Breastfeeding: What To Eat And What Not To Eat (with Sample Menu)

The mother’s diet during lactation should be balanced and varied, so it is important the intake of foods such as fruits, whole grains, dairy, legumes and vegetables, avoiding the consumption of industrialized and high-fat foods, which do not provide nutritional value for both mother and baby.

During lactation the mother loses an average of 1 to 2 kg per month, slowly and gradually, due to the amount of energy used for the production of breast milk from the fat that was stored during pregnancy. It takes 800 calories a day to produce one liter of milk; 500 calories are provided by the diet and 300 are taken from maternal stores formed during pregnancy. 

What to eat during breastfeeding

The woman during breastfeeding needs a higher energy and protein intake, which she can obtain from a balanced diet that includes all food groups. In addition to this, she should be sure to meet adequate servings of dairy products to meet her calcium needs during this phase. Some tips to facilitate the mother’s diet are to consume:

At least 5 servings between fresh fruits and vegetables daily;

Include proteins such as well-cooked chicken or turkey and eggs;

Consume 2 to 3 times a week fish, being those low in mercury such as sardines, tuna, trout and salmon;

Carbohydrates should preferably be whole grains such as rice, pasta, cereals, toast and bread to increase fiber intake, in addition to consuming grains;

2 or 3 servings of dairy per day, such as 1 glass of skim or semi-skim milk, 1 slice of white cheese and 1 natural yogurt, for example. In case the baby has a problem with lactose intolerance, the mother may have to avoid these foods or eat them lactose-free, having to obtain calcium from other food sources. See a list of calcium-rich foods;

Include good fats daily, such as avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds like flaxseed, chia and pumpkin seeds, for example. 

In addition to this, it is essential that during breastfeeding the mother ingests a good amount of fluids to promote the production of breast milk, which should be about 3L of fluids per day. This amount includes the water that is present in fruits, soups and juices, so water and tea should be drunk at least 2L per day. 

Micronutrients needed during this phase

During breastfeeding it is important to have an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals, through the consumption of foods rich in iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and omega-3. The table below indicates what is the daily requirement of these vitamins for a breastfeeding mother and in which foods they are found:

Can coffee be drunk during breastfeeding?

Caffeine is a stimulant of the nervous system and the baby does not manage to metabolize it, however some studies show that the consumption of 300 mg of caffeine per day does not cause any problem in the baby, so the breastfeeding woman can drink between 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day trying not to be close to the time when the baby is going to breastfeed. 

What not to eat while breastfeeding

Foods that should be avoided while breastfeeding by the mother are foods such as fried foods, sausages, fatty cheeses, soft drinks, cakes or cookies because they have large amounts of fats and sugars.

In families with allergic history it has been found beneficial for the mother to suspend from her diet, potentially allergenic foods such as eggs and peanuts, for example, however, this is not a rule, it varies from one individual to another, always consult your pediatrician or nutritionist before removing foods from the diet. 

In addition to this, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, due to the fact that alcohol passes to the baby through breast milk.

See in more detail what not to eat while breastfeeding.

Sample 3-day menu

In the table below you can see a sample menu of a balanced and varied diet that you can eat while breastfeeding:

Some ideas for snacks are to consume fresh fruits, a rye bread with cheese and vegetables, yogurt (200 mL), chickpea cream with vegetable sticks, cereal with milk, 1 glass of juice with a maria cracker.

The amounts included in the menu vary according to age, activity If the baby is suffering from colic, the ideal is to visit a nutritionist to perform a complete evaluation and develop a nutritional plan tailored to their needs. 

How to avoid baby colic during breastfeeding

In case the baby suffers from colic the mother may have to make some adjustments in her diet, however this varies from one baby to another, having to be attentive if the baby suffers from colic when a specific food is ingested, and in these cases that food should be removed from the mother’s diet. 

Some foods that have been linked to colic in infants are chocolate and foods that cause gas such as beans, peas, turnips, broccoli, paprika, cucumber or cauliflower. Also combining two carbohydrates such as beans and cabbage, for example, may cause gas. See what are the foods that usually cause gas.

In some cases cow’s milk may cause colic in the baby, and it may be necessary for the mother to drink lactose-free milk or even eliminate cow’s milk from her diet, replacing it with vegetable milks such as coconut milk, almond milk or rice milk. However, if this does not cause colic in the baby, the mother should eat the daily recommendation of dairy products indicated above. 

In addition to this, the ingestion of some teas such as ginseng, kava kava or carqueja, can also cause colic in the baby.

See other tips to combat baby colic.