A mother’s diet changes from the moment she confirms that she is pregnant until when she stops breastfeeding the baby. This is because the baby also takes everything that she eats at this time through the blood for expectant mothers or through breastfeeding. It is common for a new mother in Singapore to adhere to a strict confinement diet, and for good reason. This restores her energy and production of breast milk for the child. Everyone responsible for her diet be it a relative, a nanny, or a confinement food caterer in Singapore prepares a nutritious meal that caters to the mother’s and baby’s well-being.

A new mother has a long list of foods that she should avoid eating which may include cold drinks and even processed food. Cold beverages are believed to make the mother cold while processed food have adverse effects on the mother’s and the young baby’s health. Most processed foods you will find on the shelves contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, salts, hydrogenated oils, colourings, and texture-altering chemicals. They also have low nutritional value since they have been stripped off most nutrients such as the good fat, antioxidants, and fibre. Therefore, new mothers should avoid taking processed foods at all costs and adhere to the traditional confinement meals prepared for them during and after the one-month period.

Processed foods are tasty, and they will leave you craving for more. However, they have a dangerous combination of additives that will leave the mother at risk of getting diseases such as heart diseases, obesity, or type 2 diabetes. Some of the harmful chemicals found in processed foods include:

High Fructose Corn Syrup
This is a common ingredient in almost every processed food that you come across. The traditional sweetener is combined with other ingredients to give them the inviting aroma, a soft texture, and a sweet taste. Some amount of fructose on a mother’s diet will be passed on to the infant through breastfeeding, leaving the baby at risk of catching various diseases such as heart diseases, liver disease, or even diabetes. It is also associated with problems in a baby’s cognitive development as well as increased body and muscle weight. Fructose and lactose found in most processed foods will also lead to an increased amount of stomach gas for you and your baby.

Trans Fats
Processed foods are high in trans fats which increases the harmful LDL cholesterol levels and lower the good HDL cholesterol levels in the body, leaving the baby at high risk of developing excess body fat. Trans fats are also responsible for thousands of premature heart diseases due to their abilities to raise lipoprotein and triglycerides chemicals causing clogging of arteries. Therefore, a new mother should substitute trans fats with other healthier fats such as omega-3 fats and coconut oil.

Refined Grains
Do not be duped by the ‘whole foods’ label found on most processed items since they are all refined. Refined foods have low fibre content hence raising the chances of constipation. Additionally, the processed foods take a shorter time chewing and processing, meaning that the body is also going to use little energy to digest the food. This may raise the chances of suffering from heart diseases, insulin resistance, and obesity. Therefore, you should consider substituting the intake of processed foods with whole grain cereals such as brown rice and oats.

Processed foods are very inviting, and anyone would develop an urge to binge on them. Mothers suffering from post-partum depression may consider consuming processed foods that help them feel better about themselves. However, intake of such foods may seem appropriate at first, but it may do more harm to your body and that of your young one. You may consider a better alternative such as hiring a confinement food catering in singapore to prepare proper meals for you than eating processed foods for your recovery diet.