Soups for nursing mothers: allowed and prohibited dishes for breastfeeding

Every woman after the birth of a child is interested in what she can eat. Soups for nursing mothers very different from the usual recipes, but no less tasty. Many ingredients cannot be used while breastfeeding. Very often, after introducing new foods, the baby develops severe allergies or colic. It is strongly recommended that you find out in detail what soups can a nursing mother eat? and what is prohibited to use when cooking.

What are the benefits of soups during lactation?

The first course can be a self-sufficient meal, although many new mothers decide to skip the soup. The reason for this is the desire to lose extra pounds after childbirth. Nutritionists write that first courses are a dubious choice: liquid food does not physiologically produce gastric juice, and it is not digested efficiently.

But don't rush to take drastic measures. Most experts are inclined to believe that if you are used to eating soups, then you should not give them up. Another question is their condition and consistency. Thick, pureed dishes are better absorbed by the digestive system. Soups for nursing young mothers can remain on the menu, provided that there is little gluten and gluten in them (the baby’s gastrointestinal tract is not yet able to cope with them).

During breastfeeding, a woman should not eat meals that include foods that lead to increased gas formation. This is fraught with the development of colic in the baby. Therefore, refuse bean soup at first, and eat lentil soup with restrictions.

Important! Mushroom soup is unacceptable, which a nursing mother should not eat during the entire breastfeeding period. Even harmless champignons can theoretically negatively affect a baby’s digestion, so you can’t take any risks.

Is it possible or not?

In general, soups can be made from any product, but we will discuss which typical lunch dishes are suitable for mothers below.

Pea

If we talk about benefits, then pea soup for breastfeeding is a good supplier of plant proteins. The advantages include the fact that this dish will not cause a woman to gain weight, while it almost does not cause allergies, is tasty and satisfying.

Despite the obvious advantages, women often find that pea soup is not recommended for a nursing mother due to the increased formation of gases during the digestion of peas. Legume seeds are poorly broken down in the small intestine: substances designed to preserve the integrity of plant proteins continue to work inside a person, neutralizing enzymes. When the remains of legumes enter the large intestine, the microflora ferments them and successfully breaks them down. But the side effect is gas formation. It is also enhanced by a high amount of complex sugars.

You can reduce unwanted side effects by pre-soaking the seed for at least 12 hours.

Considering the availability, low-calorie content, and taste of the dish, when is it possible to have pea soup while breastfeeding? Pediatricians advise against experimenting in the first few months. And from 3 to 4, you can gradually introduce them into the diet, pre-soaking the peas and observing the baby’s reaction. If nothing bothers him from a half portion, then he can eat it 1-2 times a week. Tip: add dill to the soup and its “explosive” properties will decrease even more.

Bean

To answer the question whether bean soup is suitable for nursing mothers, you need to understand the types of this legume: shelled and green beans. Green or yellow green (asparagus) beans are a dietary product that has no unpleasant side effects. It can also be consumed raw.

Shelling beans are similar in properties to peas. Just note that dark-colored beans (burgundy, black, purple) contain more fiber, so more gas is produced when they are digested.

Lentil

Lentil soup is the most suitable food for a young mother, since this representative of the legume family is the most harmless. Splitting faster than others, lentils, regardless of color, almost never cause trouble. The only caveat: do not get carried away with volumes, do not eat this soup at night and eat it separately from dessert or sweet fruit.

Vegetable

Vegetable soup is an excellent lunch option for breastfeeding women. Among its undoubted advantages are the following “advantages”:

Easy to digest.
Not only the vegetables themselves, but also the broth contains vitamins and minerals.
Supports lactation, helps the functioning of the mother's gastrointestinal tract.
Low-calorie foods promote weight loss after childbirth.
The choice of vegetables suitable for soup is large.

One caution: use vegetables that do not cause gas as soup fillers: green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, spinach, a variety of greens, carrots, beets, etc.

Cabbage soup

Stewed soup from so-called “winter” vegetables - potatoes, cabbage, carrots - traditional Russian cabbage soup. This food is not very suitable for the initial period of breastfeeding, but over time it is permissible to diversify your diet with cabbage soup. To reduce the load on the digestive organs from cabbage, you should try cooking it with sauerkraut. This is a fermented product, that is, it has already been treated with beneficial bacteria. It contains more vitamin C and other useful substances than fresh, and is broken down more easily in the gastrointestinal tract.

Borsch

The same is with borscht during breastfeeding, the classic recipe of which differs from cabbage soup only in the presence of beets and/or tomatoes. Beets should be of concern if the mother is prone to allergies from brightly colored vegetables or if the baby has already shown a similar reaction to red foods. To be fair, let’s say that beets are much less likely to cause allergies than, for example, red apples.

