The diet of a nursing mother is very limited. Almost no usual products are allowed. Breastfeeding women are wondering if iceberg lettuce can be consumed while breastfeeding, as well as other types of green salad. It's definitely possible. Read the article about how to use it correctly and what its benefits are.
Green lettuce leaves are a natural product that is beneficial for breastfeeding.
The beneficial properties of fresh salad and can a nursing mother eat it?
Salad is a healthy and tasty food. Its chemical composition provides the body with a mass of valuable substances, including B vitamins, vitamins A, C, E, PP, minerals (iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, etc.), beta-carotene, pectin and other substances. Green salad is low in calories, which is beneficial for the figure of a nursing woman. It, like other greens during breastfeeding, is recommended to be eaten for weight loss. This has a beneficial effect on health, unlike many other weight loss products. Properties of green salad:
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- heals ulcers and wounds in the gastrointestinal tract;
- removes cholesterol;
- reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis;
- removes toxins and heavy metals;
- strengthens bones and tooth enamel;
- improves skin condition;
- normalizes liver function;
- improves vision;
- normalizes sleep;
- improves the functioning of the nervous system;
- strengthens the immune system;
- helps with colds;
- reduces the risk of cancer;
- helps with cough;
- increases hemoglobin levels;
- helps with anemia, etc.
For breastfeeding women, green salad, including iceberg, will only bring benefits, so it is recommended to eat it regularly.
In the first month
The diet of a nursing woman in the first month of breastfeeding should be as gentle as possible. This will help the baby adapt to environmental conditions faster and easier. Green salad is not on the list of allergens. In addition, it does not create additional stress on the child’s gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the use of the product is allowed in the first month after childbirth.
Among experts, there are those who believe that in the first month of an infant’s life, a mother should eat only boiled, stewed or baked foods. Whether or not to eat fresh salad during the first month of breastfeeding is up to you to decide, focusing on the baby’s well-being.
general characteristics
Iceberg is classified as a group of head lettuces. Inside the juicy leaves hides a massive head of cabbage, which can also be eaten. The product was selected in America.
The first name of the product is “crispy salad”. Storing the ingredient required considerable time and effort. To extend shelf life, farmers placed the heads of cabbage on a bed of ice or simply sprinkled them with ice cubes. Thus, the prefix “ice” (from English “ice”) was assigned to the component, and later the modern name “iceberg” was formed.
Features of cultivation
Content:
- general characteristics
- Useful properties of the ingredient
- Chemical composition of the component
- Use of the component in cooking
- Rules for making the perfect salad
The product is absolutely unpretentious to environmental conditions. Without much effort, you can plant it in a garden bed or even in a pot on your own balcony. Agronomists recommend planting iceberg after potatoes, leeks or other types of cabbage. A necessary condition is fertile soil and moderately fertilized humus.
Lettuce develops from a small seed. It is best to plant the plant in a peat pot or open soil. If you decide to grow a plant at home, then use a small life hack. Before planting lettuce, it is necessary to harden off the seedlings. Just take the peat pot outside for 3 days.
Iceberg is very thermophilic. At temperatures of 18°C (mainly at night), plant growth slows down. To protect the sprout from low temperatures, use agrofibre. Experts recommend watering the plant in the evening, immediately after sunset. Iceberg also needs plenty of sunlight and nutrients. If all the rules are strictly followed, the output will be massive heads of cabbage weighing 500-600 grams. The product can be stored both in the refrigerator and in the cellar for about 30 days.
Rules for introducing into the diet
Salad, like other foods during breastfeeding, should be introduced into the diet with caution. It is allowed to eat green salad in the first weeks of the baby's life. Despite its safety, there are cases when the salad causes allergies or tummy problems in the baby. The first time, eat a small leaf. Observe the baby for about 1–2 days. Problems can manifest themselves in the form of rashes, itching, stool disturbances, colic, and bloating in the child. If no negative reactions are detected, you can gradually increase the amount in your diet. Do not drink the leaves, as this may cause eating disorders.
In what form can you eat salad?
The product must be consumed raw. It is better not to eat the top leaves. It is possible to mix with other vegetables, butter, sour cream or other products that are present in your diet. You can make a light salad by adding sour cream, a pinch of salt and quail eggs to the lettuce leaves.
How to introduce and in what form to eat lettuce during lactation?
When updating the menu, we should not forget that even a seemingly safe dish can provoke an allergic reaction in an infant. During the first 4-5 weeks after birth, it is necessary to adhere to strict dietary restrictions, and green salad leaves can be introduced during breastfeeding from 6 weeks. You should not drink the salad because the plant is 90% water, and adding liquid will cause stomach upset.
The following combinations create harmonious taste and benefits:
- 50 grams of salad and boiled eggs;
- leaves and low-fat cottage cheese;
- greens and fish or lean meat.
It is advisable to eat 1-2 leaves for breakfast and monitor the baby’s health. New products should not be introduced for another 48 hours to accurately determine the child’s body’s reaction to the probable allergen:
- itching;
- swelling;
- redness and rashes on the skin;
- rhinitis;
- colic;
- stool disorders.
Food allergies may not appear immediately, but any deviations should alert you.
Lettuce leaves during breastfeeding should be consumed carefully:
- You should not eat them on an empty stomach, so as not to provoke an increase in appetite.
- A serving should not exceed 150-200 g. A large amount of fiber leads to bloating and increased gas formation in the mother, colic and pain in the baby.
