Soy meat for nursing vegetarian mothers. Vegetarianism and breastfeeding

Hello my readers!

I had no intention of writing this review; I don’t even consider myself a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat a year and two months ago. Some time after birth.
Later I stopped eating chicken, fish, and would really like to stop eating eggs, but so far it hasn’t worked out, I only eat them in baked goods, in other dishes, that is, in pure form No. Omelet, scrambled eggs, stuffed eggs and I don’t eat anything else.

And it all happened unconsciously, and of course, but first things first...

When I was 19, something popped into my head and I stopped eating sausage.

She seemed disgusting to me, made of who knows what and stuff like that. I didn’t eat it for about a year and a half, but at the same time I ate meat, chicken, and fish.

I'm a tiger eastern calendar, like my parents. They generally cannot imagine food without meat, especially my father.

And I’ve always been more than calm about meat; if I’m given a choice of a plate of vegetables and fruits and a plate of chops, I’ll always choose vegetables.

Eternally picking at the plate, separating fat from meat - that was me.

At the age of 26 I became pregnant, and already during pregnancy I began to eat meat very rarely, more fish and chicken. Firstly, I didn’t eat it often, and secondly, I didn’t want it at all.

After giving birth, another thing happened to me metamorphosis.

I have always been sensitive to odors, at work they even carried out an inspection - a man hid glasses with different types vinegar, and I guessed it by the smell. Wine, regular, balsamic.

But after giving birth, this sensitivity outgrew all my expectations, I could not eat homemade cottage cheese, some cheese, sour cream, homemade milk to drink. It all smelled very much like a cowshed, dirty cows and bulls.

And I also didn’t want and couldn’t eat meat!
For the first six months I still ate chicken fillet, then it went away too.

Why do I say that I cannot call myself a vegetarian..?

Because this year, I still ate chicken fillet, sometimes I ate herring under a fur coat, because I don’t eat meat not out of compassion for animals, bad energy, murder, etc. (Although, of course, I have compassion for them), I just don't want him, I don't need it, I don't get pleasure from it.

I haven’t watched the film “Earthlings” and I won’t watch it, I don’t shout at every step that I don’t eat meat, or rather, I don’t specifically talk about it at all. Not all my shoes are leather, my fur coat is not made of arctic fox, but of mouton, but this is not due to the fact that I do not buy leather shoes on principle, because I am a vegetarian! I don’t always have this opportunity, that’s all.

Why did I stop eating cheese and fish?.

When 9 months passed without meat, I simply felt disgusted with the above-mentioned products.

Peeling herring or cutting chicken fillet became a problem. Over time, this passed and I do it automatically, trying to abstract myself.

But believe me, when you don't eat meat, and you smell barbecue (that's the only thing I wanted for a while), then you you don’t hear the smell of barbecue, but the smell MEAT. Regular raw meat.

The same situation applies to chicken cutlets, or fried fish, for example.

With cheese, the situation is simpler: it’s not a matter of rennet, and it’s not a matter of vegetarianism, I’m just having a hard time finding cheese that doesn’t stink of a barn, that’s all.

And you can imagine the looks of the sellers from whom I ask to smell the cheese before buying.

The only cheese is Adyghe, the one that I can eat.

I consume dairy products: yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk, symbiotic - I make all this myself from sourdough and ultra-pasteurized milk. I buy sour cream and cottage cheese in the store, but cottage cheese is only factory-made in packages.

It's terribly unprofitable, but there is no way out. I don't feel good without dairy products. I’ll write about this below, in the cons.

Eggs:

I have always not particularly liked scrambled eggs and omelettes, and after reading about the keeping of chickens in poultry farms (this is where it became disgusting and pathetic), I am gradually coming to the conclusion that over time I will stop eating them. The only catch is replacing eggs in other products, you need to read more about it and search various recipes. For now, the situation with eggs is “frozen.”

