I recently posted about the Best Postpartum Foods to eat, with a comprehensive list of ingredients and daily meal plan ideas. I thought I would break it down a little more into my Top 10 Postpartum Foods, and detail why I have chosen these nutrient dense food items with their postpartum nourishing and healing benefits.
1. Organic Grass Fed Bone Broth
Organic grass fed bone broth has to be one of the most nutrient dense foods you can consume. Aside from it being loaded with essential vitamins and minerals which the body loses during pregnancy, it is PACKED full of collagen. Collagen is an incredible nutrient that helps to accelerate the healing of wounds from birth, replenish stretched skin and bone density that may have depleted during pregnancy, and rebuild tissue (particularly in the uterus, abdomen and pelvic floor), as well as supporting joint health.
Collagen can also help with breastfeeding, as it is rich in amino acids, minerals and other nutrients that help to support milk production and hydration. It is also an incredibly effective way to improve and support your immune system post-birth, as well as improving your gut health and digestion.
2. Organic Liver: Raw or Dehydrated
Like bone broth, liver (particularly beef liver) is abundant in essential vitamins and minerals, is one of the richest source of choline, folate, B vitamins, zinc, and of course, iron – which is essential for replenishment of lost iron stores due to birth and postpartum bleeding. Liver is very abundant in vitamin A and D, which is integral for immune, brain and nervous system health.
Consuming liver can also improve lactation, as well as supporting the development of baby’s immune system by improving the quality of breastmilk you are supplying. This naturally occurring superfood is also a wonderful whole food ‘supplement’ that will help to avoid postnatal depletion, with the flow on of postpartum depression due to depletion.
3. Pastured Eggs
Eggs. Such an underrated, perfect little parcel of nutrients that is so easy to incorporate into your diet in its many versatile guises – be it fried, poached, scrambled, raw, blended, boiled or baked!
Like liver, eggs are one of natures richest sources of choline, an absolute essential nutrient critical for infant memory and brain development. It also regulates memory, mood, and plays an important role in gene expression, muscle control, lipid transportation and metabolism.
Eggs are the perfect ratio of protein and fat, which is an important way to start the day to ensure stable blood sugar levels and satiety. They are full of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, tryptophan and tyrosine (hello good mood friends!). If you can incorporate them into your daily diet your postpartum body will PRAISE you for it!
4. Grass Fed Beef & Lamb
Aside from being a wonderful source of protein, iron, collagen, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, grass fed beef and lamb are wildly abundant in hyaluronic acid – a wonderful nutrient essential for reducing inflammation, replenishing dried and damaged skin, healing ligaments, tendons and tissue.
5. Wild Caught Salmon
Wild caught salmon is rich in vitamin B12 and omega-3, which has been shown to be effective in reducing the chances of postpartum depression. Salmon is also great for breastfed babies, as it contains large amounts of DHA, a type of fat important for the development of a baby’s nervous system. DHA also plays an integral part in hormone regulation, brain health, and reducing inflammation.
It is important to note the difference between farmed and wild caught salmon, as farmed salmon has been proven to contain around four times the amount of omega-6 fatty acids than wild salmon – which may increase inflammation within the body, rather than reducing it. Farmed salmon is also subject to contamination, as well as often being fed GMO corn based foods, antibiotics, and synthetic astaxanthin to replace the deep pink colour the salmon does not develop in a farmed environment.
6. Leafy Greens & Herbs
Leafy greens and herbs go without saying – they are an incredibly rich source of vitamin C, non-heme iron, and a significant amount of essential vitamins and minerals needed to replenish the body from loss due to pregnancy and birth. Some standouts are dandelion greens, spinach, parsley, nettle, rocket, and of course seaweed (it is a leafy green of the ocean, no?). They also hold powerful anti-inflammatory properties to reduce inflammation ad promote healing within the body after birth.
