Breast milk is considered the most unique baby food product. It contains a lot of nutrients. For it to be beneficial, a woman should try to eat the right foods. The more complete a mother’s daily diet is, the more beneficial the nutrition will be for her baby.
Many young mothers do not know what to eat, so they try to deny themselves many foods. But this is the wrong decision. In the first months, you need to adhere to a more strict diet, but after three months, the baby’s digestive system will be formed, and more complex foods, including various goodies, can be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother. This article will focus on marshmallows.
Is it possible to eat marshmallows while breastfeeding?
What is marshmallow made of? The dessert includes egg whites and applesauce. Due to its low calorie content, the product is often part of the diet of women who constantly monitor their weight. Most doctors express their opinion about the benefits of this confectionery product. Regular kefir does not contain flavorings or preservatives. Although there are recipes that contain dyes and other components that do not have a very beneficial effect on health.
Should a woman eat marshmallows during lactation? Why not!
If a woman is serious about choosing dishes for her diet, she needs to choose a product that is completely natural. When there is no trust in a product purchased in a store, you can prepare it yourself.
In addition to the ingredients already mentioned, marshmallows include gelatin, sugar, citric acid, soda, etc. Different recipes for preparing the product contain additives in the form of candied fruits, nuts, marmalade, fruits, and so on. Marshmallows with the addition of nuts will be useful in the formation of the baby's nervous system.
If a woman's diet includes marshmallows, her milk becomes more satisfying and nutritious. When marmalade, jam or white chocolate icing is added to the dessert, it is absolutely harmless to the child.
Composition and properties of marshmallows
Classic marshmallows contain fruit puree, sugar and egg white. These components are carefully blended with a blender until smooth, the mixture is combined with gelatin, shaped and, after cooling, a tasty and healthy dessert is obtained.
The calorie content of marshmallows is 320 Kcal per 100 g of product.
The delicacy is recommended by the Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for inclusion in the diet of children and schoolchildren. There is no need to worry about caries or other dental diseases.
Pectin, which serves as a thickener for the bulk, is a product of plant origin. Removes harmful elements from the body, lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, stabilizes blood pressure, and increases the body's resistance to infections.
The correct product contains no sugar, which makes the product suitable for use while on a diet and for patients with diabetes. Marshmallows, when consumed in moderation, improve intestinal function and stimulate the activity of the brain.
Marshmallows are recommended to be consumed during physical activity. Vitamin B2 helps to cope with stressful situations. The functioning of the visual organs improves, and resistance to ultraviolet radiation increases.
An airy dessert rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, which has a positive effect on metabolism, improves skin color, strengthens nails and hair.
If the agar-agar component is used in the preparation of the product, the marshmallow acquires additional properties - the prebiotic improves intestinal function, prevents stagnation in the digestive tract, and helps food to be absorbed and digested faster.
On store shelves you can find chocolate-covered marshmallows containing nuts, dried fruits, marmalade, caramel and other ingredients. However, during lactation it is best to give preference to a regular white dessert, without dyes or additional components.
Marshmallow promotes the production of the joy hormone, which is important when restoring the body after pregnancy and childbirth.
The benefits of marshmallows during lactation
What benefits does eating marshmallows bring to the body of a woman and child:
- The composition contains useful components. These include egg whites and fresh fruit puree. These are natural, harmless products;
- Improves brain function. After nine months of pregnancy, childbirth and during breastfeeding, the woman’s body is noticeably exhausted. Glucose is necessary for normal brain function. In this case, marshmallows are a harmless source;
- Low calorie content. Marshmallow is a low-calorie product. After the birth of the baby, mothers want to get back into their previous shape, they try to consume such products. And marshmallows can easily be called a dietary dessert;
- The hormone of happiness. Many people know that sweet foods contribute to the production of endorphins in the body, the well-known hormones of happiness. By eating marshmallows, a woman improves her well-being and mood;
- Effect on the taste of breast milk. The foods a woman takes during the day affect the taste of her breast milk. By eating a little marshmallow, a woman sweetens her milk. But it's not that useful. The fact is that the baby’s digestive system cannot perceive such a taste of natural nutrition. In addition, sweets usually increase thirst. For a baby, milk is both food and water, so it may not be worth eating a lot of marshmallows.
