Welcome, Mama! Want some delicious, nourishing, and comforting things to eat? Or are you preparing food for a new mama and her family? 
First, ask yourself: What were some of your favorite, most cherished meals when you were a kid? Maybe those meals that Mom made for you when you were sick, or something that Dad cooked up first thing on Saturday mornings? hmmm???? Here are some things that come to mind:
- Toasted cheese sandwiches
- Tomato soup and saltine crackers
- Scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry jam
- Hard boiled eggs and toast, with sliced tomatoes on the side
- Jell-o (Yeah! Float the bananas on top, or any other fruit!)
- Tea with milk and sugar
- Milk with a scoop of molasses in it (packed with iron and calcium)
- Brown rice & tofu
- Peanut butter/oatmeal/molasses cookies
- Oatmeal with brown sugar, nuts, raisins, bananas, and milk
- Pancakes with yogurt and fruit on top
- Bowl of brown rice with sunny seeds, shredded cheese, tomatoes, steamed spinich
- Zucchini bread / Pumpkin bread
- Fruit smoothies, made with yogurt, milk, vanilla, and fruit of your choice
What other things are you thinking about right now? Well, these are foods that are nutritious, filling, and kind. Perhaps they should be called “Gentle Foods.” They taste good, are good for you, and just make you feel better. A-ha! The perfect foods for postpartum!
Mixed with these Gentle Foods is the strong need for roughage – greenery and copious amounts of it, plus whole grains and tons of water – to keep your bowel movements soft (for obvious reasons). So, add to this above list:
- Salad/greens/leafy veggies and lots of them!
- Whole grain breads/pastas
- Brown rice
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Tons and tons of good, clean water (skip the plastics – just drink it from a glass. Have a glass on your nursing station, and fill it up before you sit down to nurse your little one)
- Have healthy snacks available and handy, even on your nursing table. Skip the crunchy bags – they just wake up baby. Maybe have a jar of raisins, nuts/seeds, a few M&M’s (go ahead – indulge – you deserve it!!), dried fruit, etc.
Nursing? Oh yes, there are some foods you want to stay away from. Foods that make you gassy make baby gassy. So, go light, or skip all together:
- Onions
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- garlic
- Super spicy foods
- Limit caffeine and alcohol
Ok, well this will get you started. I’ll add to these posts some of my favorite postpartum mama recipes soon.
love,
m.
