What to eat when breastfeeding?
Many people wonder what kind of food to avoid when breastfeeding, but what should you eat when breastfeeding a baby? Although it can be difficult to prioritize yourself and your own food intake between breastfeeding and diaper changes, it is important to eat well and nutritiously. Your baby gets its nutrition from you! Here are some simple tips on how to eat well while breastfeeding.
Breast milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs (except vitamin D) to grow and develop during its first 6 months. Your baby gets the nutrition it needs from you, so to ensure you don't get too little nutrition yourself, it's important that you choose good, nutritious food.
A simple rule of thumb to get all the nutrients you need is to eat according to the colors of the rainbow and to vary the variety of foods.
Good foods to eat when breastfeeding
- 500 grams of fruit and vegetables every day, such as two portions of vegetables and three fruits.
- Fish 2-3 times a week, see dietary guidelines for more information on fish.
- Milk, natural file or natural yogurt, about 5 dl per day
- Keyhole labelled fat on sandwiches and in cooking
- Meat, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils or peas every day
- Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, bulgur or similar every day, preferably whole grains (which are high in fiber and good for digestion).
You need a little more of most nutrients when you are breastfeeding. In particular, choose foods that are high in vitamin D, omega-3 fats and folate (folic acid). It is also good to replenish your iron stores after pregnancy by eating iron-rich foods.
Good sources too:
- DHA, an omega-3 fat:
oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring
- Vitamin D:
Fish and eggs contain vitamin D. So do vitamin D-enriched foods such as many dairy products and most margarines. Sunlight is also an important source.
- Folate/folic acid:
Vegetables, beans, chickpeas, lentils, fruits and berries, whole grains.
- Iron:
Meat, liver pâté, black pudding and whole grain products. Lentils, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds and nuts also contain iron.
- Iodine:
You also need iodine when you are breastfeeding. Use iodine-enriched salt, but don't salt too much. Many mineral, herbal and flake salts are not iodine-enriched. Read the packaging.
