Good Nutrition for New Mom’s on the Go
By: Sarah Remmer, RD, CDE
As a busy new Mom, I’ve realized that following a healthy balanced diet everyday is much more challenging, even with the best of intentions. Being a new Mom is overwhelming. When you’re constantly focusing on your little one, whether it’s feeding, changing diapers, soothing or playing, taking care of your own nutrition and health often gets pushed to the bottom of your list. It’s not only challenging to plan meals, but it’s also challenging to have the food in your house in the first place! I’ve come up with a few tips for new Moms on how to make eating healthy easier.
Remember that it’s important to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your baby:
If you have chosen to exclusively breastfeed, you require an additional 500 calories per day to support milk production. Some of these calories come from the breakdown of your bodies fat stores (roughly 170 calories), but the rest must come from your diet. You’ll need an additional 330 calories above your pre-pregnancy calorie needs while you’re exclusively breastfeeding. This could translate into an extra healthy snack of an apple with 2 tbsp of peanut butter and some crackers, or a glass of milk with a homemade muffin. If you have chosen to feed your baby formula, you still need to pay close attention to your diet to maintain your health and keep your energy levels up. What I’ve learned as a new mom is to not overdo it. I can’t do EVERYTHING anymore. The house is not always clean, my hair is not always done, my thank you cards are still not sent, and the laundry is piled high, but those things can wait (even though it’s hard to leave them)—my health and my baby’s health is more important.
Ask for help:
I have been lucky enough to have my Mom help out whenever I have needed her. She’s cleaned my house, grocery shopped, cooked, and baked for me. Family and friends have brought over frozen homemade meals and snacks like muffins, loaves and cookies. Ask your family and close friends for help with household chores, grocery shopping and meals so that you can focus completely on your baby and yourself.
Start with 3 balanced meals a day:
A balanced meal consists of 3 things: whole grains, and vegetables/ fruit (both important for carbohydrate energy and fibre) and protein (important for building muscle, hormones, enzymes and immune compounds). Have breakfast within an hour of waking up. I try to get it in before my son’s first feed of the day. It can be as simple as whole grain toast, a hard boiled egg and a piece of fruit. Or even easier—yogurt, granola and berries. An easy lunch idea is a tuna tomato melt (tuna, whole grain bread, a sliced tomato and cheese melted under the broiler). Or, veggie soup with crackers and hummus. Don’t worry about making it gourmet—just make it balanced. I’ve had many "breakfast" suppers such as French toast with fruit, or a veggie omelette on toast, because it was easier and less time consuming. You may want to do some batch cooking on weekends. Make minestrone soup, pasta sauce or a couple of lasagnas to freeze—you will thank yourself later!
Add in health snacks:
Try to eat every 2-3 hours as a breastfeeding Mom and every 3-4 hours if you’re not breastfeeding. Snacks are essential either way. Eating more frequently will help to maintain your energy level and keep your metabolism strong and steady. It will also help to ensure that you are getting all of the important nutrients that you need. Try to include 2 components in your snacks: carbohydrates (in the form of whole grains or fruit/vegetables) and protein (animal protein or vegetable protein). Examples are: cheese and crackers, apple with peanut butter, or soy milk and a granola bar. Make sure to have healthy snacks in your purse or diaper bag such as granola bars or trail mix so that you’re not caught without something when you’re out and about. Display fruit and other healthy snacks out on your counter to remind you to have your snack. Try to have a snack within arms reach when you are feeding or playing with your baby. I’ve found that the easiest snacks to have on hand are milk or chocolate milk, homemade muffins and fruit (you only need one hand to consume them!).
Don’t depend on caffeine to keep you going:
I love my coffee—and as a new Mom, I don’t know how I’d make it through the day without my latté. It’s not a good idea though, to drink more than 3 8 oz cups of coffee or the equivalent per day—especially if you’re breastfeeding. About 1 percent of the caffeine that you consume from coffee, tea, colas, chocolate and certain medications shows up in your breast milk. Caffeine is a stimulant is eliminated slower in your baby. This may negatively affect your little one. Caffeine is also dehydrating if over-consumed. This would affect your milk supply and therefore your baby’s nutrition. Enjoy 1 or 2 cups of java a day, but make sure to drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated.
Being a mom is challenging. We all want the best for our babies and kids but often forget about our own health and nutrition along the way. Stop and assess your nutrition. Are you getting enough fruits and veggies in the day? Are your meals balanced? Are you eating every few hours? Are you well hydrated? Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t been perfect in the nutrition department, but try to change one or two things to improve your eating habits. You will be a better mom because of it!
Sarah is a great resource for nutritional guidance and support. She’s great at teaching nutrition in a simple and practical way and is able to tailor her expertise to each client, whether relating to the average person looking to become a healthier weight, the athlete looking for a PB, or the person with medical issues such as iron deficiency, diabetes, or irritable bowel syndrome. Thanks for the great suggestions and resources, and keeping a little chocolate in my daily meal plan : )
Diana
MD