Breastfeeding and healthy eating

Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from Canada’s Food Guide to help you feel your best. When breastfeeding, you should eat a little more food every day. Often, one extra snack per day is enough. This will help you get the calories and nutrients you need.

Eating well when you are breastfeeding is important because it helps you:

• feel your best
• recover from labour and birth
• get all the nutrients and energy you need

Tips for healthy eating:

• Eat small meals and snacks every 2-3 hours
• Have easy to prepare, healthy snack available
• Prepare meals in large batches, freeze and reheat for a quick meal
• Accept meals from friends and family who offer you prepared meals
• Avoid skipping meals. This can make you feel more tired. It may also make it harder to meet your nutrition needs.
• Drink fluids every time your baby breastfeeds
• Carry your water bottle with you
• Keep cut-up vegetables and fruit in the fridge and eat them for a quick snack
• Take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day

Will certain foods give my baby gas?                        

Eating foods such as broccoli and cabbage may cause you to have discomfort but will not make your baby gassy. Gas and fibre do not pass into breast milk.

Do the foods I eat affect the taste of my breast milk?

Certain foods and spices in your diet can change the smell and taste of your breast milk. This allows your baby to experience different flavours while breastfeeding. This helps to prepare your baby for the introduction of solid foods when they are six months old.

Will certain food increase my breast milk supply?

There are no foods or drinks that will increase your breast milk supply. Having your baby breastfeed well and often will help you build a healthy breast milk supply.

For more breastfeeding information and support, chat live with a Public Health Nurse or call (416) 338-7600.