Composition and calorie content of lard
Many women ask, is lard ok for a nursing mother? Despite the fact that it has a high calorie content (724-902 kcal per 100 g), the product contains a lot of useful substances. It contains minerals (iron, copper, zinc, selenium, manganese), vitamins A, D, E and F. Lard also contains stearic, linoleic, palmitic, oleic, arachidonic acid and others.
The product contains proteins (2.4 g), fats (89 g), and no carbohydrates.
The benefits of lard
Experts consider the product relatively useful. Due to the large amount of fat in it, lard is difficult for the body to digest. However, thanks to its beneficial composition, its components have benefits for the newborn’s body:
- Vitamin D. It is especially important for infants because it strengthens the skeletal system and prevents the development of rickets. The product contains the same amount of vitamin D as butter. True, the latter also contains cholesterol.
- Vitamin A. Responsible for the normal condition of mucous membranes, prevents eye diseases and moisturizes the skin.
- Vitamin E. Strengthens blood vessels, stabilizes cholesterol levels and has a positive effect on the condition of the skin. Vitamin E is important for women; it maintains hormonal levels in the right state.
- Arachidonic acid. It is necessary for the functioning of the heart and has a positive effect on mental activity.
Women ask if lard is ok for a nursing mother. In addition to the above properties, the product promotes:
- Strengthening the immune system.
- Removing decay products and toxic substances from the body.
- Increased hemoglobin levels in the blood.
- Development of bone tissue in an infant.
- Stimulating the process of blood renewal in the body.
Lard is a fairly filling product. A few pieces can satisfy a woman's appetite.
It is recommended that a nursing mother consume smoked lard after the baby is 6-8 months old. It is best to purchase a fresh product, and only then pickle it yourself.
The benefits and harms of lard during breastfeeding
Is lard ok for a nursing mother? To understand whether this delicacy can be eaten during breastfeeding, you need to figure out whether it will benefit or harm the woman and the baby. Experts do not recommend eating lard throughout breastfeeding.
The ban is based on the fact that lard is a very fatty product and is difficult to digest. As a result, it can cause constipation, intestinal discomfort (bloating, gas, colic) in the infant, as well as indigestion in the mother. However, it is worth noting that we are talking about large quantities of the product when it is consumed uncontrolled.
In small quantities, the Ukrainian delicacy brings more benefit than harm.
- A high percentage of fat in the product will have a positive effect on the nutritional value of breast milk.
- Vitamin E restores beauty to mommy’s skin and hair and strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
- Vitamin A is good for the eyesight of both mother and baby.
- Vitamin D is very important for newborns as it prevents rickets.
- Arachidic acid is involved in the regulation and restoration of normal hormonal metabolism.
- Due to the fact that the product is very filling, you will need a fairly small amount to fill up and not feel hungry for a long time (a couple of pieces of lard with bread will replace lunch, and there will be fewer calories in a sandwich than in a bowl of porridge).
- The product contains significantly less cholesterol than, for example, everyone's favorite butter. The delicacy not only does not increase cholesterol, but even helps improve cholesterol metabolism.
- Vitamin F contained in lard actively helps the body fight early manifestations of atherosclerosis.
- The product helps bind and remove toxins and radionuclides from the body.
- Modern research has shown that this delicacy dissolves carcinogens and thereby fights the cancers that they cause.
As you can see, there are many more advantages to eating Ukrainian delicacies than disadvantages. Is it possible to eat lard during breastfeeding? Yes, sure. But it is necessary to follow a number of rules so that the product brings only benefits to mother and baby.
Should lard be included in the diet of a nursing mother?
During lactation, experts advise women to adhere to a special diet and exclude certain foods from the diet. This list also includes heavy foods that are difficult to digest. Lard also belongs to this category of products. It can cause allergies and digestive problems in the baby.
The period of breastfeeding can last for several years, so it will be quite difficult for a nursing mother to eat monotonous and tasteless food. Therefore, the diet should be balanced and healthy. Lard can be included in the menu of a nursing mother, but some precautions must be taken. This applies to the amount of product and the age of the baby.
Many women ask whether a nursing mother can eat lard? In the first months after childbirth, the product should not be included in the diet. It is best to do this gradually, when the baby gets a little stronger. At the same time, it is imperative to monitor his well-being.
Recommendations from experts
Many pediatricians do not advise nursing mothers to consume lard in the first 6 months after giving birth. During this period, the baby's main nutrition is breast milk. It is with it that beneficial and harmful substances penetrate the body.