Oxalic

Sorrel soup during breastfeeding will provide an opportunity to saturate the diet with fresh seasonal product, rich in vitamins and microelements. True, sorrel contains acid, which in the human body forms salts - oxalates. This is dangerous for patients with gout and urolithiasis. It is believed that dairy products neutralize this property, so it is worth adding sour cream to the plate.

To ensure that sorrel soup retains maximum benefits, boil the broth for 2-3 minutes before adding the main product: this will remove some of the oxygen that destroys vitamins, especially ascorbic acid, from the water.

Chicken and turkey

Turkey or chicken soup is quite suitable for a woman’s nutrition during breastfeeding: it is easy to digest, healthy and satisfying. True, industrially bred chickens may contain food additives undesirable for infants that accelerate the growth of poultry on farms.

For this reason, mothers who are attentive to their diet choose products that they are more confident in the safety of: country birds or chickens raised on organic farms, mother birds.

Turkey is considered quite suitable for dietary and baby food. In addition, this bird almost does not cause allergies.

With beef or meatballs

Soup made with beef broth or soup with meatballs contains protein valuable for infant growth. Contains several types of essential amino acids. In addition, beef is one of the best sources of iron, without which the hemoglobin level will not reach normal. And this is the delivery of oxygen to all organs and tissues.

Fish

Fish soup is one of the preferred options for mothers of infants. Fish, especially sea fish, contains valuable fats, and its protein is absorbed much easier and faster than from animal meat. Interestingly, there is much more protein in fish broth cooked with the head and bones than in fish broth cooked only with the pulp. Fish does not contain harmful fats and is rich in phosphorus, without which calcium cannot be absorbed for the growth of bones and teeth of the child.

Soups allowed in the first month of lactation

Liquid broths, not so desirable in the daily diet, but useful for a woman in the first postpartum weeks. It is not necessary for a nursing mother to start every day with chicken broth, but the first dish should be on the postpartum menu.

Nutritionists suggest the following scheme:

1st week. The broth that is offered to a woman should be very liquid, with a minimum of ingredients. Drink it as a hot drink, little by little. The solid components of the dish can remain untouched: strain the broth, drink only the liquid.
2nd week. The recipe may contain potatoes, zucchini, dill, spinach, and fresh parsley. Onions and cauliflower are also acceptable. You don’t strain the broth, you eat everything on the plate. Broth boiled with carrots in the second postpartum week is undesirable; introduce it at the end of the first month of a new diet.

Many people cook first courses based on chicken, but it’s better to start with beef. For about a week, it is better to cook broths strictly with beef, then introduce turkey and rabbit with caution. After them comes the turn of the chicken as the basis of the broth.

At the beginning of feeding, you can prepare cereal soups. Try not to make the dish multi-component; 3-5 components are enough.

The diet of a young mother is not a meager menu, but a well-thought-out system that is best planned out several days in advance.

Beef broth soup with buckwheat

You can prepare beef soup from the first postpartum days. When you return from the maternity hospital with your baby, ask your loved ones to prepare a dish with beef broth. Lunch gives you a feeling of fullness, nourishes, is well tolerated, and gives you strength.

Compound:

2-2.3 liters of fresh beef broth;
0.8 cups buckwheat;
1 medium onion;
3 medium potatoes;
greenery.

Vegetables need to be peeled, cut finely enough, and poured into beef broth. Pour washed or fermented buckwheat into it. Cook the dish until done, about 15-20 minutes. Season the dish with herbs before serving. The recipe is useful for mothers during the postpartum period; its composition helps overcome anemic symptoms and promotes rapid recovery.

Vegetable puree soup with meat broth

Compound:

2-2.3 liters of any meat broth (turkey, rabbit, veal);
270 g spinach;
270 g sorrel;
half a large onion;
1 medium carrot;
1 spoon of low-fat sour cream (but not low-fat).

Separately cook the meat broth, be sure to strain it. While it is cooking, in another saucepan, cook the spinach, sorrel, onion and carrots, after finely chopping them. Once ready, grind the cooked vegetables in a mortar or blender and add to the prepared broth. You can season the dish with sour cream (to taste).

This thick vegetable soup contains the products necessary for fortified, high-quality nutrition, which is what the mother needs during postpartum rehabilitation.

What products to use to make soups for nursing mothers?

Nutritionists recommend that lactating women consume warm liquid meals from the first days after the birth of a child. These should be non-concentrated broths based on vegetables, cereals and dietary meat. Turkey meat is considered the most hypoallergenic.

