Gingerbread cookies during breastfeeding: sweet benefits or harm?

Can a nursing mother have gingerbread cookies?

Gingerbread cookies are delicious products made from sweet dough with the addition of cinnamon powder, honey, and often spices and other ingredients are used in the preparation to improve the taste and aroma. That is why pediatricians believe that immediately after birth you should refrain from eating baked goods.

Honey is a powerful allergen that can provoke irritation not only in the baby, but also in the mother who did not have time to restore the body after childbirth. Adding nuts and fruits only aggravates the situation - the risk of allergic reactions in a woman or child increases rapidly.

Not all ingredients included in gingerbread are dangerous for children. To determine whether you can make gingerbread while breastfeeding, it is recommended that you carefully read the list of products from which delicious pastries are made. If there is no honey, spices, or other ingredients that can cause allergies, you can afford to occasionally indulge in a sweet dessert.

The easiest option for consuming gingerbread, which is a source of carbohydrates needed by a nursing mother, is to prepare the sweetness yourself. This will allow you to use only high-quality homemade products and combine them yourself with approved ingredients.

Advantages

A positive answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat gingerbread while breastfeeding can be obtained from specialists only in one case - if the products do not contain harmful ingredients. The benefits of sweetness are undeniable - regular consumption of the product allows you to:

• replenish the lack of carbohydrates in the body;
• increase strength, relieve signs of fatigue;
• improve the composition of milk;
• stimulate brain function;
• strengthen the nervous system.

Among the advantages, stimulation of serotonin production is also noted. This substance allows you to keep the body in good shape, increase your defenses and resistance to diseases.

Flaws

The most common disadvantage is the composition, especially when it comes to a purchased product. Typically, manufacturers do not bother to use safe ingredients in an attempt to improve the aroma and taste of their products. This sweetness does not have any beneficial qualities, so it is better for a nursing mother to refuse to eat such products.

Nutritionists will confidently name another drawback - eating sweets will lead to the accumulation of fatty tissue. If you need to correct your figure after childbirth, it is better not to introduce the product into your diet.

Rules for eating gingerbread during lactation

• A nursing mother can start eating gingerbread in the third or fourth month of lactation. What other sweets are allowed during breastfeeding, see the link;
• For the first time, try no more than half of the gingerbread and monitor the baby’s well-being for two days. In the absence of an allergic reaction, gingerbread cookies can sometimes be eaten;
• Be prepared that after the first test, the baby may develop diathesis, rashes and redness on the skin, colic and gas formation may intensify, and stool disturbances may occur. If this reaction occurs, remove gingerbread from your diet. You can repeat the tasting after 4-5 weeks;
• Do not eat gingerbread on an empty stomach or in the afternoon;
• When choosing, carefully study the composition of the product. Gingerbread must contain natural ingredients without thickeners, dyes, artificial or other chemicals;
• When breastfeeding, it is better to avoid additives such as chocolate, nuts, and honey. The manufacturer often uses artificial substitutes;
• Avoid honey gingerbread cookies, as honey releases toxic substances when heated and heat-treated;
• Give preference to classic gingerbread without glaze. They reduce the risk of diathesis and allergies, contain fewer calories;
• Choose gingerbread cookies with smooth edges and no drips. Check the shelf life of the product, it should be no more than 60 days;
• The average daily intake during breastfeeding should not exceed 80-100 grams (3 medium pieces), taking into account the absence of other sweets in the woman’s diet that day. It is not recommended to eat gingerbread more than three times a week;
• To protect yourself and your baby, it is better to cook gingerbread at home. You will be confident in the expiration date and composition of the product. You can combine the recipe from ingredients that your child is not allergic to.

Possible harm from eating gingerbread during breastfeeding

The main danger that lies in gingerbread for a baby or mother is the risk of allergic reactions, and any ingredient can cause irritation. Symptoms of negative effects on the body are rashes, nausea, cough, difficulty breathing.

The products can also affect the baby’s digestive system. Colic, increased gas formation, bowel movements are only a small part of the side effects after eating gingerbread by a nursing mother.

Don't forget that baked goods contain sugar. The sweet component can cause abdominal pain in a child. Sleep disturbances, anxiety, crying for no reason are a number of other signs of the unwanted effects of sugar on a small body.

On a note! The most dangerous are gingerbread cookies with filling. Such products can cause food poisoning. Harmful substances enter the small body with milk, causing irritation and adverse reactions.

What are gingerbread cookies made of?

Regular gingerbreads contain rye flour, egg yolk, water, milk and honey. Manufacturers can add various additives and spices to the composition. Gingerbread contains:

• Syrup
• Burnt sugar
• Anise
• Pepper
• Nutmeg
• Ginger

For the sake of taste, various fillings are added - from jam to marmalade. The natural product can be eaten while pregnant; the only disadvantage of gingerbread is its high calorie content. The most high-calorie oatmeal, they contain 447 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. The lowest calorie gingerbreads are chocolate and gingerbread (340-350 kilocalories per 100 grams). Tula gingerbread, beloved by many, contains 360 kilocalories per 100 grams.

