Healthy Eating Tips For Breastfeeding Mums
All the guidance tells you that you don’t need to eat special food when you are breast feeding – you just need to eat a normal, healthy diet. Sounds simple, but eating a normal, healthy diet can be no mean feat when your juggling a tiny new-born and trying to keep up with everything else. So what can you do to make this possible to achieve? Here are a few tried and tested tips:
1. Try to start the day off well with a healthy breakfast. Whilst your baby is having that morning nap prepare something quick and nutritious that will give slow energy release and fill you up with good stuff. Porridge with fresh fruit or homemade granola with greek yoghurt would be perfect. TrooGranola make fresh granola by hand every week and send it in the post direct to your door; so yummy and really convenient, see www.troogranola.com . Go Nuts! TrooGranola with a sliced banana and some almond milk is ready in 2 minutes and can be eaten in 5, totally nutritious, delicious and quick and it will keep you going until lunch at least.
2. Think about healthy food that you can consume with one hand – even whilst breast feeding. Keep some fresh vegetable or bean soup in the fridge, microwave it in a mug (don’t forget to stir it at the end to redistribute the heat) and drink this with a roll instead of a cup of tea and a biscuit whilst you are feeding your little one. You’ll have a mini meal in no time that can keep you going until dinner and avoid the empty calories that you might have had otherwise.
3. Have a plentiful supply of your favourite fruit - apples, pears and grapes in a bowl at arm’s reach from where you usually feed your baby. Then you can pick at this as you feed, easily getting towards your 5 a day. Bung this into the blender with some frozen berries, seeds and nuts for a power boosting smoothie you can drink at any time of the day.
4. Don’t buy biscuits and cakes and lots of salty snacks. You will only indulge and grab them when you are desperate. Instead have a stock of healthy cereal bars (do keep a check on sugar levels), low fat popcorn, dried fruit, nuts and seeds in the cupboard and chopped up hard cheese, celery and carrot batons in the fridge that you can quickly munch on when the hunger pangs hit. TrooGranola is a handy snack too, especially in the little on-the-go tin. Use small plastic pots to take these healthier options out and about, you’ll be doing it for your toddler before you know it so start for yourself now!
5. Try to eat a nutritious, balanced meal in the evening. If preparing it feels impossible, try popping your baby into a baby carrier whilst you cook. You’ll have your hands free and your little one should feel happy and content being so close to you. Stick to quick, easy but tasty recipes – chicken and red pepper tray bake; Moroccan lamb casseroles in the slow cooker, wholemeal pasta with basil or rocket pesto made in the blender. Maximum return for minimum effort; that’s what you are looking for here.
6. Keep a bottle of water with you all the time – you don’t want to get dehydrated and you also want to avoid sugary drinks.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all about health – for sanity there are times when you absolutely need to eat the whole chocolate bar or that big slice of lemon drizzle cake; but you just can’t do it all the time.
A healthy diet is possible in those early days and as they grow older and even more demanding, give these tips a go and see how!
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