The main question: can a nursing mother eat dried fruits?
Dried fruits contain almost the same amount of vitamins and minerals as fresh fruits. Therefore, they are able to improve the appearance and well-being of the mother, saturate the milk with nutrients and enhance lactation.
In addition, this is an excellent prevention of constipation in the baby and mother. The main thing here is not to overdo it and not cause loose stools. In general, doctors recommend dried fruits to replace sweets, which a nursing mother sometimes also craves.
Substances preserved in dried fruits are absorbed by the baby’s body more easily than vitamins and microelements contained in fresh foods.
However, when breastfeeding in the first month (and some doctors recommend up to three) of the child’s life, it is better not to add dried fruits to the diet. During this period, you should strictly adhere to the diet for a nursing mother, because the baby’s digestive system is still adapting to unusual living conditions. Read about nutrition for a nursing mother in the first month of a baby’s life here.
The dangers of raisins while breastfeeding
This plant product should be introduced into the diet extremely carefully. If you exceed the permissible limit, it can cause severe bloating and abdominal pain. This reaction does not occur as often if raisins are consumed in reasonable quantities.
You need to start with a small portion, and if the child reacts normally to it, you can gradually increase it, but don’t get too carried away with it. In addition to its wonderful taste, raisins also have medicinal properties. It contains:
- potassium,
- phosphorus,
- a nicotinic acid,
- protein,
- saturated fats,
- cellulose,
- sodium,
- calcium.
Rules for use and introduction into the diet
What rules should you follow when adding this tasty product to your diet:
Healthy dried fruits are dried in the sun for a long time without chemical treatment
1 Introduce gradually . You should start with 2-3 pieces a day, carefully monitoring the child’s well-being. 2 Enter one at a time . That is, eat only one type per day. If you eat several different fruits at once, then if your baby develops an allergy, it will not be clear which product caused the allergy. 3 Avoid exotic fruits . The best ones are those who grew up in their native region. It is better to postpone dried fruits that are not typical for the region until the end of lactation. You can find out why it is important for a nursing mother to eat locally harvested tomatoes here. 4 Do not eat store-bought candied fruits in beautiful packages . First of all, they have too much sugar. Secondly, they are often dyed and with the addition of various chemicals. How to make homemade ice cream that is as tasty as store-bought ice cream, see this article. 5 Wash thoroughly before use . Often, for long-term storage and to give a beautiful color, dried fruits are treated with chemicals. Therefore, it is better to soak them for a short time, then wash them thoroughly, or you can douse them with boiling water.
Ermekova B.K., nutritionist, Trustmed clinic, Moscow
During lactation, the mother has to think first not about herself, but about the baby. Sometimes you have to limit yourself in many ways. Including sweets, but sometimes you crave it so much.
An excellent alternative to candies and chocolate are dried apricots, raisins and dates.
Filled with useful substances, these products not only enrich the body of mother and child, but are also a source of positive emotions.
Raisins: benefits and harm to the body
Dried grapes are often eaten as a natural and healthy treat. Its taste is not inferior to candies and other sweets. However, before consuming the product, it is recommended to know its chemical composition and understand the beneficial and harmful properties. There are contraindications that prohibit the consumption of berries for certain diseases of the body.
Raisin production is established in countries with warm climatic conditions. This is where a large grape harvest is harvested. The color shade of raisins is determined by the drying technology, plant variety, and quality of raw materials. Bones may or may not be present. In addition, there are sweet and bland varieties of raisins that contain varying amounts of fructose and other naturally occurring sugars.
There are contraindications that prohibit the consumption of berries for certain diseases of the body.
The benefits and harms of raisins during pregnancy
Pregnancy is an amazing period for a woman. But this situation requires you to be more attentive to your health and nutrition. In particular, eat only healthy and high-quality foods.
What to look for when purchasing
What kind of dried fruits can you use while breastfeeding, if we are talking about their quality? Of course, the best ones are grown, harvested and dried yourself. Or purchased from familiar gardeners. Unfortunately, not everyone has this opportunity. Therefore, when choosing these products in a store, you should carefully examine them.
