Breast milk provides the best form of nutrition for babies. It is important for breastfeeding moms to eat a healthy diet because some of the nutrients that she consumes gets passed on to her baby through the breast milk. Breastfeeding moms have specific nutritional requirements and should make sure that they eat a well-balanced diet including all of the different food groups.
Fluids
According to the health care system Sutter Health, drinking enough fluids is essential for breastfeeding moms because it allows them to produce enough breast milk to meet their babies' needs. Sutter Health recommends that breastfeeding women drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluids a day, which can include water, juice or milk. This will help to prevent constipation and give mom enough energy to breastfeed the baby.
Calories
Though most women want to lose weight postpartum, it's important that breastfeeding women get enough calories every day. Virginia University's Health System explains that breastfeeding women need an average of 500 extra calories each day just to produce enough breast milk. This doesn't mean the mom needs to overeat, as 500 calories is only about the size of a sandwich and a glass of milk, according to Virginia University.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals that are important for both a mother and her baby. The more fruits and vegetables a breastfeeding woman eats, the more nutrients her baby will get. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that breastfeeding moms get 2 cups of fruits and 3 cups of vegetables in their daily diet.
Protein
Virginia University's Health System states that an essential aspect of a breastfeeding mother's diet is variety. Though she needs to eat many fruits and vegetables, she also needs to eat enough protein from foods like beef, chicken, turkey, fish and eggs. Protein provides energy and helps strengthen muscles. Vegetarian women can get enough protein to breastfeed provided that they eat foods like beans, nuts, lentils, soy foods and tofu.
Dairy
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that breastfeeding mothers get about 3 cups of dairy every day so that they consume enough calcium to breastfeed. While drinking cow's milk doesn't make a woman produce any more milk, women need the calcium found in dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. If she doesn't eat enough calcium, her body will take her calcium stores from her bones and use it to enrich the baby's milk.
