Post Pregnancy Diet: Best Food Options For New Moms

There are several challenges a new mother faces – one of the biggest being eating healthy and losing those extra pounds gained during pregnancy. Once the baby is born, the mother may continue to experience frequent urges to eat. Also, the mother may not get adequate amount of sleep as required in order to maintain ideal weight.

When a new mom wants to lose weight, she should start taking frequent and small meals during the day instead of three large meals.  New moms should also drink lots of water and homemade healthy dinners.  New moms require a lot of stamina and this requires eating food that could boost energy. Eating nutrient rich foods regularly throughout the day could maximize your energy.

The best diet options available

There are a few foods which should be consumed by every new mother :

1. Salmon – This is a nutritional powerhouse for new mothers. Salmon is a fatty fish, hence it is loaded with DHA -a type of fat . DHA is crucial during the development of a baby’s nervous system. Generally, all breast-milk contains DHA, but research shows that women who have more DHA foods in their diet, have higher levels of this essential nitrient in their breast milk. DHA also helps mood swings and can prevent post partum depression.
2. Low fat dairy products – Dairy products such as milk, cheese or yogurt should be an important part of healthy breast feeding. Not only does it provide protein and vitamin D & B, but it is also a very good source of calcium. Calcium helps the baby’s bones develop. Hence, it is important for a new mother to include about three cups of dairy products as a part of her diet each day.
3. Legumes – Dark colored beans such as kidney beans and black beans are great breast feeding food, specially for vegetarians. They are not only a rich source of iron, but they are also a budget friendly source of non-animal protein.
4. Brown rice – A lot of new moms are tempted to cut their carbohydrate consumption in order to lose baby weight drastically. Quick weight loss may result in lethargy and sluggishness and also produce less milk for the baby. This could be better substituted with healthy whole grain carbs like brown rice that help to keep higher energy levels. Also, brown rice provides the body with the calories required to produce best quality milk for the baby.
5. Leafy greens – Leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard are filled with vitamin A, which get passed on to the baby from breast milk. They are non-dairy sources of dietary calcium. They also are rich sources of Vitamin C and iron. Green leafy vegetables are loaded with anti-oxidants that are good for the heart.
6. Water – New moms who are breast feeding are often dehydrated and hence drained of energy. In order to keep high energy levels and also keep milk production good it is important to stay well hydrated. Fluids such as juice or milk can also be consumed frequently, however, caffeinated drinks such as tea or coffee must be avoided. This is because caffeine can enter the breast milk and could affect the baby’s sleep and also cause irritation in the baby.

Having a regulated diet with foods such as these could prove to be highly beneficial for new mothers. Food is an important source of energy and hence utmost care should be taken to include the right types of foods in Post pregnancy diet.

This is a guest post from Alyssa Clarke.  About The Author:  Alyssa is a writer/blogger.  She loves writing, traveling to various Holiday Destinations.  She knows more information about Holiday Destinations on Born Rich.