First Whole30 and EBF

[iceecream]

This is my first Whole30 experience, and I am just finishing day 10. I am pumping/breastfeeding for my 3.5 month old, and am a pretty active person (my job keeps me on my feet all day and I have a toddler, plus I work out 3-4 days a week.) I have tried searching through past forum posts about breastfeeding mamas and Whole30 snacks/meals, but it isn't all entirely clear to me. I'm trying to figure out if I am eating too many starchy vegetables (or enough in general) throughout the day and relying on snacks out of habit or if my body actually needs the additional nourishment. The last few days I have noticed that I am feeling less hungry between meals, but I am still snacking. I've read that fruits/nuts aren't the best snacks- does this still hold true while breastfeeding? I also can't tell if my pre Whole30 habits (snacking after dinnertime) are just cravings that need to be kicked to the curb or if I truly need to eat more due to the demands on my body right now. (I am feeling more bloated today than I did a few days ago, it is throwing me off!) 

[ShannonM816]

In general, we recommend that breastfeeding moms eat 4 meals a day. For most people, we'd recommend a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable each day, but nursing mom's and those who are active could easily need more than that.

If you need to eat between meals, focus on fat and protein. Fruit on its own can causes spikes and drops in blood sugar that may leave you feeling hungry again faster than other foods would, and nuts are easy to overeat, easy to snack on mindlessly and not realize how many you've eaten, and they can cause digestive issues for a lot of people.

Do be sure you're drinking plenty of water, and try not to overthink the food. As an active person who is also a main source of nutrients for a growing little one, you'll need more than other people. Just keep focusing on healthy choices.

If you want more specific feedback on your meals, feel free to list a day or two of meals, including approximate portion sizes.

[littleg]

I think your snacks can tell you a little about why you are eating them... if they are "munchy" snacks - an apple after dinner, nuts mid morning... then they are probably just habit (which isn't to say you don't need the calories as a EBF, active mom of 2!).  But if you find yourself eating hard boiled eggs and green beans dipped in dump ranch - then you may really be hungry  If you eat 4 template meals (and legit template, not 3 oz of steamed chicken breast, 4 broccoli florets and 1/9 of a sweet potato) I'd think that would be enough for most but maybe since you've got a lot of energy output right now going towards the high side of 4 template meals might be a good place to start.  

I'm breast feeding a 13m old now and, just as an example, my breakfast was just: 3 jumbo eggs, 2 oz smoked salmon <-- I know the weight because I partition a 16 oz container into 8 servings), a 10 inch skillet full of onions, thawed frozen spinach, green beans and a big blob of homemade mayo and a serving of my liver pate "vitamin" (~1 oz of pate).  That was just breakfast