Nutrition in a Nutshell
We have covered a lot in the sections above regarding food, nutrition and healthy eating. In this section we show you how to put it into practice with a handy food checklist and two sample meal plans - one for breastfeeding mums and another for bottle feeding mums.
Food Checklist
The table below shows the recommended daily amount of food from each food group that is required for breastfeeding mums. Mums who are bottle feeding should refer to the food checklist in "Planning for pregnancy", as the energy and nutritional requirements are different from that of breastfeeding mums.
| Food Group | Recommended number of serves per day | Examples of "one serve" |
|---|---|---|
| Breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles | 5 - 7 | 2 slices of raisin toast 1 cup of cooked porridge 3 whole wheat cereal biscuits 1 cup of cooked pasta 1 cup of steamed rice 1 cup of cooked 2 minute noodles 2 pikelets |
| Vegetables and legumes | 7 | 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables (e.g. diced pumpkin, green beans) 1 cup of salad (e.g. shredded lettuce, sliced beetroot, cherry tomatoes) 1/2 cup of split peas 1 medium potato |
| Fruit | 5 | 1 medium piece of fruit (e.g. apple, banana, pear, orange) 1 cup of canned/diced fruit (e.g. peaches, fruit salad, sliced strawberries) 4 tablespoons of dried mixed fruit 1/2 cup (125mL) of apple juice |
| Dairy & dairy substitutes | 3 | 1 cup of milk (preferably reduced fat) with MILO 200g tub of low fat fruit yogurt 1 cup of calcium enriched soy drink (preferably reduced fat) 250mL of iced coffee (preferably reduced fat) 2 slices (40g) of reduced fat cheese |
| Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts | 2 | 100g of grilled steak or chicken 120g of steamed fish fillet 2 eggs 1/2 cup of baked beans 1/3 cup of peanuts |
| Extra foods | 0 - 2 1/2 | 1 1/2 scoops of ice cream 1 small packet of potato crisps 1 tablespoon of margarine or oil 1/2 bar of chocolate 2 tablespoons of cream or mayonnaise |
Sample meal plan for breastfeeding mums
Breakfast |
| 2 slices of raisin toast with a scrape of margarine Bowl of porridge with ½ cup of reduced fat milk topped with fresh strawberries 1 apple Provides: 2 serves of breads/cereals, 1 ½ serves of fruit, ½ serve of dairy. |
Morning Snack |
| Mango milkshake (1 mango blended with reduced fat milk) Provides: 1 serve of fruit, 1 serve of dairy. |
Lunch |
| Wholemeal bread roll with 1 small can of tuna (drained) & reduced fat mayonnaise Side salad of lettuce, avocado, olives and sun-dried tomatoes Small glass of MILO made with reduced fat milk (served hot or cold) Provides: 1 serve of breads/cereals, 1 serve of vegetables, 1 serve of dairy, 1 serve of meat / fish, ½ serve of extra food. |
Afternoon Snack |
| 4 wholemeal cracker biscuits with low fat ricotta cheese, sliced tomato and cracked pepper Small glass of orange juice Provides: 1 serve of breads/cereals, ½ serve of vegetables, 1 serve of fruit, ½ serve of dairy |
Dinner |
| Mexican Beef Tortillas: 100g of lean beef mince ½ cup of red kidney beans 2 cups of vegetables (onion, capsicum, corn, canned tomatoes) Olive oil 2 flour tortillas Provides: 1 serve of breads/cereals, 5 serves of vegetables & legumes, 1 serve of meat, 1 serve of extra food. |
Evening Snack |
| Sliced banana and custard sprinkled with sultanas Provides: 1 ½ serves of fruit, 1 serve of dairy.
|
Sample meal plan for bottle feeding mums
Breakfast |
| Small bowl of raw muesli topped with half a banana and diced dried apricots ½ cup of reduced fat milk Toasted wholemeal English muffin with strawberry jam Small glass of pineapple juice Provides: 2 serves of breads/cereals, 2 serves of fruit, 1½ serves of dairy. |
Morning Snack |
| Tub of reduced fat, natural vanilla yogurt with ½ cup of canned peaches stirred through Provides: ½ serve of fruit, 1 serve of dairy. |
Lunch |
| Tandoori chicken and salad sandwich: 2 slices of wholegrain bread 80g of marinated tandoori chicken breast 1 ½ cups of salad vegetables (avocado, sliced tomato, fresh/canned asparagus) Provides: 1 serve of bread/cereals, 1½ serves of vegetables, ¾ serve of meat. |
Afternoon Snack |
| 2 pikelets with ½ cup of stewed/canned blueberries Mug of hot MILO made with reduced fat milk Provides: 1serve of breads/cereals, ½ serve of fruit, 1 serve of dairy. |
Dinner |
| Steak Dianne: 100g of grilled fillet steak 2 tablespoons of Steak Dianne sauce 1 ½ cups of vegetables (spinach, carrots, mushrooms) 1 baked potato with a tablespoon light sour cream Provides: 4 serves of vegetables, 1 serve of meat, 1serve of extra food. |
Evening Snack |
| Small bowl of low fat ice cream with fresh strawberries and passionfruit Provides: 1 serve of fruit, 1 serve of extra food.
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Where to go for further dietary assistance
If you are after more specific or tailored dietary advice, then see an accredited practising dietitian (Australia) or a registered dietitian (New Zealand). Your doctor can refer you to a dietitian in your area. Alternatively, if you live in Australia, the website of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) provides a tool where you can search for a dietitian in your area. If you live in New Zealand, go to the website of the New Zealand Dietetic Association to search for a dietitian in your area.
More articles to help first time mums |
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