FEEDING WHILE BREASTFEEDING: WHAT TO EAT AND WHAT TO AVOID?

Feeding while breastfeeding is a crucial factor if you have decided to breastfeed. The nutritional values you take with foods are transmitted to the baby through the milk you give him every day, so it is important to know some basic rules. What to eat and what to avoid when breastfeeding? Find out with these few simple tips.

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Breastfeeding diet: which foods to prefer and which to avoid?

Breastfeeding, when possible, is always highly recommended because it is rich in benefits for both the baby and the mother. Breast milk is in fact the ideal food for many reasons: the nutritional values it contains are in the right proportions according to the needs of the baby. Milk, however, absorbs everything that the mother eats and consumes during the day, so it is important to follow a correct diet, avoiding some bad habits. Before discovering what is recommended to eat, it is good to say that you need to increase your caloric intake. daily of your 500-calorie diet, because milk production takes a lot of energy. In fact, to produce 100 grams of milk, a mother consumes about 95 calories. The mother's diet must therefore reflect the correct relationship between the nutrients necessary for the baby, and for her too.

Feeding while breastfeeding: a video to understand what to do

In this video, our midwife gives some advice on what diet to follow while breastfeeding. Without becoming anxious or living with terror any meal, it is good to remember to eat everything, or almost everything, peacefully. While limiting certain foods or certain forms of cooking foods, moms should eat everything to provide the baby with a variety of nutritional values he needs. The advice is then to drink plenty of water, because water makes up 87 percent of breast milk, and it is therefore very important to take in plenty.

What to eat while breastfeeding?

What to eat when breastfeeding? There are crucial foods, and nutritional values that must not be missing, because they are absolutely necessary for the child. A healthy diet must make use of protein foods rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A. To acquire them, you should eat mainly fish, eggs and meat, very rich in proteins, which help to cover the need for fatty acids such as Omega 3 and amino acids essentials, iron, minerals and vitamins.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals meet the demands for fiber, vitamins and trace elements. It is also good to consume complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice. In general, you should remember to use the same rules of nutrition during pregnancy: consume a lot of fruit and vegetables, well-cooked meat and fish, cereals and pasta in more moderate quantities, then drinking plenty of water. The ideal would be to drink at least two liters of water a day, preferably with low fixed residue mineral content.

The foods to limit and the habits to keep under control

Without making drastic sacrifices, there are also foods that would be better to limit, such as sweets and in general too sugary foods and drinks. An intake of high quantities of simple sugars, in fact, considerably increases the caloric intake, without affecting either the quantity or the quality of the milk produced. Desserts should therefore be taken in moderation. It is not true that drinking milk increases the production of breast milk, so you can safely avoid it, especially if you find it indigestible or do not consume it regularly. As for consumption habits, there are no particular indications, for example you can indulge in a glass of wine every now and then, or a glass of beer.

Foods to avoid

There are also foods to avoid if you are breastfeeding. Again, the rules are not strict, but it is good to be careful with certain foods. Foods that are too fatty, such as fried foods, sausages, shellfish, should be avoided or severely limited. Once in a while you can indulge in a sin of gluttony, but don't overdo it. Keep in mind that some foods may even cause your baby to colic, especially fried foods. Also beware of some packaged foods, especially sweets and frozen ready meals. Absolutely to avoid, among your drinking habits, spirits and smoking. Tea, coffee and other exciting drinks are allowed, but always in limited quantities. For the rest, you can eat anything!

The rules to follow if you are breastfeeding

Let's make a small summary, to give you a quick and easy to consult guide. In your breastfeeding diet, you just need to remember a few guidelines:

often consume fresh, light and high quality controlled foods
favors fish and meat proteins (better white meat)
take daily iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B12, D, E, also taking vitamin supplements if necessary
follow a varied diet as possible
drink lots of water, at least two liters a day
limit the consumption of fried foods and sweets
limit exciting drinks like tea and coffee
eliminates alcohol and smoking
choose simple cooking, such as steamed or baked, avoid fried and sautéed
avoid bitter foods that can change the taste of milk, such as some greens and vegetables (asparagus, cabbage, cabbage)

Omega 3, important for your breastfeeding diet

Fatty acids like Omega 3 are very important, as we tell you above. This applies to both daily nutrition and when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Omega 3s are rich in benefits, which are duplicated and transferred to the baby while you are breastfeeding. What are the Omega 3 rich foods to consume in Breastfeeding? Easy, you can find them in the gallery below! Just a few tips: since you can't overdo it with crustaceans, in that case choose fish like mackerel or sardines, less fat than salmon. And among the vegetables rich in Omega 3, you prefer those with a sweeter flavor, which do not change the flavor of your milk too much.

See also: Omega 3: the richest foods not to be missed on your table