Hello dear mothers. Your baby has already been born, but you haven’t stopped thinking about what you can eat and what you can’t. And all because everything enters the baby’s body with breast milk. And now the mother needs to be no less careful than during pregnancy. Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to use semi-finished products during their meals, because time is now sorely lacking and they want to save at least something. In this article we will talk about dumplings, find out how healthy this product is, what meat should be chosen, what recommendations should be followed and how to properly prepare homemade dumplings.
Features of eating dumplings while breastfeeding
During breastfeeding, a woman needs to carefully monitor her diet. After all, the baby’s digestive function depends on it. Along with milk, substances can enter his body that cause bloating and diarrhea. But breastfeeding women are not always able to find extra time to cook. In this case, semi-finished products come to the rescue. Dumplings during breastfeeding can be introduced into the diet no earlier than a month after birth. This should be done gradually, observing the child's reaction.
Dumplings are extremely undesirable for a nursing mother in the first month. In this case, the risk of developing digestive disorders in the child increases. In some cases, an allergic reaction occurs. This negatively affects the baby's condition. At the same time, the female body needs protein, the source of which is the filling of dumplings. But we should be talking about high-quality specimens with the most natural composition. After all, category D dumplings consist of no more than 20% meat.
To make the dish more satisfying, it is served with broth
Attention! The shelf life of frozen homemade dumplings is 1 month, and store-bought ones can reach 6 months.
How to introduce dumplings into the diet when breastfeeding a newborn
Dumplings are not considered an allergenic product, so there are no special precautions when introducing them into the diet of a nursing woman. However, several rules should be followed to reduce even the slightest risk to a minimum.
We recommend reading: Can cheesecakes be eaten by a nursing mother?
- Homemade dumplings can be eaten 1-2 months after the birth of the child. With purchased semi-finished products, you should wait up to 6-7 months. Ideally, it is better not to eat store-bought dumplings at all during the entire breastfeeding period.
- Spicy fatty sauces and seasonings should not be served with ready-made dumplings. You can use sour cream with a fat content of no more than 10%.
- For the first time, you can eat no more than 3-5 dumplings in the morning, so that you have the opportunity to observe the baby’s reaction during the day.
- Individual intolerance cannot be ruled out, so if even the slightest reaction occurs (rash, colic, tummy discomfort, anxiety), the dish should be removed from the diet.
- If there is no reaction, you can gradually increase the portion to the usual one.
- Dumplings can only be eaten boiled!
- Mothers who are struggling with excess weight should treat the dish with caution, since dumplings are quite high-calorie and heavy food.
Can a nursing mother have dumplings?
Dumplings are a delicious dish made from dough and minced meat. They perfectly satisfy hunger and quickly replenish the body's energy reserves. Dumplings are not prohibited when breastfeeding. But a lot depends on their composition and freshness. Poor quality dumplings can cause food poisoning or colic in a child. Experts recommend that breastfeeding women eat dumplings prepared with their own hands.
We recommend reading: What are the benefits of wheat bran, reviews
Can a nursing mother have homemade dumplings?
The main advantage of homemade dumplings is their natural composition. It contains no flavor enhancers, preservatives or stabilizers. The filling can be made from any type of meat. The most common options are:
- rabbit meat;
- turkey;
- pork;
- chicken;
- veal.
We recommend reading: Brussels sprouts: beneficial properties and contraindications
The dough is prepared from wheat flour with the addition of eggs, salt and vegetable oil. For the digestive system, the combination of meat and dough is considered difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to add onions, carrots or cabbage to the minced meat. Fiber in vegetables speeds up the process of digesting food. The only disadvantages of homemade semi-finished products are the long preparation process and shortened shelf life. But the benefits of the product more than compensate for these shortcomings.
We recommend reading: The benefits and harms of leeks
Comment! The most beneficial for the composition of breast milk is minced beef.
Is it possible for nursing mothers to buy dumplings?