The saturated fatty acids contained in lard will be difficult for the child’s body to digest. As a result, the following negative symptoms may occur:
- colic;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- vomit;
- increased gas formation;
- allergic reactions.
Many women ask whether a nursing mother can smoked lard? In this case, it is necessary to wait a little while introducing the product into the diet, because it will bring minimal benefit to the body. Also, lard can negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract of a baby.
Recommendations for consuming lard during lactation
Despite the fact that the product has a high calorie content and seems quite fatty, its moderate consumption is allowed for women during the lactation period. Young mothers should remember the norms and restrictions on the consumption of animal fats during breastfeeding. In order not to harm the small body, a woman must follow medical recommendations for consuming lard during lactation:
- You can start eating pork only 6 months after the birth of the child, after consulting with your doctor.
- Fatty foods must be introduced into the diet gradually. The daily intake of lard for a nursing mother is no more than 20g, and the weekly intake is no more than 100g.
- During breastfeeding, you should avoid under-salted, fried, smoked and spicy types of delicacy. Consuming an improperly prepared product can negatively affect the baby's health.
- After the first attempt to eat a piece of lard, monitor your child’s reaction to a new fatty product. If within two days after consuming the product, animal fats do not have a negative effect on the baby’s health, you can safely continue to introduce it into the daily diet.
- It is necessary to buy the product only from trusted sellers, following all the rules for choosing quality lard.
How to add lard to your diet?
After six months, the baby’s digestive system becomes stronger and is able to digest different types of food. At the same time, a nursing woman gradually introduces more and more new foods into her diet. Especially if she used to be a fan of salted lard.
A nursing mother should closely monitor the health of her baby and, if a negative reaction occurs, refuse the new product.
Typically, allergic reactions appear within 2 days after its administration. This may include redness, rash, itching or swelling.
You should not immediately introduce 2 new foods into your diet, because it will be more difficult to determine what caused the allergic reaction. A woman should record everything in a food diary. This will make it easier to identify the allergenic product.
In the first 3 months, a nursing woman needs to limit the amount of fatty foods in her diet. This also applies to lard, which is introduced into the diet gradually.
Even if everything is fine with the child, you should also not overeat. The daily portion should not exceed 20 g. It is best to perceive such food as a delicacy that should appear in the diet periodically.
It is best to consume lard in the first half of the day. It can enhance the flow of bile, thereby helping to cleanse the body.
How to use the product correctly?
Many women are interested in whether a nursing mother can eat lard and how to eat it correctly? The product included in her diet should contain a minimum of spices and herbs. Otherwise, the baby may experience allergic reactions.
A young mother is not recommended to include fried lard in her diet. After all, heat treatment leads to the loss of nutrients in the product and saturates food with carcinogens.
The optimal solution is to buy fresh lard and salt it yourself. It is best to eat the product with whole grain bread. This kind of sandwich will bring a lot of benefits. A woman should not be afraid to gain weight, because it depends on the amount of fat. If you limit your food intake, it is impossible to gain excess weight.
Homemade Recipes
A quality product is easy to prepare yourself. The main ingredients are lard and coarse rock salt. It is advisable to exclude spices and herbs, since intolerance in infants is often caused by them. During natural feeding, dry and brine methods and cooking are suitable for preparing lard. Smoking is undesirable, since the resins will negatively affect the quality of breast milk. At home, it is recommended to cook in small portions so that you always have a fresh snack.
Quick dry salting
Ingredients
- lard – 1 kg;
- coarse rock salt – 0.2 kg.
Cooking method
Rinse the main ingredient with cold running water and make several cuts. Pour a layer of salt onto the bottom of an enamel pan, add generously sprinkled and grated lard. Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator for 3 days. The shelf life of the finished snack is 3-4 weeks.
Lard in brine
Ingredients
- lard – 1 kg;
- coarse salt – 0.5 tbsp;
- bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
- black peppercorns – when breastfeeding it is advisable not to add or in small quantities;
- water – 2.5 tbsp.
Cooking method
Boil water, dissolve salt, cool. Cut the main product into cubes, put it in a glass jar, add spices. Pour in the brine and cover loosely with the lid. Place the container in a cool place for 2-3 days, then transfer it to the refrigerator. After 1-2 weeks it is permissible to eat. Remove the finished product from the brine, dry with a towel, wrap in foil or paper, and put in the freezer. It can be stored for 3-4 months.