The appearance is too beautiful, glossy shine, bright color of the fruit is a sign that it has been treated with chemicals . Therefore, it is better to give preference to less attractive specimens. This also applies to other products, such as cherries, strawberries or watermelon. You should also avoid those dried fruits that have mold on them, even if one of them has it.
While breastfeeding, you can eat dried fruits raw or as part of different dishes.
Dried fruits contain a lot of sugar and are high in calories, so mothers who are overweight or diabetic will have to avoid them.
Raisin recipes
The following recipes combine many useful ingredients. They do not require much time to prepare, and the products can be found in any store.
Recipes with raisins:
- meatballs “Abkhaz style”.
Boil 500 g of beef, peel 2 potatoes. Divide 200 g of raisins into 2 equal parts, rinse thoroughly and dry. Press some of the dried fruit, beef and raw potatoes through a meat grinder. Add 100 g of walnuts and herbs to the ingredients to taste. A chicken egg is added to the resulting mixture and mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Small meatballs are formed from minced meat, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in vegetable oil. Selecting a frying pan with a thick bottom, pour 3 tbsp of olive oil into it. l. and fry the second part of the raisins over low heat until they increase in size. The finished meatballs are poured with the resulting mixture and served with herbs;
- "Surprise" salad.
Wash and dry 50 g of dried fruit, chop 300 g of white cabbage into strips. Grate 1 apple and 1 carrot on a grater with large holes, chop the greens and mix with the grated mass to release the juice. Mix with other ingredients. Season as follows: add 1 tbsp to sour cream. l. olive oil, 1 tsp. mustard and 1 tsp. vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix. Add a little sauce to the salad so that the taste is not drowned out, but emphasized. Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes, after which it is ready to eat;
- cupcakes with raisins.
Soak 30 g of seedless raisins. Separate 2 chicken yolks from the whites, beat the latter until foamy. Mix the yolks, adding 200 g of pear or apple puree. 30 g of liquid oil is also added there. Slowly add the protein mixture while mixing the ingredients. Add salt to taste and add sugar substitute. Add 90 g of rice flour to the resulting mixture to make the dough airy. The raisins are dried, washed and added to the composition. It is advisable to pour the mixture into silicone molds and bake for 30 minutes at a temperature of 200 o C;
- simple recipe with apples.
It is necessary to cut out the core of the fruit and peel it. Pour raisins into the formed niche to the top and place in the oven or microwave for baking. Afterwards the product is ready for use.
There are many recipes that contain raisins. During preparation, you should familiarize yourself with the composition in advance so as not to use a product that is undesirable during lactation.
Most useful
What dried fruits can a nursing mother eat? Any grown in their native region and dried without the use of harmful substances.
The invaluable benefit of dried fruits is that they saturate the body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements; they should be consumed daily
These could be pears, apples, peaches, and so on.
But the most useful are:
- dried apricots;
- dates;
- prunes;
- raisin;
- rose hip.
Let's take a closer look at each type.
Dried apricots
Contains magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A and B. It perfectly restores strength, normalizes kidney function, strengthens the immune system, and improves digestion in a woman and her child. Nourishes the heart muscle and strengthens the nervous system. It is also useful for the beauty of skin and hair, improves mood, and normalizes blood pressure.
You can eat from the third month of a child’s life, no more than 100 g per day . Natural dried apricots have a grayish tint. It is better not to buy bright orange fruits.
Dates
Dates are an excellent tonic.
Prohibited for diabetics. They contain a lot of easily digestible sugars, making them an excellent substitute for sweets. Easy to digest.
Promotes the production of hormones that stimulate lactation. They improve the baby’s digestion and promote the proper development of its skeletal system and brain.
You can eat no more than 5 dates per day . Fresh fruits have a shiny surface.
After eating dates in their pure form, you should rinse your mouth, as the sugars they contain negatively affect dental health.
Prunes
Prunes are rich in antioxidants and are an excellent remedy for constipation.
These dried fruits are useful for breastfeeding because they are the best way to normalize digestion in mother and child. They contain iron and B vitamins. They are good for the heart and nervous system and cleanse the body well.
In addition, for a mother who wants to lose weight after childbirth and at the same time breastfeed her baby, prunes will come in handy. Prunes also improve complexion and prevent dental diseases and gum inflammation.