Factory-produced dumplings are also acceptable to eat while breastfeeding. But it is important to pay attention to their category and composition. It is advisable for nursing women to buy a product of category A or B. It contains at least 60% meat. Semi-finished products of categories B, D and D are inferior to it in terms of the amount of protein, and therefore do not have high nutritional value. In addition, they may contain mechanically separated meat, bones and soy protein. When choosing purchased semi-finished products, you also need to look at the content of various additives and flavor enhancers. The fewer there are, the better it will be for the health of the woman and her child.
Semi-finished turkey or rabbit products are considered the most expensive. They are also classified as more suitable varieties for the lactation period. The main advantage is the low calorie content and reduced risk of developing allergies. Such dumplings are much less common on sale.
High-quality semi-finished products should not stick together or fall apart during cooking.
Pros and cons of the product
You can only talk about the benefits of dumplings if it is a home-cooked dish. Unfortunately, if you buy a semi-finished product in a store, you not only cannot be sure of the quality of the product, but you will also almost certainly receive a dish that contains seasonings, flavors, flavorings and even dyes. Moreover, they will be detected both in meat and in flour. So such dumplings are contraindicated for nursing women.
In a dish prepared with caring hands, you will find the following value:
- Wheat flour contains fiber, vitamins and minerals, in particular B vitamins, vitamin PP, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, iodine and phosphorus. But it is worth remembering about the calorie content of this product.
- Meat contains up to 22% protein of animal origin. And it is so necessary both for the baby’s growing body and for the restoration of the mother’s strength in the postpartum period.
- It is a low-allergenic product. Provided that they cook on the basis of wheat flour and lean meat.
Therefore, homemade dumplings are allowed in the mother’s diet from the first month of the baby’s life, although some experts still advise waiting until three months of age.
When can a nursing mother eat dumplings?
Dumplings can be consumed during breastfeeding in the second month. But you must follow certain rules. The product is introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions. In total, you are allowed to eat no more than 10-15 products per day. It is advisable that their consumption does not occur in the evening hours. This will cause a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. But this product is not suitable for daily use. In addition, it is considered very high in calories, which slows down the process of weight loss after childbirth.
Choosing the right filling
So, we decided that we need to prepare “ears” for mom’s table at home. Now it is important to understand what the filling should be. After all, whether a nursing mother can have dumplings directly depends on the composition of the minced meat. Below we will look at the most popular types of carcasses and see how useful they are during lactation.
Ground beef
Beef is considered one of the optimal types of meat for lactation. It is easily digestible, affordable and often on sale. Beef is rich in iron and is recommended to solve the problem of low hemoglobin. This product is even allowed on the menu for infants when starting complementary feeding. The only point: mom should not rely on beef if the baby is allergic to cow's milk.
Table - Chemical composition of beef tenderloin
| The nutritional value | Per 100 g | Vitamins | Per 100 g | Macro- and microelements | Per 100 g |
| Squirrels | 18.6 g | IN 1 | 0.06 mg | Calcium (Ca) | 9 mg |
| Fats | 16 g | AT 2 | 0.2 mg | Magnesium (Mg) | 22 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | AT 5 | 0.5 mg | Sodium (Na) | 65 mg |
| Calories | 218.4 kcal | AT 6 | 0.4 mg | Phosphorus (P) | 188 mg |
| AT 12 | 2.6 mcg | Potassium (K) | 325 mg | ||
| AT 4 | 70 mg | Chlorine (Cl) | 59 mg | ||
| H | 3 mcg | Sulfur (S) | 230 mg | ||
| E | 0.6 mg | Iron (Fe) | 2.7 mg | ||
| B9 (folic acid) | 8.4 mcg | Zinc (Zn) | 3.24 mg | ||
| PP | 4.7 mg | Copper (Cu) | 182 mcg | ||
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.035 mg | ||||
| Tin (Sn) | 75.7 mcg | ||||
| Iodine (I) | 7.2 mcg | ||||
| Chromium (Cr) | 8.2 mcg | ||||
| Fluorine (F) | 63 mcg | ||||
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 11.6 mcg | ||||
| Cobalt (Co) | 7 mcg | ||||
| Nickel (Ni) | 8.6 mcg |
Minced pork
Pork is a fatty meat. But its advantage is that it is hypoallergenic, so doctors completely allow pork tenderloin in the lactation menu. The main thing is to choose pulp with a minimum amount of fat.