7. Grass Fed Butter & Ghee
Glorious, wondrous, golden BUTTER from grass fed cows – one of the most underrated, nutrient dense sources of food you can consume. Wildly beneficial for both you and your breastfeeding babe, grass fed butter is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation and build hormones, vitamins A, D & K, iodine, selenium, and beta carotene. It is also a wonderful source of butyrate, which has been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, reduce cholesterol, and significantly increase fat burning and mitochondrial activity.
If you are unable to tolerate dairy however, make ghee your new best friend! Sooooo easy to make at home (and a substantial amount cheaper than buying it from the store), ghee is clarified butter. The slow cooking process removes the lactose from the butter and leaves the beautifully decadent golden liquid. Ghee is amazing for cooking and shallow frying as it has a very high smoking point – healthy, high smoke point cooking oils are crucial if you are focussing on an anti-inflammatory diet.
8. Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut, Kefir, Kimchi
Fermented foods are natures answer to pre- and probiotics. They are alive and thriving with beneficial bacteria that help to replenish and boost your own body’s happy little gut helpers, and as we know gut health is critical for a strong immune system, regulated hormones, and significantly reduce the risk of depression and mental health conditions. It is very cheap and easy to make your ferments at home, but if you are time poor, they are very accessible in most health food and grocery stores around the world these days.
Fermented foods can come in the form of:
- Sauerkraut – an old German style fermented cabbage – just make sure you are buying fresh, refrigerated sources as these are true ferments. The jars you see on the shelf have been heat treated to make them shelf-stable, which kills the good bacteria and basically makes it null envoy
- Kimchi – a traditional Korean style ferment of cabbage, carrot, chilli, ginger, onion, garlic & other vegetables. It is not for the faint-hearted and can pack a punch, but is absolutely delicious! Just be careful with choosing your store bought kimchi though, as some have fish sauce and sometimes some sneaky additives that aren’t so great for your gut!
- Kefir – Kefir can come in both water and milk form. Often made on coconut water or coconut milk, due its naturally occurring sugar content (to feed the good bugs). Milk kefir is quite strong, and should be introduced into your diet in small amounts and slowly – add 1-2 teaspoons to a smoothie or yoghurt and gradually increase.
9. Cooked Cooled Rice
Cooked and cooled rice is an amazing source of high resistant starch – which is essential for stabilising blood sugar levels and feeding those special little gut bugs. This will only work with white rice, choose a well sourced non-bleached white rice such as jasmine rice. Rinse it well under the tap until the water runs clear and then cook with filtered water and some bone broth for added benefits. It is an easy staple to batch cook and keep in the freezer until you’re ready to eat as an accompaniment to your meal!
10. Fresh Seasonal Fruits & Berries
Fresh or frozen berries, in particular blueberries, are a wonderful antioxidant rich, low sugar fruit that is deliciously versatile to incorporate into your daily meal plans. You can have them on granola, with yoghurt, in salads, and add them to your baking. Fresh, seasonal fruit (organic or spray-free wherever possible) is an important part of any varied, plentiful diet to ensure you are nurturing both yourself and your breastfed baby. Essential vitamin and mineral rich, seasonal fruits will help to fight inflammation, promote healing, and improve lactation. Plus, they’re an easy one-handed snack to reach for when your other arm is full of delicious, chunky, baby!
BONUS Foods!
11. Oysters
Oysters – another of the worlds most nutrient-dense foods, they are probably the best source of naturally occurring, most bio-available zinc you can find, as well being deliciously rich in protein, fibre, vitamins A, B12, D, E, K, phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium. There have also been a lot of studies in recent years that show direct correlation between oysters and an increase in lactation, as well as a significant reduction in lactating mothers’ sweating irritability after childbirth.
12. Avocado
Avocado is another wonderful breastfeeding food that helps to promote lactation and nutrient dense breastmilk. Being 80% fat, it is incredibly rich source of essential fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals and is an easy food to incorporate into your daily meal plan – spread veryyyy generously on some organic sourdough toast, in a guacamole, added to smoothies, used as the base of healthy desserts such as chocolate mousse, or just consumed in the skin with a large spoon and a sprinkle of seasoning.