That is, to put it another way, I do everything that vegetarians do and eat the same, but I didn’t come to it for the same reasons as they did.
What has changed, advantages :

I haven’t become kinder, cleaner, with clearer thoughts (what else do they usually write there?); I’m the same as I was: sometimes I get angry, hot-tempered, mischievous, but I’ve been like this for 28 years! People write that their consciousness has changed... Mine has not yet.

If it were possible to wrap pork in chicken and eat it with jellied meat, I would do so.

During 9 months of pregnancy, I cooked as much jellied meat as I had not cooked or eaten in all 30 years of my life.

I ate meat, lard, chicken, fish, sausage, frankfurters and balyk. I ate everything that could contain meat in one way or another.

At 11 at night I could cook myself shawarma and devour it with tears in my eyes (with joy ♀️ 🤦🏻).

How did I judge? If you want it, then the child needs it. Moreover, I did not intend to take meat away from the child when the time came to introduce meat products into complementary foods.

Children will decide for themselves whether to be vegetarians or meat eaters.

But after giving birth the situation did not change. Just after giving birth, I was already stuffing meat and pasta.

Time passed, and I continued to eat meat and noticed that as soon as I was left without it for a while, I began to experience dizziness, loss of strength, even lower blood pressure, I am always hungry and angry.

The only difference is that I ate it simply with pleasure, and not with tears of joy and shaking hands, as was the case during pregnancy.

When the time came to introduce complementary foods to the second child, it turned out that he doesn't eat meat. He screamed and fought at the mere sight of a spoon with meat or the smell.

I tried all types of homemade meat, all the cans I could find on sale, in different ways I tried to push meat onto my son, but he didn’t eat it.

Let me remind you that my eldest daughter is 5 years old and of everything that exists in the world of meat, she still only eats chicken/turkey cutlets. a couple.
And nothing more!!

Is your second child a vegetarian??
Thank God no. by 10 months he changed his mind and began to eat meat at least from cans.

He continues not to eat homemade food, although the time has come to introduce food in pieces. And mashed potatoes from jars are very liquid.

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

So I can’t say that any global changes have occurred. I just started eating meat and that's it.

✔️ I continue do not cook broths for first courses, no one in our family eats food with broth;

✔️ I keep eating only one type of cheese, and all the others stink of a cowshed. The same scheme applies to other dairy products. I eat what I ate when I was a vegetarian.
I haven’t started drinking milk yet, I prefer vegetable milk;

✔️ I continue don't eat eggs in the form of scrambled eggs, omelettes, etc. Only in dishes;

✔️ I don't eat beef;

✔️ I haven’t become angrier or kinder, more moral or calmer. I am the same as I was, regardless of vegetarianism or meat-eating;

✔️ I eat fish, chicken, liver, lard, balyk, but I don’t eat boiled sausage and sausages;

✔️ I never watched the movie “Earthlings”, didn’t start wearing only skirts and didn’t read “Vedas”;

✔️ those people who knew that I don’t eat meat and still continue to think so, and I don’t dissuade them;

✔️ I completely stopped germinating green buckwheat, fry tofu and get rid of the food. I love to eat, I cook every day, but now I don’t spend a lot of time preparing food as I did when I was a vegetarian.
I eat everything that I wrote above, but I’ve added cutlets, dumplings, chops, etc.
I don’t know how I spend less time cooking when I’m a meat eater than when I’m a vegetarian.

PHYSICAL CONDITION.

I won’t hide it here, there are downsides to switching back to meat-eating.

✔️ colds began to haunt me more often;

✔️ acne began to appear again and quite often;

✔️ my teeth are such a pain, all I do all the time is treat them. Plus, given the guard, the teeth also suffer.

During vegetarianism, everything was fine with my teeth, as soon as I started eating meat (after all, you need to chew it well), the fillings just flew out, more often with pieces of the tooth.

In principle, that's all. I wrote this update to be honest. I haven’t been a vegetarian for a long time, but I still haven’t started to consider them sectarians as abnormal.