Important! Manufacturers often replace natural ingredients with synthetic ones. This product should not be eaten during lactation; some ingredients may cause allergies in the baby.

Gingerbread does not affect lactation; it is a source of carbohydrates. They quickly nourish the body and provide energy, so necessary for nursing mothers. The sugar content improves your mood.

Amount of carbohydrates in the product:

It is not forbidden to eat gingerbread in small quantities; in some cases it is useful. But the confectionery product is high in calories, and in large quantities it contributes to weight gain.

What gingerbreads should you not eat while breastfeeding?

Pediatricians warn that it is better to limit the consumption of homemade baked goods that do not contain ingredients harmful to the child. If you don’t have the opportunity to cook yourself, you should purchase products after first studying the composition.

Preference should not be given to baked goods containing many ingredients. Glaze, artificial ingredients, condensed milk, chocolate are far from the healthiest ingredients for a baby.

It is also not recommended to eat gingerbread with mint, ginger, or fruit particles. Such products most often cause irritation in toddlers.

Composition of gingerbread cookies, their benefits and possible harm

The main components of classic gingerbread are rye flour, egg yolk, natural honey, water and milk.

Various spicy spices can also be added to this delicacy: vanilla, lemon zest, nutmeg, anise, ginger, allspice, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon. These ingredients affect the taste of the flour product.

Today, gingerbread cookies with various fillings are on sale: condensed milk, jam, jam, marmalade. Marmalade and dried fruits are sometimes used as filling. The calorie content of store-bought gingerbread varies from 280 to 440 kcal.

For example, in glazed varieties there are 279 kcal, in chocolate - 340, and in oatmeal - 437 kcal. The calorie content of flour products with apple jam is 355 kcal. This product contains no more than 5 g of protein per 100 g of weight. This is a fairly carbohydrate-rich treat. Gingerbread cannot be classified as a dietary product.

Nevertheless, such a flour product is quite useful. Its properties directly depend on its composition.

For example, honey, included in the recipe for classic gingerbread, helps strengthen the immune system, produce endorphins, has a bactericidal effect, improves metabolic and digestive processes, slows down aging, and prevents the development of sclerosis. Rye flour is considered healthier than wheat flour.

It normalizes the functioning of the digestive system and cleanses the intestines. Berry and fruit fillings are a source of many vitamins and minerals, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous and immune systems, and improve the condition of blood vessels and myocardium.

Ginger stimulates brain function, reduces nervous tension, prevents the formation of blood clots, and removes toxic compounds from the body. Cinnamon has a beneficial effect on the condition of the kidneys, liver, skin, heart, and arterioles. This spice reduces the level of bad cholesterol. When combined with honey, the beneficial properties of cinnamon are enhanced significantly.

Unfortunately, store-bought gingerbread today cannot be called a healthy product. Many manufacturers use low-quality ingredients, sugar substitutes, and dyes to reduce the cost of goods and improve taste.

This can provoke the development of an allergic reaction and disruption of the digestive tract. Therefore, if you want to enjoy gingerbread with health benefits, you should prepare them yourself.

The only drawback of natural gingerbread is their high calorie content. But with moderate consumption, you can avoid harming your figure.

The history of gingerbread is quite long. The first mentions of such a delicacy date back to the 3rd-4th centuries BC. e. The prototype of modern products during the heyday of Ancient Egypt were honey cakes, which were used as offerings to the gods. In Rus', gingerbread appeared long before baptism: they were made in the shape of animals, fish, plants, and mythical characters.

How to properly introduce gingerbread into a nursing mother’s diet and can this be done in the first month?

When planning to introduce gingerbread into the diet, a nursing mother is advised to familiarize herself with simple rules that will allow her to avoid unwanted consequences. The first requirement is to start using the product 2-3 months after giving birth. Even harmless home-baked goods can irritate your baby.

It is worth starting to use products with small portions. It is advisable to eat gingerbread in the morning - throughout the day you can make sure that everything is fine with the child and there are no negative reactions.

After consuming sweet products for the first time, you need to take a break of 2-3 days. The absence of hives, bowel movements, and restlessness at night is evidence that the little body has accepted the new dish in the mother’s diet well.

How to introduce new products to a mother's menu while breastfeeding

Why is it important for every breastfeeding woman to pay special attention to her diet?

• Firstly, this is necessary so that, along with mother’s milk, the baby receives all the nutrients and beneficial minerals and vitamins.
• Secondly, a correct and balanced menu is the basis for the mother’s own well-being.

And, of course, it is worthwhile to temporarily exclude potentially harmful and hazardous foods so that they do not pass into breast milk and end up in the baby’s tummy.

