How To Make Your Confinement Food Delicious & Nourishing

Confinement Food Delicious & Nourishing

Nutrition is crucial during confinement for a mother’s recovery, what with the 9-month-long journey and the depleting nutrients in her body due to breastfeeding. She must regain her strength and get a boost from her diet. 

When it comes to confinement, it’s probably been instilled in your head that this is a period where you can’t simply eat anything as you, please. In fact, it is quite the norm for new mothers who have just given birth to be told to abstain from an array of food and to focus on certain ingredients only, especially if they’re Asian. So, you may think what you can eat for those 30 days is limited and possibly boring. How would you survive tasteless, bland meals for a whole month?

But no. Confinement food does not have to be boring or bland, and there are plenty of ingredients that you can incorporate into your meals to make them more interesting and mouth-watering in addition to being nutritious. Here are 3 ways to go about making your confinement food delicious and nourishing.

1. Use different cooking methods

One of the most common ways of cooking healthy food is boiling, and many people assume that boiling is the way to go in order to keep extract the nutrients in the ingredients, unlike frying, which is deemed to be less nutritious. While boiling is a great option, there are others available. Many different methods of cooking make for scrumptious and healthy meals. 

You can stir fry vegetables, steam fish, braised chicken, sear salmon, grill some meat and more. The options are plentiful, and you can pair different cooking methods to make an amazing meal. Take, for instance, having stir-fried vegetables like carrots and broccoli, a piece of seared salmon, and some chicken soup for lunch or dinner. You get a very balanced meal that is tasty and full of nutrients. Who said confinement meals had to be unstimulating?

2. Use a variety of veggies, meat, and other protein

Now, the best confinement food would contain sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, fibre, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and all that jazz, and they would come from different ingredients. No two ingredients contain the same amount of nutrients, which is why cooking with a variety of them would be ideal, as you can supplement any deficiency from the multitude of available food, especially when there are certain vitamins and essentials that our body cannot produce.

For example, omega 3s and vitamin B12. We have to get these nutrients from external sources like meat and eggs. So, that’s exactly what we need to implement in your confinement meals. Add a variety of vegetables like carrots, leafy greens, and garlic, and don’t forget meat like fish, pork, and chicken. A very simple and straightforward way to get yummy food rich in nutrients.

3. Have fun with spices and herbs

Spices? Herbs? Did I hear that right? 

Yes, you did. Well, of course, if you’re Chinese, you would know herbs are fantastic additions to confinement meals as you get them in soups and sometimes with stir-fried dishes, such as red dates, black fungus, and goji berries, common traditional Chinese dishes. But did you know spices are another way to play around with your confinement dishes?

It is not uncommon for people to think that confinement food should be a certain way and that adding spices might affect the nutritional value negatively. This is absolutely not true. Sometimes, cooking can turn the meat a boring colour, so why not add some spices to spice up your meals and life? 

Turmeric is a wonderful spice that not only adds beautiful colour and great flavour but it is also rich in antioxidants which is important for healthy body functions. In addition, it contains curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory compound that also lowers the risk of osteoarthritis and, in some ways, supports the immune system  Researchers have even found that adding pepper to turmeric enhances the bioavailability of these nutrients With all these superb benefits for postpartum to just a single type of spice, why the hesitation in adding them to confinement meals?

Here are some of our highly recommended dishes from Tian Wei Signature:

Sesame Braised Chicken

A mother’s body is believed to be “cold” after labour, so a hearty dish traditionally provides warming properties for mothers in confinement. Not only does sesame oil help prevent “wind” in your body, but it also keeps you warm and improves your blood circulation. Plus, the ingredients present in this meal are also traditionally believed to help with replenishing your vigour and boosting your vitality. 

Scientifically, sesame oil is also high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. As part of your diet, consuming oils such as these helps reduce bad cholesterol, leading to a lower risk of heart disease or stroke. The ingredients for this meal are available in abundance, and they are easily accessible too. A very nourishing and easy-to-prepare dish for mums in confinement like you!

Red Fermented Wine Chicken

The red fermented wine chicken serves as a nourishing and comforting dish for mothers who are recovering. It is easy to prepare and takes little time to cook! The dish consists of red fermented wine and chicken. You can also add vegetables of your choice for a more balanced meal. 

This meal is great for mums as it traditionally strengthens your spleen, alleviates fatigue, and improves blood circulation! Also, chicken is a good source of protein. Eating sufficient protein helps to promote wound healing. The good news is that these ingredients are easily accessible. 

Seared Salmon with Cauliflower Cream and Tri-Colour Grains

Salmon can be considered a highly nutritious food for confinement. This is due to the various health benefits it has to offer. Its omega-3 enhances your cardiovascular health. Also, it is a good source of protein and vitamin B12, which help repair muscle cells and positively stimulate tissue development. Furthermore, it is also a good source of vitamin D, which is important for you and your baby’s immune system, and essential for good bone health. 