How to store
Marshmallow is a perishable product. Products purchased in a store and with preservatives will last no more than three months. If you prepare it yourself, the shelf life will be shorter and it is advisable to keep it in the refrigerator in a separate bag.
Marshmallow dessert is in many cases well tolerated by the child's body. You need to learn how to choose a healthy and natural product, or better yet, prepare it yourself, and then to the question of whether a nursing mother can have marshmallows, the answer will be unequivocally yes.
The harm of marshmallows
The harm from marshmallows is that:
- It contains harmful additives. Unnatural components included in the product are harmful to the child;
- The occurrence of allergies. Marshmallow is made from egg white. This product is a strong allergen;
- Affects a woman's microflora. After childbirth, a woman’s body is rebuilt. It is being restored after pregnancy. This process is quite lengthy. The effect of sweet foods on the microflora is known. As a result, a disease such as thrush may occur.
Consumption rate
If the child does not have dermatitis or an allergic reaction to marshmallows, a nursing mother is allowed to consume it. But this must be done in a standardized manner and with caution.
The first time you need to eat only half. If the child does not have a negative reaction in the form of a rash or colic, you can increase the portion. If the baby reacts negatively, the mother should stop eating marshmallows and other sweets.
This product should not be used for the first 3-4 weeks after birth. It is necessary to wait until the baby’s digestive system returns to normal and the mother’s body recovers.
What marshmallows are good for breastfeeding?
Marshmallow is a low-calorie product; it will not affect a woman’s weight gain. The product contains regular applesauce and egg whites. Many people know that apples are one of those foods that can be eaten at the very beginning of the breastfeeding period.
In order not to be afraid of negative consequences, you need to choose white marshmallows or creme brulee. If the dessert has bright colors, there is a fairly high content of dyes. All chemicals are harmful during lactation.
You can find out if a nursing mother can have pancakes in our article. Is it possible for a nursing mother to have ice cream? Read here.
Is it possible to have chocolate while breastfeeding, read the link
If the taste of the delicacy is enhanced by marmalade, jam or nuts, then this is not even bad. You should refrain from eating chocolate covered marshmallows. On rare occasions, women can afford a small piece of real dark chocolate.
Not all mothers know that nuts can be an allergy. Before eating marshmallows with nuts, check your baby’s reaction to this type of treat. If everything is in order, then eat to your health. Moreover, nuts are beneficial for both mother and baby. Their effect on brain function, bone growth, and strengthening of nails and hair is known.
The presence of fruit in marshmallows cannot harm the baby. When your baby is six months old, he will respond normally to jams and preserves. That is, only at this time can you switch to marshmallows with such additives. The jam should be made from black currants or blueberries, but it’s better to forget about raspberries and other bright berries for now, as they can cause allergies.
The effect of marshmallows on the body of mother and baby during breastfeeding
Up to 3 months, the baby’s digestive system is strengthened. The menu should be strict, balanced and moderate, and therefore it is permissible to introduce various sweets and confectionery products 3 months after the birth of the child.
If a mother prefers marshmallows, she should be prepared for the possible occurrence of allergic reactions in the baby, especially if the dosage is violated or the product is used with additives.
Regular consumption of sweets can lead to disruption of the vaginal microflora, which can lead to thrush and vaginitis. It is recommended to exclude marshmallows, marmalade, and marshmallows from your diet for a month after giving birth.
Pediatricians allow the inclusion of marshmallows in the menu for breastfeeding. It is important that the product is of high quality, best prepared at home, with the addition of nuts and fresh fruits (dried fruits can cause fermentation in the body of the mother and child, which can worsen colic).
Moderate consumption of marshmallows improves memory and activates brain processes. It is recommended to use the product in the first half of the day to avoid night restlessness for the baby.
Zephyr for breastfeeding:
- allows you to normalize the mental state of the mother;
- is a low-calorie product, so mom doesn’t have to worry about weight gain;
- promotes the production of endorphins, improves mood, which is certainly passed on to the child;
- contains glucose, an excess of which puts a strain on the digestive system, but with moderate consumption it promotes milk production and improves the lactation process.
After eating the product, it is important to monitor the child’s condition. If there are no symptoms of deterioration in the functioning of the digestive tract, an airy dessert can be safely introduced into your daily diet.
