Nine months of nourishing your baby in your womb isn't enough. Apart from all the nutritional and immunity benefits, breast-feeding also helps you bond with your newborn. Breast-feeding does create a lot of anxiety for a majority of women during the early days, with problems like inadequate milk flow and inconsistent nursing troubling them. A clear understanding of breast-feeding would help dispel many doubts and fears.
Ideally, mothers of nursing babies should eat a balanced, varied diet including fresh fruits and vegetables. It is important to eat foods from all the food groups, as well as continuing to take your prenatal vitamins. Include fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals and at least three servings of calcium-rich milk, yogurt, and cheese. Also remember to drink adequate quantities of water.
Here are some Nutritious Recipes for New Moms
These nutritious recipes contain all the essential nutrition you'll need after giving birth. They are quick and easy to make so you won't have to spend hours in the kitchen whipping up a nourishing meal for yourself.
- Pumpkin and carrot soup
This smooth and creamy soup is easy to make and is suitable for vegetarians. It contains beta carotene.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 6 large carrots, grated
- 1 small or one half large pumpkin peeled, deseeded and chopped
- 750 ml vegetable stock (available in supermarkets)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 150 ml fresh cream (optional)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, covered, over a low heat for five minutes
- Add the carrot and pumpkin, stir and cover. Cook for a further ten minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally
- Add the stock and nutmeg and bring it to boil. Cover again, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender
- Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend it until smooth. Season it as per your taste
- Add a little more stock or boiling water over low heat if the soup is a bit thick for your taste, then return to the pan
- Stir in the cream and heat through for a minute before serving
- Add two tablespoons of ground almonds while frying onions for a nutty taste
- Vegetable Idlis
This is a good source of vitamin A and C, iron, fibre, folic acid, protein, and zinc.
Ingredients
- 2 cups suji/rawa/semolina
- 1 cup fresh yoghurt
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely ground ginger garlic paste
Chopped coriander or curry leaves for flavouring
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup mashed peas
- 1 finely chopped green chilli
- 1 teaspoon fresh cooking soda
Method
- Roast the suji on a low flame, stirring constantly till it turns light brown
- Set aside and let it cool
- Add the curd to the suji and mix well
- Slowly add the vegetables of your choice whisking the ingredients well
- Add chopped coriander/curry leaves for flavour
- Add the soda and mix well
- Pour into idli moulds and steam in the pressure cooker or microwave
- Serve with coconut or mint chutney
- Vegetable cutlets
This wholesome snack is rich in Vitamin A, iron, fibre, folic acid, vitamin c, iron, protein, zinc and dietary fibre.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium size onion
- 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 finely chopped green chillies
- 1 cup beans
- 1/2 cup soya granules (pre-soaked in water)
- 2 boiled potatoes
- 1 cup boiled and mashed white chickpeas (kabuli chana)
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
- 6 teaspoons of cornflour or powdered breadcrumbs or 1 egg white (for coating)
Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder
- 2 teaspoon freshly chopped coriander
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, sauté chopped onion and ginger till brown
- Add green chillies, beans, soya granules, mashed potatoes, chickpeas, and carrots
- Cook the mixture for about five minutes
- Now add the seasoning to the mixture
- Mix all the ingredients and mash well and let it cool
- Divide into egg-sized portions and shape them into round or oval cutlets
- Dust each cutlet with either powdered bread crumbs or cornflour. You could also coat each cutlet with egg white.egg white
- Heat enough oil to lightly fry the cutlets. A healthier option would be to bake or grill the cutlets
- Serve hot with fresh mint chutney or tomato ketchup
- Sprouts and Fruit Salad
If you are looking for a quick snack try this nutritious salad which is rich in vitamins and fibre.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 2 apples diced
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cabbage
- 1 cup steamed moong daal sprouts
- 1/2 cup walnuts
Dressing
- 1/2 cup curd
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Mix all the ingredients in a large salad bowl
- Add the dressing to the ingredients and serve
- Rainbow Salad
This colorful salad is filling and nutritious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked pasta shells
- 1 each of green, yellow and red peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 spring onions finely chopped
- 2 firm tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup sweetcorn steamed/cooked
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- salt and pepper
- Paneer chunks or baked chicken (optional)
Method
- Cook the pasta shells in boiling water with a pinch of salt, until tender. Drain well and cool
- Mix all other ingredients in a large salad bowl
- Top with mayonnaise and toss well together
- Add paneer or chicken chunks if desired and serve
- Stir fried chicken with noodles
This dish is rich in potassium, folate, iron, vitamin A, vitamin E and B-complex vitamins.
Ingredients
- 1 packet whole wheat noodles
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 5 large mushrooms chopped
- 2 spring onions finely chopped
- 1/2 cup broccoli spears
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 chopped almonds
- 1 cup cooked diced chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Cook the noodles in chicken stock until tender. Drain and keep aside
- Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the vegetables, chicken and almonds for about 3-4 minutes
- Stir in the noodles and add soy sauce. Sit fry for another minute and serve hot
- Porridge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oats (roasted)
- 1/2 cup dalia (roasted)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup almonds (finely chopped)
- 3 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 - 2 cups water
- Any fruit of your choice can be added while serving, for variety
Method
- Bring water to boil over medium heat
- Add oats and dalia to it
- Cook until the cereals become soft. Strain the water
- Now add some raisins and almonds. Also add sugar and milk to it
- Stir the mixture again and serve hot. Garnish it with a few more raisins and almonds
- Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice (boiled)
- 1/2 teaspoon jeera seeds
- 2 onions (sliced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 2/3 cup grated carrots
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cube seasoning (vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoon butter/ghee
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat butter and add cumin seeds
- Then add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes
- Add the carrots and spinach and saute for another minute
- Add rice, seasoning cube, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of water and mix well
- Cook on a low flame for 5 to 7 minutes till the moisture evaporates. Serve hot