Table - Chemical composition of pork tenderloin without fat
| The nutritional value | Per 100 g | Vitamins | Per 100 g | Macro- and microelements | Per 100 g |
| Squirrels | 19.4 g | IN 1 | 0.11 mg | Calcium (Ca) | 8 mg |
| Fats | 7.1 g | AT 2 | 0.1 mg | Magnesium (Mg) | 41 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | AT 5 | 0.5 mg | Sodium (Na) | 58 mg |
| Calories | 142 kcal | AT 6 | 0.3 mg | Phosphorus (P) | 220 mg |
| B9 (folic acid) | 4.1 mcg | Potassium (K) | 345 mg | ||
| AT 4 | 75 mg | Chlorine (Cl) | 48.6 mg | ||
| PP | 2.63 mg | Sulfur (S) | 220 mg | ||
| Iron (Fe) | 1.6 mg | ||||
| Zinc (Zn) | 2.07 mg | ||||
| Copper (Cu) | 96 mcg | ||||
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.0285 mg | ||||
| Tin (Sn) | 30 mcg | ||||
| Iodine (I) | 6.6 mcg | ||||
| Chromium (Cr) | 13.5 mcg | ||||
| Fluorine (F) | 69.3 mcg | ||||
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 13 mcg | ||||
| Cobalt (Co) | 8 mcg | ||||
| Nickel (Ni) | 12.3 mcg |
Chicken mince
Chicken is considered a dietary meat. This bird is inexpensive and is always in stock. But in the early stages of lactation you should be careful with chicken breast: the product often provokes allergies in infants.
Table - Chemical composition of chicken fillet
| The nutritional value | Per 100 g | Vitamins | Per 100 g | Macro- and microelements | Per 100 g |
| Squirrels | 18.4 g | IN 1 | 0.07 mg | Calcium (Ca) | 16 mg |
| Fats | 18.4 g | AT 2 | 0.15 mg | Magnesium (Mg) | 18 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | AT 5 | 0.8 mg | Sodium (Na) | 70 mg |
| Calories | 238 kcal | AT 6 | 0.5 mg | Phosphorus (P) | 165 mg |
| B9 (folic acid) | 4.3 mcg | Potassium (K) | 194 mg | ||
| AT 4 | 76 mg | Chlorine (Cl) | 77 mg | ||
| PP | 7.7 mg | Sulfur (S) | 186 mg | ||
| A | 0.07 mg | Iron (Fe) | 1.6 mg | ||
| Beta carotene | 0.01 mg | Zinc (Zn) | 2.055 mg | ||
| AT 12 | 0.6 mcg | Copper (Cu) | 76 mcg | ||
| WITH | 1.8 mg | Manganese (Mn) | 0.019 mg | ||
| E | 0.5 mg | Cobalt (Co) | 12 mcg | ||
| N | 10 mcg | Iodine (I) | 6 mcg | ||
| Chromium (Cr) | 9 mcg | ||||
| Fluorine (F) | 130 mcg |
Rabbit and turkey are considered especially useful for nursing mothers and babies. These types of meat do not provoke allergies, are easily digested by the body, and contain a minimal amount of calories and cholesterol. The downside is that these products are rarely found in mass sales and are more expensive than more popular types of meat. But if it is possible to use such a filling, this is an ideal option for a lactation diet.
