Question
What should I eat when I am breast feeding?
Answer
It is important to eat well when you are breast feeding to make
sure you have enough milk for your baby and enough energy to get
through the broken nights and lack of sleep during the first few
weeks.
Every day, try to include the following foods in your diet:
- Fruit and vegetables, fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juice.
Aim for at least five portions a day
- Starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes for
energy
- Fibre, which is found in wholegrain bread and breakfast
cereals, pasta, rice, pulses, fruit and vegetables. Fibre helps to
prevent constipation, a common problem after giving birth
- Protein, such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs and pulses
- Fish. Aim for two portions a week, one of which should be oily
fish such as fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel or herring, to help
your baby's brain and eye development
- Dairy foods, including milk, cheese and yogurt, which are a
good source of calcium and protein
- At least eight glasses of water or other fluids
A vitamin and mineral supplement containing 10 micrograms of
vitamin D
Need another question answering?
View all questions