If you have cravings for fried or sweet foods while breastfeeding, know that you are not the only one. Food craving is not so uncommon during lactation or pregnancy period. Being a nursing mother, you require an extra 500 kcal in order to produce milk to nourish your little angel. Your tough routine and need for more calories can initiate pangs of food cravings.
Here are some reasons for food cravings:
Lack of sleep
When you don’t sleep enough, your brain’s ability to make decisions is badly affected. Experiencing impaired activity because of sleep deprivation is not surprising. However, the regions of your brain that control rewards, desire and motivation become highly active and make certain foods more appealing. Being a new mother, you probably go by with just few hours of sleep every day. Sleep deprivation is going to make you crave for fatty and sugary foods satisfying the reward center in your brain.
Stress
Being in constant stress increases the production of cortisol which stimulates your appetite and desire to eat. Motherhood is not a smooth journey. It will definitely stress you out and can last for months. Fatigue and sleep deprivation will contribute to stress. Eating fatty or sugary food helps to low your stress level temporarily. Finding that instant relief and gratification only tempts you to eat more of the foods you crave for.
Controlling Food Cravings While Breastfeeding
Being a breastfeeding mother, you might not always be able to curb your cravings. There are ways you can manage these cravings and focus on taking a healthy diet particularly at this time of life. Here are some of the things you can do to control your food cravings:
- Alternative for fried food cravings: make sure you use better cooking methods or healthier oils. In case you want to eat fries, just bake the potatoes rather than deep frying it. Just sprinkle it with herbs and salt.
- Reduce your portion: if you want to satisfy cravings for sugar or high fat food, stick to small portion. Keep foods that are rich in natural sugar like raisins, dried figs, dried apricots and dates. These foods are also packed with minerals and vitamins.
- Use wholegrain foods: wholegrain pasta, bread and biscuits can satisfy your elevated cravings for carbohydrates. You can also use wholegrain foods with in combination with other healthy foods like vegetables, low-fat cheese and sugar free jams. Crackers with grated low fat cheese is a healthier alternative to foods made out of white sugar and refined flour.
- Alternative for sugary foods: stock your kitchen with healthy sweet and tart fruits like apples, berries, pear and banana. If you are craving sweets while nursing, simply chop bananas and top it with honey and nuts.
- Pump up your calcium and satisfy sugar cravings: Yoghurt and low fat milk will fulfill your calcium requirement and also satisfy your sugar cravings. It is better to throw in fresh fruits in yoghurt than eat a fruit cake.
Instead of resisting your food cravings all the time, it is better for breastfeeding women to satisfy their food cravings in a healthier way. Not giving in to your cravings all the time will only lead to more stress. The simple key is balancing cravings with nutritious foods and portion control.