During lactation, it is better to consume white marshmallows without fillers to avoid possible negative consequences for mother and baby.
How many marshmallows can a nursing mother eat per day?
Many pediatric doctors believe that during breastfeeding it is not necessary to completely give up sweets. Marshmallows can be eaten quite calmly. But no matter how useful the product is, you cannot eat it without moderation. The first time you need to try a small piece and see how the baby behaves.
If the child’s reaction to the new product is normal, the volume of dessert can be increased. When a baby begins to suffer from colic and a rash appears on his body, these are symptoms of an allergic reaction. Therefore, you need to stop taking the product and show the child to the pediatrician.
Most experts advise starting to introduce marshmallows into the diet only after the baby is at least one month old. By this time, his digestive system will be slightly stronger.
Making marshmallows ourselves
The best marshmallows are homemade. It is clear that with a small child in your arms there is no time for complex culinary experiments, but to prepare an airy delicacy you will need very little effort and time, and the ingredients included are the simplest and most affordable.
What we need:
large apples, preferably green – 5 pcs.;
- agar-agar – 8 g;
- sugar – 650–750 g;
- water – 160 ml;
- a little lemon juice.
How to cook:
- Pour agar-agar with water and leave for 2 hours.
- Peel the apples, cut into small cubes, sprinkle with lemon juice, and put in the oven. Bake at minimum temperature until soft. If you don’t have time to bake the fruits, you can boil them - this is much faster, but this way the fruits will lose some of their nutrients.
- Grind the apples in a blender; in total we will need 250–300 g of product.
- Add 250 g of granulated sugar and leave for an hour.
- Heat the swollen agar-agar a little so that the mass acquires a homogeneous consistency, add the remaining sugar. Boil the mixture over low heat for 6–8 minutes.
- Beat the applesauce with a mixer, add half the egg whites, and continue beating until a light, homogeneous mass is obtained. Add the second part of the protein, and beat everything again until fluffy.
- Add the hot syrup in a thin stream to the mixture of egg whites and apples, constantly whisking with a mixer at maximum speed until thickened.
- Let the marshmallow mixture rest for 1-2 minutes.
- Place the mixture in a pastry bag, moisten a wooden board with water, and squeeze out marshmallows.
- And the most difficult stage is to wait a day until our dessert is completely ready to eat.
If your baby is intolerant to protein, you may not need to add it to the mixture, you will need to slightly increase the amount of agar-agar. The finished product will not be as fluffy, but your child will definitely not have allergic reactions.
How to choose the right marshmallows
When there is a baby in the house, a woman’s worries noticeably increase. Therefore, there is not always time to prepare goodies. What to do when you want to enjoy a tasty and healthy product, how to choose it correctly in the store?
Marshmallow, which is produced at food industry enterprises, most often contains various chemical additives. In addition, preservatives, flavorings, substances to improve taste and color, etc. are necessarily added to it. Therefore, in order to choose the right product, you need to do it very carefully and carefully.
First of all, you should pay attention to the following indicators:
- Appearance. When breastfeeding, women are advised to eat marshmallows without dyes. You should avoid yellow, pink, and blue products;
- Various additives. Fruits, marmalade or nuts are often added to marshmallows. These products are healthy, so this dessert is suitable for nursing women. The same cannot be said about chocolate covered marshmallows. Whatever the chocolate, it can cause an allergic reaction in a child. So this product is also not suitable for breastfeeding;
- Price. If a tasty treat is on sale, there is a risk that it has expired. A higher quality product requires natural ingredients. The shelf life of such marshmallows will not be long, and the price will accordingly be higher.
Making marshmallows
To prepare such a dessert, no special culinary skills are required. The sweet is prepared from the most affordable products. You will need half a kilogram of sour apples, egg white, a glass of sugar, agar-agar or gelatin.
Agar-agar is soaked in water. Cored apples are baked and pureed. A syrup is prepared from seventy grams of water and sugar. Agar-agar is heated until dissolved. Beat the egg white, gradually add to the puree, pour in the hot syrup. Add agar-agar, whisking constantly. The foam mass is placed in a container with cold water, whipped until thick and completely cooled. Place the product in small portions on a silicone board and put it in the refrigerator to harden. It is advisable to let the dessert sit for a day.