Rules for eating dumplings during breastfeeding
If you approach the use of dumplings wisely, they will not have a detrimental effect on the health of the woman and her baby. First of all, you need to pay attention to the composition of the product. If a child is allergic to chicken eggs, their use should be avoided. An alternative option in this case could be quail eggs. The minced meat should not be too fatty. Therefore, it is advisable to give preference to beef or turkey filling. The product should not contain soy protein, as it is considered a potential allergen. It is also advisable to abandon too cheap varieties of dumplings.
The semi-finished product must be well cooked. Half-raw meat is a source of parasitic diseases that pose a serious health hazard.
Breastfeeding experts do not recommend adding fatty sauces or mayonnaise to dumplings. You can use sour cream as a replacement. If you prepare the product yourself, you should avoid hot seasonings and garlic. They can make breast milk taste bitter, which can cause your baby to wean off the breast. On the contrary, the use of dill when cooking is encouraged, since it reduces the likelihood of gas formation.
How to make homemade dumplings?
First we prepare the dough. For it you will need the following products:
- 2 eggs (see also: can a nursing mother eat eggs while breastfeeding?);
- 1.5 glasses of warm water;
- 700 g flour;
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
- salt to taste.
Mix the eggs with water and salt until the salt is completely dissolved. Then add flour and knead the dough. At the end add oil. Let the dough rest for a while and prepare the filling at this time.
There is another version of the test - without eggs. For it you will need:
- 1 glass of cold water;
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil;
- 3 cups flour;
- salt to taste.
Mix flour with salt, pour it onto the table and make a hole into which we pour water. Knead the dough, add butter and knead until smooth. Let's lie down for a while.
For minced meat we take the following products:
- 800 g meat tenderloin;
- 2 medium sized onions;
- salt to taste.
Grind the meat and onions in a meat grinder, add salt and mix. It is worth noting here that the more onions you take, the juicier and more tender the dumplings will be.
As for ingredients such as garlic and pepper, their presence is only permissible when your baby is several months old, and then in small quantities (we recommend reading: pepper during breastfeeding). As everyone knows, hot and spicy foods change the taste and quality of breast milk, so their consumption should be limited, even despite their obvious benefits. INTERESTING: Why can’t you drink cow’s milk while breastfeeding?
Now let's make dumplings. To do this, roll out the dough, cut out identical circles, put minced meat in each and seal the edges. Another option is to roll out the sausage, cut it into equal parts, roll each into a puff, lay out the minced meat and seal it.
Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water. If you are making them for future use, then you need to prepare a place in the freezer in advance so that you can put them there immediately after making them.
Dumplings are very tasty and practical. Especially if you don’t cook them yourself, but buy semi-finished products. The question is, is it possible to eat dumplings while breastfeeding? If possible, how to choose them or what meat to cook from yourself. Are there any benefits to them and how to correctly enter them into the menu.
- Are dumplings good for breastfeeding?
- When can it be added to the diet?
- What to look for when buying semi-finished products
- What ingredients to choose for homemade dumplings
- How to introduce a dish into the diet of a nursing mother
Are dumplings good for breastfeeding?
The answer to this question depends on the type of product. Any dumplings give energy and saturate the body. This is very important for a busy mother.
This is where the benefits of store-bought products end.
Homemade, prepared from good meat and without unnecessary chemicals, will provide the body with protein, minerals, amino acids, vitamins B and PP.
A homemade dish is good for everyone, except for the cooking time. But it's worth it. Moreover, if one of your relatives decides to help or prepare them yourself
Then you can definitely please yourself with delicious and healthy dumplings.
The store bought product is not as good. Most often, the filling is cheap, fatty meat. Also, soybeans, stabilizers, dyes, taste improvers and other chemical additives are added to it.
Finding really good dumplings is not easy.
When can it be added to the diet?
Homemade dumplings can be tried when the baby is 1-2 months old. It is better to exclude store-bought ones until you stop breastfeeding.
At the very least, do not eat until the child is six months old.
What to look for when buying semi-finished products
If a nursing mother decides to try dumplings from the store, she should choose them very carefully.
A quality product is unlikely to be cheap. A kilogram package will cost no less than 500 rubles.