One great way to make your salmon dish even more filling and nutritious is by having them with quinoa, as quinoa is rich in fibre. Quinoa is a great addition to the dish as it contains amino acids to aid your recovery. Furthermore, quinoa’s low glycemic index property is essential in regulating your blood sugar levels. If you’re looking for more ways to make breastfeeding easier, MumChecked offers a wide variety of breastfeeding essentials!

Kurobuta Pork Loin with Apple Mirin Sauce and Spaghetti

The Kurobuta pork loin dish is high in Vitamin C from its apple, cherry tomato and broccoli. Vitamin C encourages the formation of collagen, which promotes wound healing around the genital and caesarean area after labour. Not to mention it is great for the skin too! 

Plus, the Kurobuta pork dish is also rich in Vitamin B1, this would benefit you as it helps support your immune system. Additionally, this confinement meal will aid you in supporting your nervous system, muscles and heart function.

Braised Pork Trotter In Black Vinegar

This comforting and appetizing dish is well-loved by many, even those who are not in confinement! Indulge in soft and tender pork trotters and hard-boiled eggs, slowly cooked for long hours to infuse the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness of the black vinegar and the refreshing fragrance of ginger.

Primarily consisting of ginger, trotter, black beans and eggs, this dish contains Vitamin B1 and Vitamin D. Vitamin B1 is important for your recovery as it keeps you energised to support your nerves, muscles and heart function. Plus, the vitamin B1 in our savoury pork trotter is good for you and your newborn as it helps you have a good immune system.

But that is not all, Vitamin D from the egg in this dish is great for your recovery as it supports you and your newborn’s teeth growth. Vitamin D is also beneficial for bone growth as well. What a treat!

Sesame Braised Chicken

Slowly stewed and best served hot, our sesame-braised chicken makes for a wonderful and comforting meal during your confinement. Our Sesame Braised Chicken is heaty and useful in preventing ‘wind’ from accumulating in your body. Some mommies might wonder, “How to lose weight during confinement?

We advise you to take it slow at the moment because losing weight during confinement is not recommended. However, you can start small by replacing red meat with lean meat; chicken is one of the best. Hence, our sesame braised chicken would be suitable for you. Our dish is also traditionally known to be great for improving blood circulation, vitality and strength. What’s not to like?

If you are looking for items or products to ease your feeding, nursing, or household routines, MumChecked might be up your alley! They have various options for feeding or household-related products for your convenience!

Red Fermented Wine Chicken

Pamper your tastebuds with our zesty and invigorating Red Fermented Wine Chicken. For a dish that prominently features chicken, our meal also contains red fermented rice wine, which helps regulate your metabolism and lowers your cholesterol level. But that is not all; our chicken also contains Vitamin B6 to facilitate the development of your baby’s brain and boost your immune system. Additionally, this dish also contains ginger to ease your breastfeeding issues. Ginger is a lactogenic ingredient that improves blood flow and boosts milk production through increased blood supply. What a nourishing meal!

Stir-Fried Pork and Kidney with Ginger and Sesame Oil

Spoil yourself with our savoury, tasty and nutritious meal! Our Stir-Fried Pork and Kidney with Ginger and Sesame Oil is great for confinement mothers! Made from lean pork, pork kidney, wolfberries, carrots, and black fungus, this wholesome meal packs a whopping nutrient with iron, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and Vitamin A, mainly from the pork kidney. Vitamin C is important for your confinement recovery as it improves collagen formation to promote wound healing around the genital and caesarean area after labour. In addition, Vitamin C also helps reduce your newborn’s risk of developing allergies to support your newborn’s healthy growth.

Tian Wei Signature Coq Au Vin

One of our signature fusion foods and the last entry in our list, this herbal and rich-flavoured meal certainly does not hold its punch in the taste department, let alone in its natural goodness! Prepared mainly with chicken, red wine, garlic, broccoli, potato and chicken, our dish is a good source of protein to promote the healing around the genital and caesarean area after labour.

Plus, the presence of garlic in our dish would be beneficial for your breastfeeding as it gives a pleasant flavour to milk, improves your breast milk odour, eases the introduction of breast milk to your baby and encourages your baby to stay latched on longer. Plus, garlic also helps in improving your breast milk supply as well. Now that’s a meal to get hooked on!

Ginseng Nourishing Soup

If you are looking for something light yet wholesome, this ginseng nourishing soup might be it! It helps the body recover strength, boosts the body’s immune system and is great for combating loss of appetite. Moreover, this ginseng nourishing soup is also great for the physically weak and recovering mothers due to its innate healing properties. For a hassle-free Chinese soup delivery Singapore mothers would recommend giving us a call!

At Tian Wei Signature, we incorporate all of the above in our confinement menu. Discover traditional Chinese meals like Braised Pork Trotter with Black Vinegar and fusion cuisine dishes like Kurobuta Pork Loin with Apple Mirin Sauce and Spaghetti on our extensive, delectable menu.

If you’re hesitant to sign up, as it’s your first time, do not fret. We offer confinement food trial meal sets where you can pick from 2 of our trial meals to have a taste before you commit. Moreover, our meals consist of main dishes and Chinese confinement soup, desserts, and drinks. So, you know who to go to for the best confinement food.