible to the disease. If nutrients are not provided by your food intake, ultimately this will negatively affect the quantity and quality of your breast milk. It is also worth remembering that women after birth may have problems with the restoration of the intestine, so the correct vegetables and fruits in this case are very important.

Here are some vegetables that you can add to a balanced diet to help you and your baby baby be healthy.

Salad is a low-calorie, water-rich vegetable, which is a good addition to a balanced diet for a breast-feeding mother. According to organic facts, the salad contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc together with vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A, B6, C, E and K. Salad contains fibers, so even on the first day after childbirth he will be well tolerated by both mother and child. Before using it you need to wash it well and eat it raw, then all the useful substances will be absorbed as much as possible.

Peppers are also rich in water, which is great for nursing moms. In fact, according to pepper contains 93.9% of water. They also have a low number of calories and are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and fiber. Fiber will stimulate the intestines, which is also important for a healthy stool after childbirth. In the first days after the birth of a child, it is better to give preference to green fresh pepper, red or yellow is better to postpone for later.

Asparagus is another useful green vegetable. Asparagus is a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, chromium and folate, which works well with vitamin B12, which is found in fish, poultry, meat and dairy products. Together, folates and B12 act as a brain accelerator to help prevent cognitive impairment, which any new mother knows is necessary when caring for a newborn. Asparagus also contains tryptophan, an indispensable amino acid that can stimulate prolactin, a milk hormone. This can help stimulate the release of milk. This vegetable can be eaten immediately after birth, as a low-calorie product, combining with sources of protein and phosphorus.

Fresh potatoes are a good source of vitamin A, carotenoids and potassium. Children who are breastfed depend on the amount of vitamin A consumed, which is necessary for proper growth and development. One medium sweet potato has almost the entire daily vitamin A recommendation for a nursing mother. In addition, potato is considered a habitual daily product for our region, so it is not considered to be allergenic and has a high calorange.

But not always mum after sorts can satisfy the needs only due to vegetables, after all sometimes it would be desirable something sweet. An alternative in this case can be fruit. Many mothers are afraid to eat fruit, as they can harm a child. But this is not so, there are fruits that you can eat. Fruit is also an important part of your diet. They provide antioxidants, essential minerals and dietary fiber for the body. If you are breastfeeding, then you will need to consume fresh fruit to provide you with nutrients and energy.

Apricots are rich dietary sources of vitamin C, A, calcium, potassium. Apricots contain important chemical phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen activity. These chemicals help regulate milk hormones in women and increase lactation.

If you want to increase the level of folic acid, include bananas in your diet. Bananas are rich in other vitamins and minerals. Bananas also help you replenish calories that you lose when breastfeeding. And even though bananas are an exotic fruit, they can be eaten with lactation.

Apples are an excellent fruit that is rich in vitamins, contains few calories and is the most common fruit you can eat from the first days after the birth. You can eat an apple whenever you feel hungry, and it will be very useful also for controlling your weight. Apples contain fiber, which stimulates your intestines well. For a child, apples are also very useful, since they almost never cause an allergy.

Ways of cooking vegetables that are used for nursing mothers

Of course, there is an opinion that it is better to eat all vegetables fruits raw, then more nutrients are stored there. This is the right opinion, but for nursing mothers there are some conditions. After all, raw vegetables increase gas formation, which for a mother can not be manifested, but for a baby it can be painful. Therefore, some vegetables are better to eat in cooked form.

What kind of fresh raw vegetables can a nursing mother? These vegetables include leaves of lettuce, green sweet pepper, tomato in season. Almost all other types of vegetables are better prepared.

For example, spinach, it is a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin K, A and folate. Raw spinach contains oxalic acid, which can interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients such as calcium and iron. Prepared spinach will allow you to absorb higher levels of vitamins A and E, proteins, fibers, zinc, thiamine, calcium, iron, beta-carotene.

Carrots are considered food, which increases the flow of milk. Carrots contain phytoestrogens, beta-carotene and vitamin A, which can provide the extra energy needed by lactating moms, and can also improve the supply of breast milk. But carrots in their raw form can be a strong allergen, so it is recommended to eat carrots in cooked form. But it is worth remembering that this method of preparation does not exclude the appearance of an allergic reaction in the child.

Green cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6C and E, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids of phosphorus. Nursing mothers can eat cooked cabbage, because in its raw form it can strengthen the colic in the baby.

What kind of stewed vegetables can a nursing mother? The process of extinguishing vegetables is the most acceptable way, since the maximum amount of vitamins is preserved. This process allows vegetables to have a more natural and tasty appearance, when compared with cooked vegetables. In addition, stewed vegetables also serve as an important source of dietary fiber. The protein can be found in selected vegetables, but it will also come from any added products from beef or chicken. Most stewed vegetables contain a small amount of saturated fat and cholesterol.

Due to the variety of stewed vegetables included, the ration of the nursing mother can provide a significant amount of vitamins and minerals. The total amount of vitamins and minerals depends on the choice, variety and quantity of vegetables.

You can choose almost any vegetable from the list of foods that you used before, and you can extinguish it with other vegetables or meat. In this case, it will be a useful combination of protein and minerals. You can stew spinach, combine it with peas, bell pepper and celery, and add meat. This dish provides about 9 grams of pure carbohydrates.

You can also use stewed vegetables with fish. You can combine asparagus with fish and rice. It will be a full dinner, and braised asparagus will add flavor to the dish.

Potatoes are rich in nutrients that provide almost everything you need in a healthy diet with lactation, as well as your baby. But boiled potatoes lose weight vitamins, and contains only starch, so it is not so useful. The best option can be precisely stewed potatoes. It can be stewed in combination with broccoli, then the broccoli juice will add flavor and taste to the potato.

Pumpkin is another one of the wonderful vitaminized vegetables, which in the spring season can be a source of all vitamins necessary for the baby and mother. 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. In one portion of the pumpkin contains a large amount of potassium, which is a great source of energy. This helps to balance electrolytes in the body and improve muscle function. Good for the immune system is the content in pumpkin vitamin C, as well as several important biochemicals that can help protect your child from colds and flu. They also have antimicrobial properties. Pumpkins contain tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin. All these elements will be kept as much as possible while extinguishing this product. It is important to remember that the combination of pumpkin with acidic products can neutralize these vitamins. Therefore, it is better to eat pumpkin, for example, in a stewed vegetable ragout with broccoli and meat.

Vegetables and fruits should be in the diet of every young mother during lactation. And do not be afraid that the child will do it. Just need to know what foods can be eaten at the same time, and it should be done in moderation. In this case, the health benefits of the child from the vitamins obtained with vegetables will be maximized.

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