I don’t care who eats what.

It's a matter of respect. I respect those who have stopped eating meat and do not eat it in silence.

And those who stopped eating meat two hours ago, managed to subscribe to Valyaeva on Instagram, threw away their jeans and put on a skirt, believed in God and argue, prove with foam at the mouth about the advantages of vegetarianism, I don’t like those.

The main thing is that all this does not concern children.

Because parents, I believe, have no right to impose their thoughts and worldview on their children. The child himself must decide whether to eat sprouted flax seeds or kebab.

I won’t lie, I still don’t give up trying to feed my eldest daughter kebab or beef. And I will continue to do this, since she also does not eat beans, mushrooms and other protein substitutes.

I don't know what will happen in a couple of years. Maybe I will be turned away from meat and fish products again. I don’t regard vegetarianism as a religion, I don’t take it into account ethical side. Yes, I don’t bother about this at all.

I listen to my body and eat what it needs. But whether it’s jellied meat or salad doesn’t matter.

Huge number interesting reviews You can find it in my

Are vegetarianism and breast-feeding? Is this nutrition system safe during the lactation period? Are there enough nutrients and useful substances in a vegetarian diet during breastfeeding?

Although vegetarianism is becoming modern world increasingly popular, a barrage of similar questions inevitably hits those who decide to become vegetarians during the period of breastfeeding. Let's figure it out!

Many people think that vegetarianism and breastfeeding are incompatible. Let's figure out what they base their opinion on. Perhaps we can debunk these myths?

Myth No. 1. Without meat and fish, the child will be deprived

It is no secret that the composition of breast milk includes everything that the mother eats - that is, the mother’s nutrition until the first complementary foods are introduced during breastfeeding is essentially the baby’s nutrition. However clinical trials have proven that the milk of a vegetarian mother is absolutely identical to the milk of a non-vegetarian mother, provided that both eat a balanced diet within their systems.

Myth No. 2. Lack of animal protein reduces lactation

It is generally accepted that special food– the best, but this is only partly true. You should know that two hormones are responsible for this part of the woman’s body: prolactin and oxytocin. The “trigger mechanism” of each of them is located on the mother’s nipples - in this case, their correct stimulation is important, which, in fact, naturally occurs during breastfeeding.

Myth No. 3. Without meat, a woman does not receive enough protein, vitamins and microelements

This statement can easily be considered a relic of the past. Consider that most vitamins are lost in the process heat treatment product - meat, unlike vegetables and fruits, is necessarily subjected to such processing, which means its usefulness decreases. But plant foods are very diverse - they have everything you need, you just have to learn how to plan correctly.

Myth No. 4. Vegetarians don't get enough calcium

Unlike vegans, vegetarians do not give up milk and dairy products - and they, as you know, are the main source of calcium. However, if a woman for some reason does not consume milk, calcium can be obtained from other products that do not violate the vegetarian diet during breastfeeding: sesame, brazil nuts, almonds, cabbage and other leafy vegetables.

When all the myths are debunked, you will be interested to know that many experts consider vegetarianism during breastfeeding to be healthier than a diet that includes animal products. Let's find out why!

Why is vegetarianism good for breastfeeding?

For those who consider vegetarianism a limited food system, it will be useful to know that it uses about 300 varieties of vegetables, 600 varieties of fruits and 200 varieties of nuts. With the right approach to creating a diet, this is more than enough to provide dietary diversity, right?

However, despite all the advantages of this nutritional system, it is worth mentioning that switching to vegetarianism during breastfeeding is not the most best idea. Such a change in diet is stressful for the body, and unnecessary stress during lactation is completely unnecessary.

Is it possible to develop a complete breast milk while following a vegetarian diet? Veganism (veganism) involves a complete abstinence from eating animal proteins, and it is very difficult to balance such a diet taking into account the nutritional characteristics of a nursing mother. Vegetarians who do not refuse to take cow's milk and eggs, nutritionists can easily choose a suitable diet for the period of breastfeeding.