However, sometimes even the most harmless and even beneficial ingredients have to be tried after childbirth with great caution. For example, if you eat a spoon or two of bee honey, rich in microelements and vitamins, at breakfast, a newborn may develop diathesis on the cheeks by the evening or even begin to experience intestinal upset.

The main task of any mother is to exercise caution every time you plan to introduce a new product into the diet during breastfeeding. This is done simply because neither the woman herself nor the pediatrician at the clinic can predict in advance the baby’s reaction to a particular gastronomic element. That is why new and, especially, allergenic products are tried in very small portions.

Daily consumption rate

The first use of gingerbread should be kept to a minimum - just a quarter of the product is enough. Even if the baby is not worried about side reactions, you should not rush to increase the portion - you need to add little by little, it is advisable not to experiment with different baked goods, limit yourself to just two or three types.

It is not recommended to consume more than 60-80 g of sweet products per day. Abuse of sweets will lead to rapid accumulation of fatty tissue in a woman. It is not difficult to predict how a small body will react to a large amount of sweets - indigestion, night restlessness, prolonged colic.

How to choose a good product?

There are a few simple rules that will help reduce the possible risk to your baby to a minimum. When purchasing products, you should be guided by the following recommendations:

• The presence of emulsifiers, dyes, and preservatives is unacceptable;
• refuse to purchase sweets containing honey, chocolate icing, fruit pieces, nuts;
• pay attention to the color and aroma of the products - too bright odors, an unnatural shade of gingerbread indicate the addition of artificial ingredients that are dangerous for the child;
• Do not buy baked goods with condensed milk, jam, jam - such gingerbread fillings can cause bloating and diathesis in the baby.

Another mandatory rule is to study the expiration dates before using products. Expired baked goods can cause serious poisoning in a nursing mother or baby.

On a note! You need to carefully inspect the products - there should be no dents, stains, or smudges on the surface. Typically, such signs indicate non-compliance with storage rules, exceeding the statute of limitations, or improper preparation of sweets.

A simple recipe for oatmeal gingerbread for a nursing mother

If you have time and desire, it is recommended to sacrifice your free minutes, of which a nursing mother has very little, and prepare delicious, mouth-watering gingerbread cookies. Homemade baking will probably not harm your little one.

Preparation:

1. In a deep container, combine sugar (65 g), baking powder (15 g).
2. Mix the bulk mixture, melted butter (90 g), a little fruit jam (no more than 50 g).
3. Add 3 yolks to the mixture (do not use whites!).
4. Add flour (mix 150 g of wheat and oatmeal).
5. After kneading, place the container, wrapped in cling film, in the refrigerator for an hour and a half.
6. Form small gingerbread cookies from the dough with your hands, carefully place on a baking sheet covered with parchment, sprinkled with oil.

Bake for no more than half an hour at low temperature (180 degrees). Do not overcook the products, otherwise they will be too hard after cooling.

Abuse of gingerbread during breastfeeding will certainly lead to undesirable consequences. Strict adherence to medical recommendations, the introduction of products into the diet no earlier than two months after birth, the absence of harmful ingredients in baked goods is an excellent way for a nursing mother to pamper herself with a tasty treat, improve the composition and increase the amount of milk.

Recipes for healthy sweets

If a nursing woman is unable to find high-quality gingerbread cookies in the store, then she can try to make them herself. There are many recipes for these sweets. You should choose those that contain approved ingredients.

Kefir gingerbread:

• a glass of kefir with a fat content of 3.2%;
• 700 grams of flour;
• 250 ml water;
• 100-120 g granulated sugar;
• half a teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt.

Pour kefir into a deep bowl and add soda, salt and half the prepared portion of granulated sugar. Stir everything thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Gradually add flour and knead the dough. It should turn out elastic and lag behind your hands.

Roll the dough into a thick sausage and cut it into circles. Give each part the gingerbread shape of your choice (round, oval). Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Place the dough pieces, keeping a distance of 1-2 cm. Place in the oven at about 200 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes.

If desired, you can make gingerbread cookies with icing. This will increase the calorie content of the dish, so you will have to reduce the size of a single serving. To prepare the glaze, combine water and sugar in equal parts and place on the stove. Baked gingerbread cookies should be poured with syrup and left to cool for a while. When creating the glaze, you can use mint infusion instead of water. This will give the treat an interesting flavor.

Cottage cheese gingerbread:

• 250 g cottage cheese;
• 150 g sugar;
• 2 chicken eggs;
• 100 ml vegetable oil;
• 200 g sour cream;
• 20 g baking powder for dough;
• 80 g flour;
• powdered sugar.

Sour cream should be mixed with cottage cheese. Add egg yolks, sugar, butter and baking powder. To stir thoroughly. Add flour and knead the dough. Cover the container and leave for half an hour. Next, roll out the dough and squeeze out circles or other shapes using molds.