• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Five Spot Green Living

Five Spot Green Living

  • Natural Remedies
    • Eczema
    • Essential Oils
      • Peppermint Oil
      • Tea Tree Oil
    • Magnesium Benefits
  • Self Care
    • Grief and Loss
    • Inspirational Quotes
  • Healthy Recipes
    • healthy appetizers
    • healthy drinks
  • Shop

A Postpartum Diet for Health and Rejuvenation

Vicki/ Natural Health

Eating well takes planning, but it’s well worth it. It’s so important to have a healthy postpartum diet, breastfeeding or not, for both mom and baby.

Postpartum Diet

Table of Contents show
1 Postpartum Diet and Recovery
1.1 On-the-Go Oatmeal
1.2 Healthy Weekend Breakfast
1.3 Avocado Milkshake

Postpartum Diet and Recovery

I gave birth 35 days ago. Thirty-five days of endless diaper changes, nursing and sleep deprivation. This does not leave much time for eating, let along eating well. I had a hard time during pregnancy eating healthy, and now taking care of young children and a baby, I can only think about what it would be like to eat well. It takes effort.

There are many cultural traditions regarding foods that are touted to help breastfeeding mothers make more milk. Few have been rigorously / scientifically “studied.” However, most are healthy and can’t hurt. And the “wisdom of the ages” shouldn’t necessarily be disregarded.

  • There’s a widely held belief that oatmeal increases milk supply. This has never been proven, but it’s also never been disproved. Since it’s healthy anyway, if you like it, go ahead! Steel-cut oats are reported to be best, but even oatmeal cookies may help.
  • Other whole grains with some noted benefit include barley, brown rice, and millet. All these whole grains do provide B-vitamins, which help mom have more energy. A side bonus is that the roughage helps with “regularity” of the intestinal tract.
  • Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, green peas, and kidney beans, navy beans, or black beans are a good source of both protein and fiber.
  • Almonds and sesame seeds are a good source of calcium and omega-3- fats, as well as cashews, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
  • Colorful vegetables, such as dark leafy greens, carrots, and beets are excellent sources of important vitamins, as are asparagus, artichoke, and malunggay leaves. Alfalfa and dandelion greens in your salad are also good.
  • Dried fruits such as apricots, figs, and dates have iron plus several important vitamins.

There are so many challenges postpartum, a mom needs to keep her energy up and eat foods that make her feel good. A woman already feels so tired, she doesn’t need the foods she eats to drag her down even more. I have been trying to incorporate a lot of the foods below into my daily eating postpartum diet routine. Check them out and let me know which one appeals to you most, or if you have one to share!

On-the-Go Oatmeal

Ingredients
1/2 cup quick oats
dash salt
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp flax seeds
1 tbsp diced almonds
1/2 cup fruit of choice

Directions
Mix all ingredients except fruit and add 1/2 – 1 cup milk depending on what consistency you prefer. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and add a few more tsbp of cold milk plus fruit and stir.


Healthy Weekend Breakfast

Ingredients
2 pieces multi-grain toast
Peanut butter
Honey
Fruit
Eggs
Cheese
Butter

Directions
For eggs: Heat frying pan on medium and add a pat of butter. Mix up 2 eggs in bowl and add some cheese of your preference. Add to pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook for a few minutes until eggs are done and cheese is melted. Can also be made into an omelette with tomatoes or other vegetables.


Avocado Milkshake

Ingredients
1 Avocado
1 Banana
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Cup Milk
Cinnamon, if desired

Directions
Blend together and enjoy! This milkshake is a great source of energy and protein.

References for this article:
La Leche League International
http://forums.llli.org/showthread.php?101118-What-to-Eat-or-Not-to-Eat-While-Breastfeeding

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leah M says

    July 17, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this!! I’m now almost 13 months PP, so this doesn’t necessarily apply to me right now, but it’s definitely something that new moms (especially those that are BFing) need to be aware of! I know that I was often so busy after my son was born that I completely forgot to eat (BAD, Bad, bad), let alone eat the right stuff.

    Log in to Reply
    • vicki says

      July 17, 2012 at 5:41 pm

      Exactly! This is #3 but I still forget what and how to eat.

      Log in to Reply
  2. Audrey says

    July 17, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    The avocado milkshake sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Log in to Reply
  3. clancycash says

    July 17, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    Great tips! Also great tips for anyone……don’t forget to get your sunlight too! So important.

    Log in to Reply
    • vicki says

      July 17, 2012 at 10:00 pm

      You are right! Sunlight is very important. Good tip!

      Log in to Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    September 6, 2013 at 8:43 am

    Thanks for this. Such simple recipes that I can see would be satisfying yet still healthy! I need this – I can barely figure out what to make for dinner with my little one permanently latched onto me.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Healthy Living for Busy Families


Five Spot Green Living is designed to educate families about healthy eating, natural health and home remedies while living simple, naturally. If you want to strip the chemicals and preservatives from your life, this is the best place to start.
Home | Privacy Policy | About | Shop

Copyright © 2025 · Your Site Name

Ella Theme by Code + Coconut