The main problem for nursing vegetarian mothers is vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to anemia in both mother and baby. During breastfeeding, a woman's need for vitamin B12 is approximately 2.9 g. Without consuming fish and meat products It is difficult to get it in such quantities, and without milk and eggs it is almost impossible. Therefore, vegetarian mothers need additional introduction vitamin B12 into the body.

Without eating milk and products made from it, a nursing mother will not be able to ensure adequate calcium intake into her body. If there is a lack of calcium, the calcium contained in the mother’s bones will be used for milk synthesis, which will certainly harm her health. Therefore, vegetarians are recommended to drink at least 2-3 glasses of milk per day.

The need for iron during lactation is very high (10 mg per day), and it is very difficult to obtain it in such high quantities only from plant foods. Therefore, foods containing iron (sprouted grains, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and others) should be taken simultaneously with food, rich in vitamin With (kiwi, citrus, strawberries, etc.).

The proteins obtained by a vegetarian mother from plant foods differ from animal proteins and are insufficiently complete. amino acid composition. Not a single plant product contains the amount of essential amino acids necessary for the synthesis of breast milk. Their deficiency can be compensated by a combination different products– cereals with legumes or milk, and it is not necessary to eat these products together at one time, it is enough to eat them throughout the day. A normal ratio of amino acids will be provided by a combination of products from the following groups:

Since herbal products have lower calorie content than animal products, energy deficiency is another problem faced by nursing vegetarian mothers. Careful control of caloric intake will help solve this problem.

• cereals – 6 servings;
• eggs, legumes, nuts, soy meat - 2-3 servings;
• vegetables, including green leafy ones - 3 servings;
• fruits – 3-4 servings (including one serving of citrus fruits);
• milk – 2-3 glasses.

Additionally, supplements containing vitamin B12, D, zinc, and folic acid are added to the diet. , iron, calcium.

Thanks to Vlad Serov on Facebook, who picked up a bunch of links on the topic of vegetarianism/veganism and children, we continue the topic with excerpts from the statements of official doctors around the world. Is vegetarianism suitable for nursing mothers and their babies? Is it possible to be vegetarian and vegan during breastfeeding/after breastfeeding?

Here is what the Belarusian “nutritionist” writes about this:

Here's what regular blogger Vlad Serov writes:

Why judge someone? Let's tell each other more facts on this topic. Let's share research scientific articles and various expert opinions. In society, including among doctors, the attitude towards vegetarianism and veganism is ambiguous only because people know little about it.

And here is what various associations of nutritionists and doctors around the world write.

So the position American Association Dietitians 2009 position, American Dietitians Association and Canadian Dietitians position 2003, New Zealand Dietetic Association position 2000, British Institute of Nutrition 2005 fact sheet:

"Properly planned vegetarian diet, including vegan, is healthy and nutritious, can be beneficial in prevention and treatment certain diseases, suitable for people of all ages, pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescents, as well as athletes.”

The position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada on vegetarianism:

“Well-planned vegan, lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets are suitable for all stages life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation. Properly formulated vegan, lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets satisfy all nutritional needs. nutrients ah children of any age and adolescents and provide them normal development. Vegetarian food in children's and adolescence promotes the acquisition good habits nutritionally and can provide a number of important nutritional benefits. Children and adolescents who follow a vegetarian diet consume less cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat, and more fruits, vegetables and dietary fiber than non-vegetarians. Researchers also note that vegetarian children are thinner and have lower blood cholesterol levels.”