Hot salting or cooking
Ingredients
- lard – 1.5 kg;
- coarse salt - approximately 0.5 kg;
- water - depending on the size of the pan;
- bay leaf, black peppercorns - optional.
Cooking method
Wash the main ingredient, cut into pieces about 10 cm in size. Pour water into a saucepan, add 100 g of salt for every 1 liter, boil, add spices. Load the pieces, completely covering them with brine. Cook over low heat for 40-60 minutes. Free from liquid, dry, wrap in parchment paper, insulate with a towel, and leave until completely cool. Unwrap and put in the refrigerator.
During the period of natural feeding, lard is allowed to be administered to a nursing mother in small quantities 6-7 months after birth. It is important to monitor the baby’s well-being. Eat only salty, high-quality products. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Rules for choosing lard
Women need to pay attention to the quality of the product. The following points need to be taken into account:
- The meat product must bear the stamp of the veterinary service.
- It is best to buy lard from a trusted seller.
- The color of the product should be pale pink. A yellow, and even more so a gray tint is one of the signs of stale lard.
- A quality product should have a sweet and milky aroma.
- The optimal thickness of a piece is 2-3 cm. It is best if the lard comes from the abdominal part, so it will be tastier.
- A good quality product will feel damp but not slippery.
- The lard skin should be smooth and soft to the touch.
All these nuances must be taken into account in order to choose high-quality and tasty lard.
How to choose and prepare lard for a nursing mother?
It is better to go to the market for this product rather than to the supermarket. There is always a huge assortment of it on display. Note the veterinary stamp. Pig lard tastes better than boar lard. It should have a pleasant milky aroma. A product 2-3.5 cm thick is suitable for pickling, has a fairly elastic consistency, but not hard, white or slightly pinkish in color.
Dry or wet salting is used to prepare lard. When dry, the pieces are rubbed generously with coarse table salt, placed under pressure and left at room temperature for 1-2 days. Then it should be stored in the refrigerator or basement. You can eat salted lard after 7-10 days. For wet salting, 10-12% brine is pre-prepared. Once cooled, pieces are placed in it and pressure is applied. It is also ready for use after 7-10 days. It can be stored in brine and at a temperature not exceeding 10 °C for up to a year.
So, the answer to the question whether a nursing mother can have lard is yes, but you should follow the norm and eat it little by little. Only then will this product be beneficial.
What kind of lard is best to eat?
Many women ask whether a nursing mother can have salted lard? This product is preferable to smoked one. This is due to the fact that salted lard does not contain various spices, only salt. If a lot of garlic is added to it, the product can negatively affect the baby’s digestion process. The spice contains a lot of extractive substances that can irritate a child’s fragile intestines.
Is it possible for a nursing mother to smoked lard? This product should not be consumed in the first months after the baby is born. You can try smoked lard when the child is six months old.
Harm to the product
Many pediatricians do not recommend consuming lard while breastfeeding, especially in the first months after the baby is born. Experts advise following a strict diet during this period. You should also avoid smoked and salted lard with added spices and garlic.
The product also contains large quantities of saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to health. For a fragile body, they are difficult to digest. This is especially true for babies aged 3-6 months. During this period, the corresponding microflora is just beginning to be created in the child’s intestines. Therefore, it is impossible to predict the reaction to any food products.
Sometimes it can be negative. As a result of a violation of the diet by a nursing mother, the intensity of intestinal colic increases in the child. Allergic reactions and indigestion in the form of frequent and profuse regurgitation also occur. This state of affairs should not be allowed to happen.
You can eat lard while breastfeeding, but some precautions should be taken. To prevent it from having a negative effect on the baby’s body, it should be eaten in small quantities. It is best if the woman salts the lard herself. Before purchasing a product, you must ensure the freshness of the product. To do this, evaluate its appearance and taste. If the baby does not have an allergic reaction to lard, then it can be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother in a minimal amount.
How to eat lard while breastfeeding?
Introduction to the diet is carried out similarly to other dishes. You are allowed to try a small piece for the first time 6-7 months after birth. In this case, complementary feeding should be taken into account and no other new components should be added. If there are no side effects, gradually increase the dose. It is important to consume lard correctly when breastfeeding, adding it to the diet 3-4 times a week. You are allowed to eat no more than 30 g of product per day. It is necessary to observe the drinking regime. Eat with bread without subjecting it to additional heat treatment. If there are meat layers, they should be cut out.
