I’ve been meal prepping for a dear client and we talked about how to optimize early postpartum nutrition. As I was driving home I realized that the principles for nourishing food after birth also count for recovery foods when you’re sick… And grief food when someone has died. Obviously.
Because Postpartum Food is Healing Food. Duh!
One of the most important principles in nutritional care is the understanding that food doesn’t hold moral value. There is no good or bad foods. No taboo foods.
All foods have value and no food by itself is sufficient in nourishing us. So, logically, we can turn any family favourites into perfect postpartum healing foods.
To make something as complex as nutrition a little more approachable, I try to stick to three principles:
1.Warm and Soft
The Womb loves warmth. Its wellbeing is directly linked to the digestive system. So in postpartum we focus on foods that are easy to digest and have warming properties. Warmth also eases the nervous system and can help to sooth postpartum anxiety and depression.
If you’re eating foods from the fridge like berries, yoghurt, and sauerkraut, just let them reach room temperature first. Common warming spices that you can include in a variety of dishes are cinnamon, tumeric, cumin, ginger, and cardamom.
2. Nourishing and full of nutrients
Postpartum depletion is real. Besides the obvious blood loss, many women also suffer from excessive hairloss after giving birth. Old wive’s tales even say that we trade one tooth for each child. While this is most certainly common, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way.
Ideally, postpartum foods should include plenty of iron, magnesium, and calcium as well as lots of Omega 3 fats and protein like collagen. Eating a variety of minerals and vitamins matters, too, of course. Maybe this explains while most postpartum foods include broth-based soups and stews with leavy greens as well as lots of meats and non-starchy vegetables. The body needs repair and we can help!
3.Simple
Most importantly, though, postpartum is complex enough. Let’s not make it harder than it already is. Adding simple, whole-foods based dishes to your diet is often all that’s needed. Crockpot dinners and slower cooker meals for the win!
Think: Soups, stews, salads, overnight oats, yoghurt bowls, and grazing plates. Extra points if it’s accessible to eat with one hand.
Rather than thinking about cutting out, let’s think about what we can add to make the meal satisfying AND nutritious.
Craving brownies? Crumble them on top of yoghurt, seeds, and berries and you have a balanced brekkie! Can’t get enough of hearty carbs? No sweat, add a couple of potatoes to your stew and let them simmer thoroughly or have a slow cooked curry with some rice!
And please remember: no matter how you’re feeling about your body postpartum. You. Deserve. To. Eat.
I’m here for you with meal train prep and freezer meals, nutrition advice and community dinners!
Stay tuned for yummy recipes coming soon!
Much love,
Patricia
#birth #postpartum #doula #nutrition