• When studying the composition, you need to remember that in the first place is the product that is most abundant in the product. In this case, meat should be listed first. It should not be less than 70 percent of the weight of the product.
• You should not take dumplings if they contain vegetable protein, that is, soy protein. This is a strong allergen that can cause a reaction in a baby. In addition, such an addition to the composition has a bad effect on the taste of the product.
• The composition should not contain chemical additives: dyes, stabilizers and others.
• The dough should consist only of flour, eggs, salt, water, vegetable oil.
• To avoid poisoning from expired dumplings, you should always check the expiration date. Unfortunately, stores often come across expired products.
What ingredients to choose for homemade dumplings
If you cook dumplings at home, then use the best products. So that they are truly useful for mother and baby.
Here are some rules for choosing ingredients:
• The filling is seasoned only with salt and onion. It is better not to add black pepper and garlic.
• The dough is prepared from first grade flour. It is better in quality, as it is produced without chemical bleaches. The color of the finished dish may be darker. However, the taste will remain the same.
• If the baby is allergic to chicken eggs, they cannot be used in the test. Quail eggs can be a substitute. They taste just as good and are hypoallergenic.
• It is better to make minced meat yourself. The meat should be lean. You can use pork, beef, turkey, rabbit, chicken. These types of meat are placed separately or combined to suit your taste.
Each filling has its own taste and beneficial qualities.
Useful tips for mothers: NUTRITION FOR A NURSING MOTHER
Ground beef is most beneficial for nursing mothers. It is non-greasy and easily digestible. Beef is rich in iron, so it is very necessary for mothers with anemia.
Pork is considered fatty, but when using tenderloin this problem disappears. This meat is hypoallergenic and therefore safe for babies. Pork and beef mince in equal parts go well together.
Turkey and rabbit are low in calories, well digestible, and hypoallergenic. They also have minimal cholesterol content. This is dietary meat, so its prices may be higher than average.
At the same time, it can be difficult to find rabbit and turkey meat in stores. But if there is an opportunity to use such meat, it is better to take advantage of it.
Chicken meat is also suitable. It is light, inexpensive and considered dietary. Another plus is accessibility. It can be found in any store.
This product is well absorbed. However, it can cause allergies in the baby, so it is better to try it a little at a time.
How to introduce a dish into the diet of a nursing mother
Dumplings, especially homemade ones, do not pose a risk to mother and child. But a number of rules will help eliminate the slightest possibility of an undesirable reaction in the baby and excess weight in the mother.
• A nursing mother can eat dumplings with sour cream. Preferably the lightest - 10 percent fat. Mayonnaise and other fatty sauces are not allowed.
• Do not eat a whole portion at once. For the first time, 3-5 dumplings are enough.
• Traditionally, it is better to try a new dish in the morning. Then monitor the child’s well-being for two days. If there is no reaction, you can increase the portion, gradually bringing it to 10-15 pieces.
• Children may have individual intolerance to certain foods. If it appears after dumplings, it is better not to eat them for some time.
• Do not forget that the dish is high in calories. If the mother has problems with excess weight or a desire to lose weight, portions should not be large. In any case, it is better not to eat dumplings for dinner.
• Nursing mothers are advised to consume the dish only when boiled. If you fry the dumplings they will become very greasy. Problems may arise not only with your figure, but also with digestion.
A nursing mother can afford homemade dumplings quite quickly. By selecting high-quality and natural ingredients for them, she will enjoy a tasty, healthy and satisfying dish.
It is better to ignore industrial dumplings throughout lactation.
You can even get poisoned with this product. This is unacceptable for a nursing mother. If you want to take a risk, it is important to choose the highest quality product.
- about the author
- Recent publications
author of the publication (site editor) JOURNALIST Higher education: Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications Arina Nagovitsyna recently published (see all)
- What can a child at 3 months - 09/12/2019
- What a 2 month old baby can do – 09/11/2019
- Which formula to choose when mixed feeding - 09/10/2019
BeautyHack explains why onions and garlic are dangerous for a baby and why you should not eat rye flour products while breastfeeding.
