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Breast milk is the nutrition given to the newborn that helps in nourishing the nutritional needs of the baby. Hence, it is essential for mothers to eat healthily and produce enough milk in order to satisfy the baby’s dietary needs. It is essential for breastfeeding mothers to maintain a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet. Breastfeeding does not only provide nutrition to the baby but also gives them energy.
Breast-feeding mothers often feel hungry with low energy as their bodies produce milk continuously for 24 hours every day. It usually happens because pregnant women consume all the nutrients that are important in milk production, which in turn has a major impact on their energy level and health. Hence, lactating mothers need to maintain their nutrient-rich diet to facilitate metabolizing their body functions along with nurturing the health and growth of the baby. It is considered important to strike the proper nutritional intake balance to maintain good health of the mother and the baby.
Including certain superfoods in the diet serves the body’s nutritional powerhouse. It will help the mothers in maintaining the dietary balance among the lactating mothers and fulfill the needs that the body and baby demand. Some of the Superfoods for breastfeeding mothers that are incorporated into the diet for replenishing the body, boosting the breast milk supply, and providing the baby with important nutrients are discussed below:
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Leafy green vegetables
These consist of important nutrients such as vitamin A, C, E, and K. Vegetables including spinach and broccoli are rich in nutrients and have iron and folate content in them. These are known to be a rich source of calcium, iron, and magnesium for lactating mothers.
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Avocados
It consist of 80% of the total fat that shows health benefit to the heart and also provide nutrients such as vitamin B, C, K, E, folate, and potassium.
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Almonds
These constitute a good source of iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins A and B. These are the nutritional powerhouse for lactating mothers as they are rich in fatty acids and proteins. Lactating mothers are recommended to consume a handful of almonds and nuts in their daily diet. Almonds are a non-dairy source of food, constituting calcium and lactogenic content.
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Oatmeal
It is a hunger-satisfying food item that has lactogenic properties and provides iron and fiber content in huge proportion. Lactating mothers are recommended to go with steel-cut oats and old-fashioned varieties that require more time to be cooked and contain more nutrients.
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Yogurt
It contains high protein and calcium content, which makes it an easy-to-eat food, a good breakfast food, and provides probiotics to the digestive system, which helps the mother to remain healthy.
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Beans and legumes
The consumption of plenty of fiber-full beans by the lactating mother helps the baby not to burp more. It is used instead of fatty meats because the proteins present in the beans and legumes are effective for nursing mothers.
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Quinoa
It contains protein and fiber content. It is known as the low-glycemic grain, gluten-free which makes the mother feel full for a longer duration.
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Salmon
It is the type of fish variety containing low fat and high in heart-healthy omega-3 fats. It is rich in proteins and nutrients. It has high vitamin content, mainly vitamin D.
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Lean red meats
It contains iron content which is easily absorbed by the body and protein content. Other important nutrients include niacin, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12, which are recommended for lactating mothers.
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Eggs
Its consumption helps in boosting the protein content, which is another method of consuming healthier fats in the diet along with the addition of folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.
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Apricots
It is consumed instead of sugary snacks. It is known as an important source of prolactin that produces nutrients and helps in digestion.
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Seeds
Some of the seeds, such as chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and hemp seeds, contain high nutrient content. Chia seeds are rich in fibre, protein, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Hemp seeds are rich in iron and zinc, which are considered important for the health of the baby and the mother. Consult with the Best Pediatrician in Kolkata to know more about the diet plans.
Consultant - Paediatrics MD (PED)
Manipal Hospitals. Salt Lake, Kolkata
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