The soup should be made only from fresh, high-quality meat and vegetables purchased from reliable sellers and manufacturers. It is better if it is domestic or farm poultry and vegetables from your own garden.

Useful properties of turkey meat

Turkey meat is a valuable unique product, with low calorie content, it has a rich composition of microelements, amino acids, vitamins, and protein content.

The introduction of turkey meat into the diet will provide high nutritional value to the female body, speed up metabolism, strengthen the immune system, improve the functioning of all vital systems, and activate the brain.

Through mother's milk, the child receives all the useful substances, high-quality protein, which is easily digested and provides the opportunity for rapid growth, active development, muscle mass, bone strength, and a surge of vigor.

Rules for using soups while breastfeeding

Some mothers are frightened by the numerous restrictions associated with first courses in the diet. But they are all concise and clear, all that remains is to remember them. If other household members, together with the nursing mother, switch to such a diet, it will only benefit them.

The rules are as follows:

First courses should only be eaten warm. They warm the stomach walls, thereby increasing the production of gastric juice. If the food is hot, it irritates the gastrointestinal tract, and cold soup is not tasty enough.
If you previously fried or sautéed vegetables before adding them to the soup, now you will have to give it up. Soups for nursing mothers in the first postpartum month should not contain carrots at all, without which a huge number of people cannot imagine a first course. If you don’t want to give up pre-cooking vegetables, you can simmer them a little in water.
Soup for a nursing mother in the first month, made from chicken, should come already in the second to fourth weeks of this period. After use, monitor your child's reaction.
Carefully select the products needed for the dish - buy chilled meat, not frozen. Take vegetables, ideally, from your own garden or at least from the area where you live. Exotics, as well as vegetables that have undergone a long period of transportation and storage, should be discarded.
When cooking meat, do not forget to drain the first broth (approximately, do this 7 minutes after boiling). Unwanted components and excess fat will disappear. If it is a chicken, then the first drain will help to at least partially remove hormones and antibiotics, which, alas, are contained in store-bought poultry.
Many nursing soup recipes contain eggs. You can add them to the finished soup (if your baby is allergic to chicken eggs, there is a good substitute - quail eggs).
Puree soup is the most preferred form of first course for young mothers. But not all representatives of this category are allowed - mushroom soup during breastfeeding, as already mentioned, will have to be abandoned.
Vermicelli is a good ingredient for soups; this product makes the dish filling.

Important! If the soup needs dressing, it can only be sour cream or natural yogurt. Mayonnaise cannot be used even in small quantities.

Whenever a new ingredient is added to the soup, it is important to monitor the baby's reaction. When a mother has a colicky baby, an analysis immediately turns on: what was forbidden she could eat, what new appeared in her diet.

When to add soup

Soups for a nursing mother should become part of the daily menu for several reasons:

After a cesarean section, antibiotics are often prescribed, because of which the beneficial intestinal microflora suffers. And rich bone broth with vegetables is one way to restore it.
After childbirth, there are problems with constipation and hemorrhoids. Liquid, gentle food will help restore the tone of the pelvic veins and bowel function more quickly.
The easiest way to lose weight without harm to your health is through a diet of first courses.

Restrictions when preparing soups for nursing mothers

This begs the question – what can’t you eat? What products are prohibited? It is necessary to completely exclude:

Beetroot - there is a risk that the abundance of fiber will cause diarrhea in an infant; the burgundy color of the root vegetable is an obvious allergen.
Cabbage - until the child refuses the mother's breast. The baby’s gastrointestinal tract is unable to cope with such coarse fiber; the soup will cause colic in the baby, so you should avoid cabbage soups.
Legumes are fraught with increased gas formation, so we exclude lentils, beans, beans, and peas from the diet during breastfeeding.
Onions and garlic - it’s better to start the first month without them, you can slowly add onions to the broth, but during the first weeks the soup is strained, so the ingredient is not dangerous. Next, onions are acceptable in the diet; garlic is undesirable. They often change the taste of milk, and there is a risk that the baby will refuse the breast.
Offal. The ingredients are too greasy and heavy for a baby.

Kvass okroshka is a forbidden food for breastfeeding mothers. The yeast present in kvass will provoke fermentation in the child’s gastrointestinal tract. Radishes and fresh cucumbers are not recommended in this dish during the feeding period.

Basic recommendations for making soups

There are some rules that should be followed when preparing dishes for a nursing mother.

