Top 12 Foods For Breastfeeding Mothers
Embracing motherhood is a life-changing journey. After you become a mother, your priorities change, and you hardly get time to take care of yourself. Did you know this can affect your newborns?
While breastfeeding, you provide your children with nutrients for health and growth. Here is the list of 12 best foods for breastfeeding mothers you should consider including in your daily diet to provide yourself and your little ones with proper nutrition.
What Are the Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding?
Breast milk is often referred to as ‘liquid gold’ for its high nutritional values. Thus producing it demands a lot of energy and a wholesome, nutrient-dense diet.
Therefore, go through the following nutrient-rich foods for breastfeeding to make an informed choice.
1. Spinach
Being high in insoluble fibre, spinach is beneficial for digestion. Further, it boasts eye health, regulates blood pressure and prevents cancer. Apart from these, spinach has more to offer for breastfeeding mothers.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2.9 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 3.6 gm |
| Fat | 0.4 gm |
| Calories | 23 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Spinach is packed with phytoestrogens essential to mimic estrogen for increased milk production.
- It is rich in several micronutrients, including folate, iron, Vitamins A, C and K1, and calcium that supports lactation.
2. Oats
If you are looking for fibre-rich foods for breastfeeding mothers, consider including oats in your daily diet. They are high in vitamins and minerals that help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Oats contain Vitamin B1, manganese, selenium, copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16.9 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 66.3 gm |
| Fat | 6.9 gm |
| Calories | 389 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Oats supply a sufficient amount of iron required for milk production.
- They are beneficial to preventing constipation, courtesy of high soluble and insoluble fibre content.
3. Salmon
Fatty fish like salmon reduces the chances of obesity, heart ailments and diabetes and supports optimum cholesterol levels, thanks to omega-3. Moreover, due to less saturated fat content, salmon is an effective protein source essential to maintaining a normal-range body mass index.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20.5 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 0 gm |
| Fat | 4.4 gm |
| Calories | 127 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Filled with protein, omega-3, Vitamin B Complex and a large amount of DHA, salmon is responsible for your little ones’ nervous system development.
- Salmon is believed to improve breast milk production.
4. Sweet Potatoes
This nutritious food for lactating mothers contains beta carotene, an antioxidant and good source of Vitamin A. Besides, they are an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium. You will also find Vitamins E, B5 and B6 and manganese in sweet potatoes.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1.6 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 20.1 gm |
| Fat | 0.1 gm |
| Calories | 86 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Breastfeeding mothers can consume one medium size sweet potato daily to meet the Vitamin A requirement, which is essential for immunity, growth, and vision development.
- They also help to improve energy and fight fatigue among nursing mothers.
5. Almonds
To upgrade your diet that packs a healthy punch, eat almonds regularly. They pack a dense nutritional value and potentially strengthen heart conditions and bones. A handful of almonds will provide a nutritional punch of Vitamin E, dietary fibre and magnesium.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 22 gm |
| Fat | 50 gm |
| Calories | 579 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Raw almonds are rich in protein and calcium, necessary for both the mother and the newborn.
- Almonds are ideal if you are looking for a non-dairy source of omega-3 and calcium. Further, they support and enhance milk-producing hormones.
6. Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are multi-functional. From the beauty industry to pharmaceuticals, they are vastly used for their therapeutic properties. Furthermore, sesame seeds provide exceptional health benefits due to the presence of antioxidants, protein, fibre, rich minerals like copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium and Vitamin B complexes.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18.3 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 25 gm |
| Fat | 43.3 gm |
| Calories | 563 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Due to the substantial calcium and estrogen-like plant properties, sesame seeds increase milk production.
- The high vitamin and mineral content in sesame seeds make them one of the best foods for lactating mothers.
7. Garlic
Over the years, people have used garlic to treat health conditions like indigestion, swelling and infection. Thanks to its bioactive compounds, such as organic polysaccharides, saponins, phenolic compounds and sulphides, it is a storehouse of therapeutic benefits.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 33 gm |
| Fat | 0 gm |
| Calories | 149 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Considered a galactagogue, garlic stimulates breast milk production due to its herbal properties.
- You can also improve breast milk supply with garlic.
8. Ginger
Ginger, another effective food for breastfeeding mothers, is packed with healing properties. Further, it helps with nausea, especially among pregnant women with morning sickness. Besides, it fights indigestion, lowers cancer risk, and supports cardiovascular health.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9.12 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 70.79 gm |
| Fat | 5.95 gm |
| Calories | 347 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- It helps in healing from childbirth.
- Being a galactagogue, it significantly increases breast milk production.
9. Brown Rice
The next item on the list of foods to eat while breastfeeding is brown rice, enriched with various vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, diabetic patients can choose brown rice over white to control blood sugar levels due to its low glycemic index.
Most importantly, it is a rich source of antioxidants like flavonoids and phenols that effectively mitigate cell damage and premature ageing.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2.3 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 24 gm |
| Fat | 0.8 gm |
| Calories | 112 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Brown rice increases milk production.
- It provides sufficient energy to breastfeeding mothers to ensure better health conditions.
10. Yoghurt
Yoghurt is full of protein, vitamins, and probiotics that efficiently improve the gut microbiota. Moreover, packed with calcium, it is responsible for bone development, protects teeth and prevents indigestion.
In addition, yoghurt is high in protein. Therefore, include it in your diet to shed those extra inches you gained post-pregnancy.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3.5 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 4.7 gm |
| Fat | 3.3 gm |
| Calories | 61 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Besides yours, yoghurt benefits your baby’s bone and muscle development.
- Yoghurt is a good source of folic acid beneficial for lactating mothers, iron that helps in RBC production of the newborns and zinc to strengthen their immune system.
11. Eggs
Did you know protein is the key to bone and muscle development and hormone and enzyme production? That said, eggs are the storehouse of protein and promote bone and eye health. Further, the myth related to eggs being high in cholesterol is busted. Eggs are now considered as dietary cholesterol that is not associated with heart conditions.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6.3 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 4.7 gm |
| Fat | 5.3 gm |
| Calories | 77 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Eggs significantly maximise the good cholesterol levels to reduce the chances of heart diseases.
- High in essential amino acids and choline, eggs are crucial for full-body functioning.
12. Turmeric
Turmeric has been known for thousands of years due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It is high in vitamins, protein, bioactive compounds and minerals. Its hero component is Curcumin, an antioxidant possessing medicinal and therapeutic values. This antioxidant prevents cancer, promotes a healthy heart and boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factors.
Micronutrient Composition:
| Nutrients | Nutritional Value (in a 100g serving) |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0.91 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 6.31 gm |
| Fat | 0.31 gm |
| Calories | 29 kcal |
Benefits of Spinach -
- Turmeric treats common digestive disorders such as gastric reflux, constipation, etc., that women often undergo postpartum.
- Another common postpartum sign is back and joint pains that can be cured with turmeric, ensuring symptomatic relief.
Along with these foods, you must revise your workout schedule for fast and effective results. Nonetheless, before including any of these foods for breastfeeding mothers, consult with a professional to avoid complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some fruits best for breastfeeding mothers?
Fruits like mangoes, green papaya, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, apricots, etc., benefit nursing mothers.
Which nutrients are essential for lactating mothers?
Nutrients like iron, calcium and protein are essential for lactating mothers.