A mother needs to have a specified nutritional intake as she is the one not only feeding herself but also her child. They need balanced vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fluid intake to improve their energy levels.
There is actually no strict restriction on diet during breast feeding. It is just following the diet during pregnancy. Fruits and vegetables intake has lower risks of certain cancers and obesity risks. A child usually eats a certain fruits or vegetables based on whether he or she likes the taste and so it is important to let the babies know about the tastes and feed them with quality nutritional fruits for a healthy start. A baby understands the flavor from a mother's diet because the amniotic fluid which carries the food and its taste is transmitted through mother’s milk. Thus a baby understands to like a certain taste when the mother consumes the food.
The following are few points to be taken care of :
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High calorie diet is not the aim but high carbohydrate and nutritional diet is. a hungry mother need to add less sugar and lower fat content intake and should always prefer high carbohydrate foods which boost up the energy levels like starch foods such as cereals during breakfast, pasta, vegetables like potatoes , rice, bread which provide the energy one would require for the day.
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Vitamin D is vital for a mother during breast feeding. Iron supplements like meat and pulses should be added to the diet.
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Intake of calcium and protein from the food products like those of milk products, cheese, yogurt, meat, egg, pulses, cereals, less fat white fish and oil fish are few options for a healthy and low fat diet.
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It is also important to add fiber to the meal. Cereal fiber can be found in those starchy food items as mentioned above. Few fruits and vegetables like peas, lentils, corn, coconut, beans, mango also has fiber content.
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Always have dry raisins, apples, almonds, water packed fruits, soups, beans. Whole grains like cereals, oatmeal, pasta, nuts should be available in the kitchen.
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Boiled egg’s have high protein content.
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A salad of vegetables eaten raw or cooked or dipped in little fruit salad or sprinkles of nuts will make a nutritional diet.
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Intake of milk, fruit juices or water will avoid dehydration. Drinking fluids every time even after meals would increase the fluid, water content in the body and keep the mother healthy consequently she will have the energy to breast feed her baby.
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Intake of vitamin C through water melon’s, strawberries, citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit are compulsory. Other sources of vitamin C include green peppers, small tomatoes and potatoes.
Weight loss diets are not actually prescribed by doctors for breast feeding mothers. Most of the food items can be eaten by nursing mothers though few of them under caution and restriction if she is under side effects. So, the only thing to do during breast feeding is not to worry about the weight. Eat as much fruits and vegetables to add to your baby’s weight and enjoy breast feeding stage of women’s lif