10 Foods Breastfeeding Mothers Should Avoid

Simply stated, if you are a breastfeeding mother, the food that you eat is passed on to your baby. For this reason, you must be careful not only to eat healthy foods (organically grown, if possible), but you must also be careful to avoid those foods which may negatively effect you and your baby. According to Robert Rountree, M.D., and Melissa Block, M.Ed., in their book, The New Breastfeeding Diet Plan, here are several foods that should be avoided.

1. Foods containing MSG (monosodium glutanate). Unfortunately, this guideline eliminates thousands of food products, including canned soups, sauces and salad dressings.

2. Crisco or any other hydrogenated vegetable oil or shortening.

3. Chips, cookies, cake, cookie mixes, etc., eliminate all foods which contain hydrogenated oil.

4. Liquid corn or soybean oils, as they become rancid in the skillet.

5. Meat substitutes made with soy, as they are usually high in MSG.

6. Anything containing cottonseed oil, as it is known to be contaminated with pesticides.

7. Frozen or packaged meals which contain many hydrogenated oils, preservatives, seasonings and sugars.

8. All sodas and juice drinks. These contain high fructose corn syrup and/or artificial sweeteners.

9. Anything containing Splenda or NutraSweet, or other chemical artificial sweeteners.
*The FDA has received many complaints regarding aspartame, including mysterious symptoms which disappear once aspartame has been eliminated from the diet. Two safe artificial sweeteners are xylitol and stevia.

10. Flaxseed oil which goes bad quickly. Instead, purchase ground flaxseed.

Eliminating these foods and food ingredients from your diet provide several benefits.

First of all, many of these items are extremely high in trans fats and empty calories. Decreasing your consumption of them will help you lose weight, giving you a boost in self esteem and feelings of wellness.

Secondly, eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet, and consequently your baby's, will make you feel good about yourself as a parent. You've already done the best thing for your baby by deciding to breastfeed, now you are taking that commitment one step further by ensuring the nourishment your child receives is the very best.

Finally, eliminating these foods from your diet while you are breastfeeding is the first step in developing a healthier diet for you and your family for the rest of your lives. If you follow these guidelines for the months or years that you breastfeed, healthy eating will become second nature to you and your children.