Various broths and hot dishes should be present in the diet of a young mother every day. This food can be eaten in the first days of discharge.
Food must be eaten warm. A hot dish, like a cold one, will not bring any benefit to the newborn’s body, but on the contrary, will only cause digestive problems.
Read also: Recipes for dishes that are optimal for the diet of a nursing mother
In the first time after childbirth, it is better to give preference to vegetable broths. Over time, it is permissible to add other ingredients to soups.
During the lactation period, a nursing mother should exclude mayonnaise-based sauces, ketchup, and hot seasonings from her diet. It is permissible to add them to food after 5-6 months. This can only be done if the baby does not have an allergic reaction.
Due care should be given to the selection of products. It is necessary to buy exclusively fresh and natural products. When choosing meat, preference should be given to low-fat varieties. It is not recommended to fry food. When cooking soups, it is better to drain the first broth.
Cream soup is one of the healthiest dishes to eat during breastfeeding. Young mothers should cook it as often as possible. Products that have undergone heat treatment are better absorbed by both mother and baby.
New ingredients should be introduced into broths gradually and in small quantities. It can be increased only if the newborn does not have an allergic reaction.

Preparing soups during breastfeeding does not imply the use of any exotic products. The composition of the dishes should be filled with simple, light ingredients that the woman has eaten before. A large number of recipes will help make a nursing mother’s diet as varied as possible.

Fish soups

Fish for breastfeeding is a valuable and nutritious product. Try to use fresh, low-fat fish for cooking. Soup made from canned fish is prohibited during breastfeeding, since the composition of the canned food itself is not suitable for this period. There are also nicer, safer alternatives.

Fish soup with vegetables and barley

Compound:

2.1-2.3 liters of water;
250 g of fish (both hake and pollock are suitable);
3-4 potatoes;
30-60 g pearl barley (as you prefer);
1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
greenery.

Prepare the fish stock, not forgetting the first drain. If necessary, strain the broth. Add potatoes to the broth and cook for 9-12 minutes. Add the cereal and cook again for 10 minutes (don’t forget that the cereal is soaked first). Add fish fillets to the water, add oil to the pan, and cool slightly. Now it should be whipped with a blender. At the time of serving, add greens to the plate.

Cheese soup with pink salmon

Compound:

180 g pink salmon fillet;
2.3 liters of water;
1 carrot;
2-3 potatoes;
1 medium-sized bell pepper (yellow);
1 processed cheese;
dill.

Cook the fish broth in the usual way, chop the potatoes into cubes, and the carrots into circles, put everything into the broth for ten minutes of cooking. Cut the fish fillet into slices and also add to the pan. Dissolve the processed cheese there and add herbs before serving. Cheese soup should not be introduced in the first postpartum month; after consumption, be sure to monitor the child’s reaction (as with any fish soup).

Fish soup with seaweed

Compound:

2.5 liters of water;
310 g pollock;
3-4 potatoes;
1 carrot;
180 g frozen seaweed;
0.5 onions;
1 quail egg.

Cook the fish broth (the first drain is mandatory). After adding the potatoes, carrots and onions, cook this mixture for another 12 minutes. Add the egg and seaweed in one go, cook for another 10-12 minutes.

First course recipes for nursing women

Nutritionists recommend including vegetable broths in a young mother’s menu; they nourish the body and do not contribute to the development of allergies in the child. Low-calorie first courses help you lose weight and make your figure slim and attractive.

Vegetarian zucchini soup

To prepare you will need:

1 medium zucchini;
4-5 small potatoes;
1 medium onion;
2 cloves of garlic;
1.5 liters of water;
dried herbs and salt (to taste);
vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation:

Wash the vegetables, peel them.
Prepare the onion and garlic cloves by peeling them.
Chop the vegetables. Carrots and onions - in small cubes, potatoes and zucchini in large pieces. Cut the garlic into several pieces.
Salt the water. Dip the potatoes into it and put it on the stove.
Sauté carrots and onions with a small amount of vegetable oil. Do not fry too much!
After two minutes, add the zucchini to the carrots and onions. Continue simmering over low heat.
After 9 minutes, add the sautéed vegetables to the pan with the potatoes.
Cook the soup until all ingredients are fully cooked.
Remove from stove, cool.
Beat with a blender until smooth.
You can dilute the puree with vegetable broth and boil for 2 minutes.

This is a basic recipe for a delicious and incredibly healthy zucchini soup-puree. You can customize it by including ingredients to suit your own taste preferences. You can prepare such a nutritious first course on the stove or in a slow cooker.

Broth with eggs and vermicelli

To prepare you will need:

1.5 liters of water;
150 g vermicelli;
2 medium chicken eggs;
butter, herbs and salt (to taste).

