Breastfeeding is the most optimal source of nutrition for babies and toddlers. You are the source of nutrients for him, so you must be attentive about your dietary choices.
Benefits of breast milk
It is a wonderful gift — it contains the exact amount of nutrients he needs, like water, proteins, sugars, and fat. It also contains antibodies to build up his immune system, and growth factors and hormones to ensure growth at a healthy pace.
Due to this, around 425 – 700 calories get secreted through your breast milk on a daily basis. It isrecommended to increase your daily calorie intake by around 500 calories every day. Ensure that the extra calories are from healthy sources, and not empty calories in the form of junk food or sweets.
With breast milk being affected by what you consume, it is imperative to ensure the nutrition you’re passing on is as healthiest as possible.
Diversity in diet
Eating healthy benefits both you and him. But having a more well-rounded diet will help in different ways. It isn’t only about the diverse nutrients your baby will get! No, there’s also another surprising benefit. If he’s exposed to a varied diet via breast milk,he’ll be more likely to have a broader palate when you start weaning him. Now you know what you have to do to get him to eat vegetables!
Important foods
It is always a good idea to eat an ample amount of fruits and vegetables, whatever you fancy. Theypossess a host of nutrients and go a long way in maintaining a healthy diet. Also include carbs — bread, rice, pasta,and potatoes. All these foods, along with pulses, will provide much-needed fiber, too. Proteins are important with fish, poultry, eggs,and lean meats as your best bet. And of course, consume lots of dairyto get lots of calcium. Milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, anything!
Instead of sugar?
Sugary treats like muffins, cookies, and chocolate sound wonderful for your cravings, but may not be the best idea. Instead, replace with healthy alternatives that provide you much-needed energy like sunflower seeds, berries or raisins. If you want something sweet, you can opt for some fruit with yogurt. They also have the benefit of releasing sugar into your bloodstream at a lower rate as compared to processed foods.
Keep hydrated
It is recommended to drink at least 2 litres of water a day, as water is an important component of breast milk. You can also drink milk, juices or smoothies. Stay away from coffee though, it’s a diuretic and will make you lose water rapidly.