- Before adding to dishes, the leaves must be thoroughly washed; it is better to discard the top ones. The last recommendation concerns the iceberg variety.
Important! A few drops of olive or sunflower oil are suitable as a salad dressing for a nursing mother. Vinegar, soy and other hot or fatty sauces are excluded from the diet during breastfeeding.
Negative points
Green salad, like other foods, can provoke negative reactions in the form of allergies. This is an exception to the rule, but it happens. In addition, sometimes it can cause bloating, colic, and problems with bowel movements in a breastfed baby. Use is contraindicated in:
- gastritis with high acidity;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in acute form;
- gout;
- asthma;
- hepatitis;
- urolithiasis;
- tuberculosis, etc.
Iceberg in cooking
It does not have a pronounced taste, which makes it an ideal base for salads. The best time-tested recipes are a dietary salad with chicken, cherry tomatoes and olive oil, as well as the classic Caesar. To dress such salads, it is better not to use mayonnaise, but to make a homemade sauce based on lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and spices.
Variations of simple and nutritious salads with added greens:
- Vegetable. You will need 300 grams of fresh cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, a bunch of iceberg, some cilantro and parsley, and cheese. All vegetables should be finely chopped and the salad should be torn into small pieces with your hands. Add spices and mustard, grate cheese on top.
- With rice and pineapple. First you need to boil 350 grams of rice, separately fry 400 grams of champignons in olive oil. Finely chop two cucumbers and the head of an iceberg. Next, lay out the salad in layers. Rice first, then fried mushrooms and a layer of mayonnaise, cucumbers and iceberg lettuce, a layer of mayonnaise, then pineapples as the top layer.
- With cheese and basil. To prepare you need 2 tomatoes, an onion, 1 fresh cucumber, several sprigs of basil, a head of lettuce and 150 grams of parmesan. Cut all ingredients into cubes and grate cheese. For the dressing, make a sauce from 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of white wine, a teaspoon of sugar and spices to taste.
There are also more exotic options for dishes with iceberg, for example, when a whole leaf is used as a utensil for a pre-prepared snack. From the leaves you can prepare original fresh rolls with vegetables and even use them in cabbage rolls instead of the usual cabbage.
Pros of adding iceberg to salads:
- The portion is visually larger with a minimum number of calories, which is especially important for people struggling with excess weight.
- It is denser than a regular salad, not bitter and quite juicy. It can replace cabbage without interrupting the taste of the other ingredients, but only complementing it.
- Suitable for light salads with sour cream dressing without adding mayonnaise.
The presence of fresh greens is necessary in the menu of every family that makes a choice in favor of proper nutrition. Rich in vitamins and microelements, iceberg will become not only a decoration, but also a useful component of low-calorie dishes.
Rules for choosing and storing salad
Whatever salad you choose, first of all pay attention to its freshness. Look from all sides. Damaged or limp leaves are a sign of prolonged or improper storage. You should be wary of the mucus on the stems.
Lettuce leaves should fit tightly to each other, be moderately firm and symmetrical.
Head lettuces store better, so unless you are buying a product to eat right away, choose them. However, leaf lettuces have a milder taste, although they suffer during transportation and are stored for a very short period of time.
If you have already purchased lettuce, you should not wash it right away. Wash the leaves only before using, otherwise they will quickly spoil. The product should be stored in the refrigerator or other dark, cool place. The optimal temperature for storing salad is +4 degrees.
Salad most often does not last more than 2 weeks, so take this into account when purchasing. You can extend the period a little. To do this, place the salad in water with the root and cover the top with cling film. You can also freeze the salad. First scald it with boiling water and dry it. Once defrosted, the salad should be used the same day.
Chemical composition and nutritional value
95% of the salad is water, the remaining 5% comes from dietary fiber, phytoncides, poly- and disaccharides, and amino acids. Iceberg is rich in folic acid, selenium, vitamins B, A, C and K. The fiber contained in the product stimulates intestinal motility and cleanses its walls of undigested food debris.
Iceberg is rich in micro- and macroelements, including magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, etc. Moreover, 100 grams contains only 14 kcal, of which 1.78 g of proteins, 0.9 g of fats and 0.14 g of carbohydrates .
Please note that it is healthy to consume iceberg only fresh. When cooked, it loses most of its nutrients, so nutritionists recommend adding it only to cold dishes and salads.
In order for the salad to bring maximum benefits, carefully consider the choice of product. Fresh iceberg has leaves of medium density, look juicy and have a light green color. Excessively dense leaves pressed against each other mean that the head of cabbage was picked late from the garden and has already lost its taste. Never buy iceberg with limp, yellow, dry leaves. Loose arrangement of leaves is a sign of immaturity of the product.
How to select and store?
You should buy only heads of cabbage without traces of rot or yellowness. If the lettuce leaves are pale or deformed, this indicates that the product has already partially lost its taste.
The lettuce may turn red when cut if metal knives are used for slicing. To prevent this from happening, it is better to tear the leaves for dishes by hand or use only ceramic knives for chopping.
At home, iceberg should be stored in a dark, dry and cool place at temperatures above 0 degrees. The average shelf life is 2 weeks. However, the longer the salad sits in the refrigerator, the faster it loses its beneficial properties, withers and becomes less crispy. Therefore, it is better to eat fresh heads of cabbage immediately. Be sure to wrap the salad tightly in cling film or place it in an airtight container - all these simple measures will extend the shelf life of the product.
