Extra Calories While Breastfeeding
How many extra calories do I need as a breastfeeding mom?
The nutrition requirements for breastfeeding moms are similar to those for pregnant women. It is recommended that moms continue to eat as they were during their pregnancy (hopefully nutritiously), then add approximately 300 more calories per day.
It is important that calories come from nutritious foods, including lean proteins (beef, poultry, seafood*, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, tofu, dried beans); calcium (milk, yogurt cheese); iron (beef, poultry, seafood*, egg yolks, dried beans); and vitamin C (citrus fruits, cantaloupe, broccoli, potato, tomato, bell pepper.) Eating three meals plus two or three small snacks a day should be sufficient in attaining the required calories for breastfeeding.
*The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that breastfeeding mothers not eat shark, king mackerel, tilefish or swordfish due to their high mercury content.
It is important that calories come from nutritious foods, including lean proteins (beef, poultry, seafood*, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, tofu, dried beans); calcium (milk, yogurt cheese); iron (beef, poultry, seafood*, egg yolks, dried beans); and vitamin C (citrus fruits, cantaloupe, broccoli, potato, tomato, bell pepper.) Eating three meals plus two or three small snacks a day should be sufficient in attaining the required calories for breastfeeding.
*The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that breastfeeding mothers not eat shark, king mackerel, tilefish or swordfish due to their high mercury content.
Answered by
Cynthia C. Garza, RD
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