Breastfeeding mothers should always maintain a balanced and healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids to produce more breast milk. Your daily diet will include all the basic food groups such as calcium, protein, iron, and vitamins. Breastfeeding mothers typically require more calories than a new, non-breastfeeding mother. If you are fully breastfeeding, your diet will include 2700 kcal per day. However, your calorie intake will drop after weaning from breastfeeding to 1800 kcal per day. It is very common to feel more thirsty; therefore, it is essential that you drink enough water to quench your thirst. You can also drink a glass of water before and after breastfeeding.

A healthy breastfeeding diet relies more on good food quality than food quantity.. A healthy daily diet should include:

1.50% grain (such as oats, cereal, wheat germ, etc.)

2. 20% vegetables, beans, and peas (such as carrots, squash, spinach or other green vegetables, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans, kidney beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.)

3.10% fruits (such as plums, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, sweet melon)

4. 10% of various nuts, seeds, and algae (such as almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, etc.), and 5. Last but not least, 10% meat and fish (such as lean beef, pork, lamb, shrimp, clams, oysters, cod, rainbow trout, halibut, etc.). 6. You can also add some dairy products to your diet, such as skim milk and low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

Good foods that help maintain a healthy and balanced diet for breastfeeding:

1. Beans and peas like soybeans, kidney beans, etc. they are your source of protein. They are also rich in vitamin B. It is a good source of food to lose weight during lactation without affecting the quality of breast milk.

2. Raisins, almonds, and other nuts contain more iron, calcium, and fiber than fresh fruits, and they are also a very good substitute for fruits that can lead to weight gain.

3. Clams, oysters, and dried scallops are enriched with iron. You can add this food group to your diet to prevent anemia.

4. Seaweed is a high-fiber, calorie-free food that also helps lower cholesterol. 5. Spinach, cabbage, and green vegetables would improve your body’s metabolism.

Nursing mothers should be aware of the intake of certain foods, as any food that you have included in your diet would pass into breast milk. It is advice to avoid taking too many spices, vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil. Fish such as swordfish, mackerel, shark, and tile are not suitable for you as a nursing mother, as these fish contain high levels of mercury. We also advise you to avoid alcoholic beverages. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee are also not recommended. However, a moderate amount, such as 2 cups a day, would not affect your breast milk much if you cannot avoid it. You will stop smoking if you are a smoker. Even secondhand smoke is not good.

Breastfeeding mothers are advised to know that any medication should be taken under a professional description. Although the amount of medications that will be present in breast milk is low and the concentration is too low to cause any danger to the baby, it is recommended that you consult a professional before taking any medication. You should seek professional advice on the suitability of the use of any medication before attempting to self-medicate.

Feeding your baby with your breath requires extra calories in your diet; therefore, you must ensure that your diet and the foods you eat daily include all of the essential diet in the food groups. The type of food you eat will affect the quality of breast milk for your baby.