Menu V

Typical daily diet for lactating mothers, to be followed for atleast one month after delivery.

A constant dilemma usually faced is what to cook? and what to eat? and for women who have given birth many foods are restricted especially when breastfeeding their baby. Hence, the food choices get further narrowed down. This post is to alleviate some of the confusion as to the diet required to be followed by lactating mothers. Hopefully, these tips would also take away some of the stress in menu planning, faced by those caring for “mother and babe”.

Points to bear in mind:-

1. Include more of nuts, fruit, vegetables in your diet.
2. Meals should be light, freshly cooked and easily digestible. 
3. Avoid packaged and processed foods, aerated drinks, alcohol and packaged juices. Fresh juices are preferable, include yogurt and buttermilk, if possible.
4. Use only healthy fats like pure ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil for cooking.
5. Avoid heavily spiced food.
6. Limit sweets and fried food.
7. Avoid left-over food from previous day etc, as far as possible.
8. Avoid Pork and Beef.
9. Avoid Mackerels, Sardines, King Fish, Shrimps & Crabs, Shell-fish i.e. anything from the Crustaceans, shellfish, mollusks group.
10. Avoid potatoes, brinjals, starchy food and pulses to avoid flatulence and indigestion which can affect the baby through the breast milk.

Daily Diet Plan – Schedule is approximate and should be adjusted to suit your day. Most of the recipes are available on this site and can be accessed by clicking on the link. Additional options/recipes can be found in the book “Mais Recipes”.

Fenugreek/Ajwain (Carom seeds) tea 3 to 4 times a day or throughout the day instead of plain water.

To prepare Fenugreek Ajwain water : Add a teaspoon each of Fenugreek, Ajwain (Carom seeds), Cumin and Fennel (Badishep) seeds to one litre or 1.5 litres of water, bring to a boil, switch off flame, cover and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve, to be taken by the mother, preferably warm, throughout the day instead of normal water

On rising

Warm water or Ajwain/Fenugreek tea, 5 to 10 soaked almonds with 1 or 2 dates. (Pre-soak the almonds the previous night, next morning peel and eat).

Breakfast – 08:00 a.m. approx.

1.Preferably hot/warm breakfast consisting of either of the following options :

• Poha Upma, Rawa Upma, Vermicelli Upma, Sheera, Seviyan, Panpole, Appams, Mutlim, Uttapam, Dosas, Rawa Dosa, Sada Dosa, Idlis, Parathas, Theplas, Chilas, Plain Ghee Chapatis, Chutney Sandwiches, Vegetable Sandwiches (avoid the boiled potato), Halloumi Sandwich, French Toast, Zaatar, Ragi Banana Pancakes, Millets Dosa, Breakfast wraps, Grilled and toasted sandwiches.
• And for some quick breakfasts (especially for new mothers managing on their own without help) Toast n Boiled eggs, Bread Butter Jam, Cereal like corn flakes, Waffles, etc. are some options.

2. Milk, or tea coffee made with milk

3. A tablespoon of  the lactating traditional preparation Thiklem.

Mid-morning: 11:00 a.m. approx.

1. Porridge made of oats, ragi (tisan), vermicilli, rawa, or bread butter with tea coffee made with milk.
2. One tablespoon of either Ginger (Aale) or Garlic (Lohsun), if available.

Lunch : 01:00 p.m. approx.

With steaming hot Rice.

1. Main dish – Either Fish/Lamb (Mutton)/Chicken/Vegetarian.

• Fish Curry Options: Pomfret, Lady Fish, Raouns (Indian Salmon), Salmon, Grouper (Hamour), etc.
• Mutton/Lamb Options: Mutton Palak, Mutton Stew, Nahari Gosht, Mutton Masala, Lonvas, Mutton Roce Curry, Mutton Sukka, Mince, Ghost Korma, Mutton Green Curry (avoid the turnips and potatoes), etc.
• Chicken Options: Methi Murgh, Chicken Roce Curry, Chicken Green Curry, Chicken Palak, etc.
• Vegetarian Options: Mixed Vegetable Curry, Tambdi Bhaji, Sprouted moong curry, Karela fry, Raw Banana & Yam Curry, Dahi Palak, Bhindani Kadhi, Paneer dishes, Veth Chaman, Avial, Kuwalo Bafad, Kulith & Moghe Curry, Veg Chow Mien, Chinese Chow, Chow, Moong Sookha, etc.

2. Side dish Options:

• Grilled or Fried fish/Chicken/Mutton Chops
• Vegetables like, leafy greens, spinach, pumpkin, gourds, french beans, tendli (Ivy Gourd/Gherkins) yam (very good for internal healing), lady fingers, raw banana.

3. Salad Options- cucumber, beetroot, carrot, lettuce, sprouts, quinoa, fresh thyme salad, etc.

4. A bowl of Nivol on alternate days (not everyday)- drink the nivol with your meal or you can have over your rice with some grilled fish/chicken.

OR

Methi Paez or Ajwain Paez as dessert after food. So if you are having Nivol, skip the methi/ajwain paez, have either one of the three.

Once in a while include Gulianchi Kheer, for dessert instead of Methi or Ajwain Paez.

Evening Tea: 04:00 to 05:00 p.m.

A tablespoon of Thiklem and some small snack or dry bhel, khakra, etc., or fruit.

It is advisable to limit intake of tea and coffee to once a day or maximum two per day, if you must.

Late evening: 07:00 p.m. approx.

Vegetable, Chicken or  Beef or Mutton Bones Soup.  It is advisable to have a bowl of warm soup daily, prepare the instant soup, if you must.

Dinner: 08:000 p.m. (or soon after your soup)

Similar to lunch options. With Rice preferably, or with any type of bread.

Bedtime: 10:00 p.m. (Optional)

Hot milk or Turmeric Milk (Haldi Doodh). Helps in healing and promotes good sleep, immunity booster.

To prepare Turmeric Milk – Boil one cup milk with 3/4 tsp. turmeric powder, 1 tsp. Misri (Candy sugar) or honey, 1/4 tsp. pepper powder. Sip slowly while hot. If using honey do not add while boiling, add after boiling, stir and drink hot.

Fruit – Anytime in between meals – Preferably seasonal fruit, Apples, Pears, Oranges, Bananas, Avocados, Cantaloup, Chickoo, Figs, Cherries, Grapes.

N.B. : Above is a guide for menu planning alongwith traditional mangalorean foods to consume while breastfeeding. Please bear in mind I am niether a dietician nor a nutritionist. The guide is what I have learnt from my mother and from elders in our family and from my personal experiences of giving birth to three children and having three grandchildren. As I have benefitted from these experiences, I am sharing the information. Please seek professional or medical advice when necessary.

For further information on Postnatal Care for Lactating Mothers, please click on the link

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