Lyudmila Borovskaya
Deputy Head of the Children's Diagnostic Center, pediatrician
In the maternity hospital, the baby needs very little milk - the foods that the mother eats will not affect his health in any way. But as soon as mother and baby arrive home, the situation changes: within 3 days you need to start a nursing diet and exclude generally recognized allergens.
Mushrooms
Carbohydrates in mushrooms differ from plant ones - they are more like chitin and are difficult to digest even by an adult body. They are not recommended for children under 3-4 years of age. A nursing mother should not eat pickled mushrooms due to the abundance of salt and spices.
Nuts
Fatty product. Particularly allergenic are peanuts and hazelnuts. Walnuts are allowed if parents do not have allergies. Avoid stale nuts as they may contain mold.
Dairy
Previously, mothers were strongly advised to consume dairy products. The amount of lactose in breast milk increased, and this led to colic in children. The child's intestines do not have enough lactose enzyme to digest so much protein - as a result, lactose breaks down into lactic acid and hydrogen, which leads to pain, loose stools and bloating.
Dumplings, manti, any dough with meat
You cannot combine simple carbohydrates with protein, as this causes bloating in the child. Convenience foods are dangerous and contain dubious ingredients - cheap oil or low-quality meat.
Fresh garlic, fresh onion
These are too aromatic vegetables; milk can take on their smell. Children often refuse to drink milk with a strong taste of garlic or onion.
Rye and wheat flour
Leads to gas formation in the child. Also, mothers who have undergone a cesarean section or have gastrointestinal diseases are not advised to eat Borodino bread or any wholemeal flour. Fresh white bread is dangerous because the mother can quickly gain weight instead of losing weight after pregnancy.
Shrimps
They can accumulate harmful substances and heavy metals and are allergenic. Farmed shrimp and crayfish contain hormones and antibiotics.
Foie gras, jamon, pate, liver
There is a high risk of infection with toxoplasmosis and listeriosis from undercooked meat and animal products without sufficient heat treatment.
Caviar
A strong allergen, contains a lot of salt and oil, can cause swelling in the mother. The taste of caviar is transferred to breast milk - the baby may refuse it.
Useful tips
To eliminate possible health complications and get the maximum benefit from food, you need to be responsible when preparing your diet. It is advisable to first discuss the possibility of using the product with your doctor. He will give individual recommendations, taking into account the quality of lactation and the child’s health characteristics. During breastfeeding, it is recommended to focus on the following tips:
- purchased semi-finished products must be replaced with homemade ones;
- It is not advisable to consume the dish more than once a week;
- when preparing a diet, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the child’s body;
- dumplings should be eaten with vegetable salad for better protein absorption;
- Before preparing a dish, you need to check the expiration date;
- semi-finished products are eaten freshly prepared, hot;
- It is forbidden to use acetic acid, mayonnaise and ketchup as a dressing for dishes.
Important! To increase the fat content of breast milk, you need to eat a semi-finished product with pork.
Dish for infertility and good luck
Later, different culinary cultures began to interpret the idea of dumplings in their own way, experimenting with fillings and shapes of modeling. This is how Ukrainian dumplings, Georgian khinkali, manti from Asia and ravioli from Italy appeared.
Various traditions and superstitions are associated with dumplings. For example, there is a rule for a lucky “ear”. So, when modeling, an unusual filling is wrapped in one of the dumplings: sugar, coin, herbs or pepper. Anyone who gets a surprise dish at dinner is considered lucky. If you come across a sweet dumpling, it means good luck. Pepper as a filling promises love, and a penny promises profit.
Interesting attitude to the Chinese dish. They say here that dumplings can solve infertility problems. So, if a childless couple chews on the “ears” and then puts them under the pillow, they will be a new addition to the family. And judging by the birth rate statistics in this country, the “dumpling method” still works.