British Dietetic Association:

“Well-planned vegetarian diets, including vegan diets, are suitable for all stages of life and have many benefits.” //

British Nutrition Foundation:

“A balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can be nutritional, but more extreme diets such as raw food are often ineffective and do not provide the full spectrum of nutrition. essential microelements, which makes them completely unacceptable for children. ... A study of children of vegetarians and vegans in the UK showed that they develop and grow within normal limits"

American Academy of Pediatrics:

“Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets can meet the needs of children and adolescents, but it is worth paying special attention to calcium, zinc and vitamin B12.”

Canadian Pediatric Association:

“A well-balanced vegetarian diet can meet the needs of children, adolescents and nursing mothers. Special attention should pay attention to adequate intake of zinc, iron, essential fatty acids and vitamin B12 if all animal products are excluded from the diet"

Israeli Ministry of Health:

“A vegetarian diet, including a vegan diet, eaten judiciously, can provide everything necessary products for the needs of a child from birth to old age. Vegetarian children grow well if their menu includes all the necessary components in sufficient quantity, and if they eat according to nutritional recommendations for all children their age... Mother's milk Vegetarian milk is similar in composition to non-vegetarian milk, and provides all the needs of a developing baby. »

Does vegetarianism pose any danger to the health of the baby and the mother herself while breastfeeding? This issue is considered quite controversial, and it is unlikely older generation approves of this approach to maternal nutrition. However modern science states: can be grown healthy child without changing maternal food preferences.

Vegetarianism and breastfeeding: will the baby be healthy if the mother does not eat meat?

Types of vegetarianism or refusal of meat vary.

Vegetarianism is a special type of diet that excludes meat, often dairy, as well as eggs and other animal products. People switch to a similar diet according to various reasons: ethical, religious, medical or other. However, vegetarianism is different from vegetarianism. There are several types of vegetarianism (variations):

• veganism with complete refusal from animal products.
• ovo-vegetarianism, in which it is allowed to consume everything except meat (any) and dairy products.
• Lacto-vegetarianism is a variation in which all animal products except dairy are abandoned.

There are raw food vegetarians who eat only plant foods without heat treatment. There are also special diets that, despite the refusal of slaughter food, still allow consumption certain types meat:

• Pescatarianism involves abstaining from the meat of land mammals.
• Pollotarianism allows only poultry to be eaten.
• Flexitarianism does not prohibit eating meat, but only in moderation.

Vegetarianism while breastfeeding is possible, but there are many aspects involved regarding the health of both the woman and the baby. It is especially important to give the body essential vitamins, mineral components and essential amino acids from food plant origin. This is possible if you choose the right products that are similar in nutritional value and rationally create a menu.

Is food without meat poor in protein? Not at all! Soybeans and legumes contain this food component very high, in addition, with non-strict vegetarianism, the need for protein is covered by dairy products and eggs. Although this type of maternal nutrition has its advantages and disadvantages.

The benefits or harms of vegetarianism during breastfeeding

The undoubted advantages of vegetarianism during nutrition include:

There are also disadvantages, and significant ones:

• From plant foods, zinc, calcium, and iron are absorbed worse and in smaller quantities.
• lack of vitamin B12 (especially with veganism), which leads to a deterioration in intelligence, weakening of bones, and the development of anemia.
• complete absence in plant foods vitamin D, but small amounts are found in dairy products and eggs.

Speaking about the benefits or harms of vegetarianism during breastfeeding, one should evaluate those for the health of both mother and child. During lactation, the body bears increased load, producing milk takes a lot of energy and nutrients. Where to replenish the depleting “resources”? Of course, from food.

The mother's diet should contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and microelements. .

At the right approach the amount of nutrients consumed by vegetarians is close to generally accepted recommendations, and the state of health is not only no different from the health of average non-vegetarians, but in many ways better. A vegetarian diet contains a lot of carbohydrates, fiber, unsaturated omega-6 fatty acids, valuable minerals and vitamins. Veganism poses a share of danger during lactation, excluding not only meat, but also seafood, dairy foods and eggs. In the case where a nursing woman follows the principles strict vegetarianism, it is recommended to additionally use vitamin and mineral complexes.