Nutrition after birth – what you should know

Once you’ve finally given birth you’ll be spending a lot of time nurturing and treating your newborn, and sometimes it’s hard to find time for yourself or to ensure that you eat well. You know that it’s important to eat nutritious food so that you can remain calm and alert and feel well – something even more important if you’re breastfeeding. However, even though you know this, you frequently find yourself skipping meals or eating a snack.

A simply way to make sure that you’re still eating high-quality nutrients is to find recipes that include them and that are easy to make:

Eat plenty of nuts and almonds – they’re high in fatty acids, minerals and protein (all things which your post-pregnancy body needs), and they’ll improve the quality of your breast milk. Almonds are rich in calcium and because you’re in a great period to build new bone, take advantage of the situation. Walnuts are high in Omega 3 fatty acids that are passed on to your newborn and help brain development. Pistachios are rich in vitamins B1 and B6, which improve concentration and alertness. It’s best to eat these nuts not roasted.

Drink nettle tea – Nettles are high in vitamins and minerals and help to build hemoglobin and encourage production of breast milk. Drink tea infused directly from nettle leaves and not from a tea bag, and make sure that the leaves are green and fresh.

Eat berries – Berries are high in vitamins and anti-oxidants and will help keep you alert while helping you recover from childbirth.

Drink green shakes – A delicious and tasty way to add more nutrients to your diet is via shakes, especially green ones which include parsley, coriander, lettuce and celery, blended with bananas or apples. Adding a date will give it some sweetness, while nuts can help the body absorb all the goodness. Leafy greens are rich in iron, folic acid, vitamin K and more.

Add oats to your diet – It’s recommend to eat instant oats as they’re high in tryptophan, which improves concentration and calms you down, and it also passes through your breast milk. Their natural fibers will help with any digestive issues you might have and they can be added to yoghurt, vegetable soup, muffins and porridge.

Oatmeal muffins with nuts and cranberries

Ingredients
1 cup of sifted spelt flour
1 cup of oats
1 cup of goat-milk yoghurt
1.5 teaspoons of baking soda
1.5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 crushed apples or ¾ cup of applesauce.
4 tablespoons of honey
1 egg
½ cup of chopped nut
½ green apple, thinly sliced
½ frozen cranberries

Preparation
Heat up the oven to 160 C (300-325 F).
In a bowl, mix the oats and the yoghurt and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Add the egg, honey, applesauce to the yoghurt and mix.
Combine the wet and dry mixtures, and add the nuts, sliced apple and cranberries.
Pour into oiled muffin trays and bake for around 20 minutes.