Preparation:

Pour water into a saucepan, put on fire and boil.
Add butter and salt.
Add vermicelli. Boil it until done.
In a separate container, beat the eggs.
Pour carefully into the broth.
Stir the mixture and cook over low heat for a minute.
Add finely chopped herbs to the prepared broth.

Women whose baby is breastfed are not recommended to eat a lot of eggs. When drawing up a menu for the week, it is worth considering that pediatricians do not recommend eating more than 2 eggs at a time, and their number should not exceed 4 per week. If you have an allergic reaction to cow protein, doctors advise replacing chicken eggs with quail eggs.

Lentil soup with meatballs

To prepare you will need:

1.5 liters of water;
4 tbsp. l. vermicelli from durum wheat;
250 g of any minced meat;
100 g lentils;
1 medium onion;
a little vegetable oil for frying;
fresh herbs and spices (to taste).

Preparation:

Pour water into a saucepan and add lentils. Add the selected spices.
Mix the minced meat with salt and seasonings. Roll into small balls. Add to broth.
Remove the skin from the onion and chop finely.
Wash and peel the carrots. Grate on a medium grater.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add onion and carrots.
Sauté over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Add the roast to the broth and stir.
10 minutes before the lentils are ready, add the vermicelli.
Wait until all ingredients are ready, add spices and salt.
Greens are added to the finished dish.

The video shows a simple recipe for a delicious cream soup that can be prepared for a mother whose baby is already six months old:

Vegetable soups

Fans of vegetarian cuisine cannot do without meatless soups. You can pamper yourself with them, but replace the usual ingredients with ones that are safer for babies - for example, white cabbage with broccoli.

Lenten soup with potatoes and broccoli

Compound:

1.8 liters of water;
3-4 potatoes;
350 g broccoli;
half a carrot;
1 tomato (optional, if the child tolerates it well);
greenery.

Add potatoes, cut into strips, into boiled salted water. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes. Cut the carrots into slices, divide the broccoli into roots for convenience, and boil the new ingredients for another 8 minutes.

Next, you need to chop the tomato, add it to water, and cook for 5-7 minutes. When the dish is ready, add herbs to it. If you are afraid of an allergic reaction in a child, you can exclude tomatoes and carrots.

Spinach soup

Compound:

2.3 liters of water;
340 g fresh or frozen spinach;
1 small carrot;
3 potatoes;
1 quail egg (ordinary one is also possible);
small cube of butter;
dill.

Chop the spinach in a way convenient for you, simmer it for 5 minutes in water mixed with butter. In a separate container, simmer the carrots and finely chopped potatoes (you want the ingredients to become soft). Bring the water to a boil, add salt, and add all the prepared ingredients. Beat the egg and add it into the dish in a thin stream. When serving, do not forget to add a pinch of fragrant dill to the plate.

Cereal soups

A cereal dish is an excellent source of energy, which is what a young mother needs. Cereals are considered good representatives of complex carbohydrates, they satiate, and a person does not feel hungry for a long time. For a nursing mother, the best choice is buckwheat (you can prepare first courses with boiled buckwheat porridge), pearl barley and rice. The most nutritious representative of this selection is buckwheat (rich in iron, and in the postpartum period many women suffer from anemia).

Rice is also useful, but due to its certain properties, it is not necessary to include it often in the diet - it causes constipation in both the woman and the baby. Pearl barley is often unfairly relegated to last place on the list of preferences, but it is an antibacterial product and also contains lysine, which stimulates collagen production.

Soup with rice and vegetables

Compound:

1.5-2 liters of water;
80 g long grain rice;
1 sweet bell pepper;
1 onion;
2 ripe tomatoes;
fresh parsley;
1 tbsp. l. olive oil.

First of all, take care of the vegetables: pour boiling water over the tomatoes, after which the skin will peel off, cut into cubes (not very large). Chop the onion. Fry the tomatoes and onions briefly in a frying pan with olive oil. Add thin slices of pepper to the mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, bring the water in a saucepan to a boil, add salt and rice. Then add the vegetables to the pan, after which the soup needs to be cooked for 20-25 minutes. Parsley is already added to the plate.

Rassolnik during breastfeeding

If you are preparing a traditional pickle, it is impossible to imagine it without pickled cucumber in the composition. But for a nursing woman, such a product is prohibited, because it, like other marinades, causes gas formation in the child. However, there is no need to worry about these properties of the cucumber: it loses them during the cooking process. By slightly changing the traditional recipe, you don’t have to give up pickle.

Prepare your own lightly salted cucumbers. Place ripe cucumbers in a jar in an unsaturated saline solution for a day.