You should start adding it to the diet from the 3rd month of a child’s life. You should not indulge in prunes during lactation, as they can cause diarrhea or foamy stools in the baby. It is better to limit yourself to 2-3 pieces per day .
Natural dried plums are dark and wrinkled. You should not take fruits that are too hard or too soft, as well as those that are suspiciously bright and shiny.
Volokitina M.A., pediatrician, Alfa Health Center clinic, Rostov-on-Don
The healthiest dried fruit for mother and baby is prunes. By consuming only 2-3 pieces a day, you can forever forget about problems with stool for both women and babies.
The main thing is not to get carried away, because you can achieve the opposite effect. Prunes in large quantities lead to diarrhea, and it is dangerous due to dehydration of the body.
Rose hip
Unlike other dried fruits, rose hips cannot be eaten in their pure form. But this is a real storehouse of vitamin C , which in this product is not destroyed by drying, as in other fruits. It has antibacterial and antiviral effects, strengthens the immunity of mother and child.
Teas, infusions are prepared from rose hips, and they are also added to compotes. It grows in all regions of the country, so it is easier to prepare it yourself.
Raisin
Raisins are very useful, but in small quantities.
Such dried fruits during breastfeeding are good because they effectively relieve the mother’s fatigue, improve her mood and energize her.
They also have a positive effect on the heart muscle, blood vessels, and nervous system. Useful for anemia.
You can start eating from the 2nd month of your baby’s life. For better absorption, it is recommended to cook the raisins for 2-3 minutes or pour boiling water over them .
The benefits and harms of raisins for the human body
Raisins are a tasty and healthy dried fruit that is obtained by drying ripe grapes. This is a great treat that replaces sweets and candies, which no child or adult will refuse.
Information about the benefits and harms of raisins will help you correctly include them in your daily diet to strengthen the body and saturate it with various vitamins and microelements.
In the east, such dried sweets are known as raisins.
Grapes: composition features and beneficial properties
Since ancient times, the grapevine has been considered a symbol of fertility, abundance and a happy life. This sweet berry, beloved by many, is not only tasty, but also extremely healthy and nutritious. Grapes have a beneficial effect on almost all functional systems of the human body, quickly restore strength and have a pronounced antioxidant property.
tannins 3.4;.
Healing properties of raisins
- Wound healing;
- Regeneration of damaged tissues;
- General strengthening of the body;
- Increased tone;
- Removal of accumulated toxins;
- Decreased pressure;
- Strengthening the immune system;
- Calm the psyche;
- Cleansing the respiratory tract;
- Removal of bile;
- Elimination of inflammatory processes.
The condition of the skin improves significantly.
Helps lose weight
Raisins contain fairly high amounts of fiber. Dietary fiber, when it enters the stomach, increases in size and, through neurohumoral and reflex reactions, inhibits hunger centers in the brain.
Scientists from the USA claim that food cravings after eating dried grapes are reduced for more than 8 hours.
As a result of appetite suppression, the total calorie content of the daily diet decreases (in order to maximize weight loss, you can take raisins 2 times a day - morning and evening).
At the same time, raisins do not affect the level of sex hormones and are equally effective in both men and women.
Let's look at the basic steps.
What do mothers say?
Ilona, 23 years old, Megion
I can't live without sweets. This became a problem during feeding. Cakes give us diarrhea, chocolate gives us rashes. I had to switch to dates and fresh fruits. The daughter only reacts normally to them.
True, I still want chocolate. But then I stopped dreaming about cakes at night.
Karina, 26 years old, Moscow
From the first day of feeding I have been eating raisins. I cook compotes and add them to cottage cheese with sour cream. Delicious, and no side effects for my son. But he gets a rash when he eats fresh fruit.
In my opinion, fresh fruits during breastfeeding should be eaten very carefully, but you don’t have to worry about dried fruits.
Maria, 30 years old, Chelyabinsk
After childbirth, both this and this are prohibited. I think the only thing that is definitely not allowed is alcohol, canned food and coffee during lactation. And so anything is possible, even sweets. The main thing is to observe moderation, watch your child and choose what is right for your case.
My child had nothing for store-bought sweets. But dried fruits gave me diarrhea, although I didn’t seem to overuse them.