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Reasonable consumption of the right sweets will allow mom to regain strength, feel a surge of energy, and receive positive emotions.
Harm and permissible amount of consumption
Can a nursing mother have marshmallows, because they can also contain harmful ingredients:
- Only natural products bring benefits to the body. It is necessary to avoid sweets with a high content of food additives. Flavor enhancers and dyes can cause allergies in a child.
- The dessert contains egg white. The ingredient is considered a strong allergen.
- Excessive consumption of the product leads to disruption of the microflora. The uterus has not yet returned to normal after childbirth, so it is susceptible to all external influences. It takes about a month to recover. Although in some cases the process may take longer. In this case, sweets can trigger the appearance of thrush.
How many sweets can a nursing mother eat per day without the risk of harming the baby? At the same time, it is important to remember about caution and moderation in everything. For the first time, it is allowed to eat half of one marshmallow. Over the next 48 hours, you should monitor your baby's reaction.
If no negative reaction was noted, then you can gradually increase the portion. If the baby experiences itching, redness, deterioration of stool and colic, then the product should be abandoned for at least another month. If you have a widespread allergic reaction, you should immediately seek medical advice.
Pediatricians do not recommend eating marshmallows in the first month after the baby is born. During this period, the formation of the digestive system ends. The rehabilitation period after pregnancy and childbirth also lasts a month.
Cooking methods
To prepare, take raspberries (1 kg) and sugar (750 g). The berries need to be rubbed through a sieve and covered with sugar, then boiled until thickened, always stirring. It is advisable to line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the prepared mixture onto it in a two-centimeter layer.
After hardening, you can use figures and a regular knife to cut out the marmalade. After drying, the treat should be stored in a cool place, protecting it from excess moisture.
Marmalade is made not only from raspberries, but also from Japanese quince. For this recipe you need the following ingredients: quince (1 kg), water (2 cups), sugar (0.5 kg). The quince is cut into slices and boiled at low temperature until soft, then rubbed through a sieve. Then you need to add sugar and boil until thick. The mixture should also be spread on a baking sheet in a small layer and allowed to dry. Store quince marmalade in a cool and dry place.
To extend the shelf life, it is advisable to lightly roll the marmalade in powdered sugar or coconut flakes. This delicacy is also prepared from apples and apricots. The recipe also includes cherries, peaches, and strawberries.
How to introduce it into the diet
Not only pediatricians, but also gynecologists do not recommend that a nursing mother eat marshmallows during the first month. This is associated with the risks of bowel dysfunction, colic, and thrush. Starting from the second month of a baby’s life, treats should be introduced into the diet with caution.
Try eating half a marshmallow. After this, observe the baby’s reaction, have red spots appeared on the body, itching, has his mood worsened, is there any pain in the tummy? If the answer is no, then mommy can eat marshmallows while breastfeeding in the first month, but the consumption measures must be followed.
If an allergic reaction occurs, do not be upset, repeat the experiment in a month, perhaps the baby’s body will adapt and respond well to marshmallows next time. If the allergy manifests itself acutely, you should consult your pediatrician as quickly as possible and call an ambulance.
Whether nursing mothers can have marshmallows depends on what product they consume. A homemade delicacy has practically no contraindications other than allergies, but a store-bought one contains many additives and is better not to eat it at all.
In order for marshmallows to provide maximum benefits and help the mother activate brain activity and cope with dizziness, it is recommended to eat this sweetness in the evening, from 16 to 18 hours.
Even if a newborn responds well to marshmallows, you should not eat whole packs of them. It is enough to eat 2-3 pieces along with unsweetened tea.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that marshmallows are considered a completely harmless product, there are some nuances that should be taken into account when consuming them. So, the following are considered contraindications:
- tendency to allergic reactions;
- diabetes;
- metabolic disorders;
- caries.
Thus, the period of breastfeeding is not at all a reason for a woman to exclude all sweets from her diet, because there are delicacies that may not be dangerous for a nursing mother and her baby. However, caution must remain paramount. If a woman is ready to give up sweets in principle, this should be done. If you want to add marshmallows (or marmalade) to your diet, you should consult your pediatrician so as not to harm your child.
