POSTPARTUM CHANGES VI: POSTPARTUM NUTRITION TIPS

	EAT MORE OF THIS:	AND LESS OF THIS:
DRINKS	Drink more fresh fruit juice, milk, water, herbal teas.	Drink fewer juice drinks with added sugar, and less soda, coffee and tea, and any alcoholic drinks.
FRESH VS. FROZEN	Fresh or dried vegetables, fresh tomatoes, fresh oranges, avocados, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, bananas, pineapples, raisins, dates, and nuts like walnuts and peanuts are all good as meals and snacks.	Fresh foods lose vitamins fast the longer they are canned, cooked, or frozen. If you want to stock up, though, frozen foods are your best choice because vitamins last a little longer frozen than canned.
UNPROCESSED FIBER	Try more whole-wheat, or corn bread; brown or wild rice; pasta without heavy sauces; whole-grain and high-fibre foods like oatmeal, rice, beans, and bran muffins.	Try less white bread, white rice, croissants, sugared cereal, graham crackers, doughnuts, pancakes, and waffles; bleached and processed grain loose vitamins and isn’t as good for your digestion.
COOKING STYLES	Baked, grilled, or steamed foods are better; raw or very lightly cooked fruits and vegetables can be tastiest and are definitely most nutritious!	Fried foods, food cooked in heavy sauce or lots of fat or oil, and boiled foods have lost lots of vitamins.
PROTEIN	Chicken or turkey, fish, lean red meat, dried beans and peas, and peanut butter are good ways to get protein!	Avoid fatty meat like bacon, sausage, and pepperoni. Red meat (lean or not) and fried meat (like burgers) are okay only once in a while.
CALCIUM	Try more whole, low-fat, or skim milk, cheddar or cottage cheese, plain yogurt, dark leafy greens, mackerel or sardines.	Try less flavoured milk, milkshakes, ice cream or frozen yogurt, flavoured yogurt, flavoured pudding or custard, cheesecake, and creamed soup.
SWEETS	Instead of refined sugar, try more honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup (just a little); carob bean (if you can get some around here) is a healthier chocolate taste-alike! Fresh fruit makes the best snack.	Avoid white, or refined, sugar; candy and chocolate; ice cream; cakes, pastry, and cookies; and fruit in heavy syrup.
FATS	Try vegetable oil (like corn oil or olive oil), oil-and-vinegar dressing, and margarine in small amounts.	Avoid butter, cream cheese, lard, cream sauce, and gravy in large amounts.

FOOD SAFETY

It is very important that your meals or snacks are prepared carefully to ensure that no harmful germs get into the food. New mothers recovering from childbirth may become ill more easily, and newborn infants do not have resistance to germs or food poisoning. Avoid food poisoning by:

·         cooking all meats and eggs completely, and avoiding raw eggs and meat

·         keeping all refrigerated foods cold enough to prevent the growth of bacteria

·         washing your hands well before preparing a meal and in between touching cooked and raw foods, and keeping preparation surfaces (countertops, cutting boards, etc.) clean