It’s normal to be extra hungry when you are breastfeeding, since the body needs a lot of energy to produce milk. For this reason, it’s super important for mothers to eat well!
Breastfeeding mothers should eat and drink whenever they feel like it and should not go more than three and a half hours without eating. Eating several meals throughout the day is also recommended. If you’re hungry while your baby is feeding, that’s fine! Mums can also have a snack while breastfeeding. After all, it’s an ideal time to get enough energy and water. A mum’s life is not easy!
We spoke to nutritionist Inês Silva, who gave us some tips for mums who get hungry between meals. The best thing to do when this happens is to make small snacks that keep you feeling satiated and which control your appetite until the next meal. Good choices include:
- Fresh fruit;
- Dehydrated fruit (like apple chips, for example);
- Rice crackers with cheese spread and cherry tomatoes;
- A boiled egg and cherry tomatoes;
- Oatmeal and date balls;
- Banana pancakes;
- Prune and carob balls;
- Carrot sticks with guacamole;
- Natural yoghurt with oat flakes, diced mango and ground linseed;
- Vegetable muffins or mini quiches;
- An apple and oat shake (with, for example, oat, almond, rice or spelt milk and diced apple, oat flakes and coconut);
- Home-made puffed rice bars;
- Overnight oats (with plant-based milk, oat flakes and a tablespoon of chia seeds overnight and adding fresh fruit before eating).
Inês also stresses the importance of paying attention to any foods which appear to cause some discomfort to the baby, like gas, after being eaten by the mother. If this happens, these foods should be avoided.
Inês Silva – Nutritionist
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E-mail: macronutricao.inessilva@gmail.com
