Question about eating only vegetables and fruit.

bellarox13
bellarox13 Posts: 95 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok I am not a meat eater, only occasionally. I do eat tuna. I want to cut the majority of proccessed crap from my diet.

I eat oats with barley for breakfast, have it everyday. I want to have salad for lunch (sometimes a mountain bread wrap). And just have vegies for dinner (stir fry, soup etc.).

The only dairy I will be having is 1/2 cup of milk for the day (which is all I have now) and yogurt.

I usually have two pieces of fruit a day.

Questions are -

Will I get enough vitamins, iron, fibre, protein and less processed carbs?

What is the best yogurt to eat?

Do I need to add some eggs into my diet for protein?

I ask because I am breastfeeding and don't want to affect breastmilk or bubs in anyway.

Replies

  • sh3lby03
    sh3lby03 Posts: 193 Member
    Go for greek yogurt, it has a lot of good bacteria and it's high in protein. My favorite is chobani but a lot of people also like Fage.
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    The Nutrition Tracker here will give you the approximate Nutrients of whatever you put in it. Just track everything that you eat honestly and you should get a fairly accurate view of how your Nutrition is, I think.
  • R_is_for_Rachel
    R_is_for_Rachel Posts: 381 Member
    beans are great for protein and they really fill you up (my partner is veggie)
    Quorn is great too and low in fat
    if you want to get enough iron, then dark green veggies are your best bet
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    The Nutrition Tracker here will give you the approximate Nutrients of whatever you put in it. Just track everything that you eat honestly and you should get a fairly accurate view of how your Nutrition is, I think.

    Exactly. This site's main purpose is the food diary. Enter your foods there, and evaluate what you need more or less of. On the surface, it sounds like you would be severely limiting protein, but punch in all the foods you eat, and see for sure.
  • JPayne53
    JPayne53 Posts: 235 Member
    I would suggest taking a vitamin supplement to help in that area, yes eggs are a good source of protein but can also have a high amount of fat.. with that being said Greek yogurt will give you an added protein boost vs. regular yogurt without the extra fat calories not needed. I would check with your doc just to make sure you are getting the proper calories and nutrition for optimum milk production!
  • wvjanie
    wvjanie Posts: 37 Member
    Brown rice and beans are excellent sources of protein, fiber and B vitamins. Be sure and add those to your diet. Pick vegetables that have a variety of color and you will probably do a good job balancing vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, as an easy reference.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I was going to say that this eating plan was a really horrible idea and then I saw that you are also breastfeeding!

    There's no way that this will work. You will be missing significantly in fat, protein, maybe fiber, Omega fatty acids, minerals, electrolytes, etc.

    It wouldn't be good for your health to do this, and it is dangerous for you and your baby while you are breast feeding.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    yes eggs are a good source of protein but can also have a high amount of fat..

    Eggs are often misunderstood :frown: They're one of the closest sources of amino acids/proteins to those found in the human body. The fat is not an issue for the average person. Because she's breastfeeding, she actually needs MORE fat than "normal" people, so she doesn't have to worry! :flowerforyou:
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    That is very similar to my diet, except I don't eat fish at all, and I am almost always (in fact today is the first ever exception) under on protein. As long as you don't care too much about the details, as I don't, that doesn't matter.

    I take a ton of supplements, though, and have since I first got pregnant - a high dose multivitamin, A,C and E antioxidants, omega 3, and Q10 every day. If I don't do this I have in the past started to get depression or OCD (linked to omega 3:6 inbalance).
  • JillTwiss
    JillTwiss Posts: 139 Member
    Greek yogurt!!! I admit it took maybe 5-6 times of making myself eat it before I could handle the thickness of it, but now I love it. Just stir, stir, stir the heck out of it.
    Quorn products are really good. I love the Chik'n patties.

    I'm a vegetarian who hasn't eaten beef or pork in 20 years and stopped eating poultry about 7 years ago. I've never eaten seafood. Protein is not a concern for me, at all. I am always over on the recommended amount. The main area I have trouble in is iron, but if you are eating tuna, that shouldn't be a problem for you.

    That's one of the things I like about this site the most, that it has all the nutritional info so it's easy to keep track of my daily intakes of everything.

    And by the way, during the time I have not been eating beef or pork, I have had three healthy children and breastfed all three for a combined total of 58 months. You can definitely be vegetarian and successfully breastfeed. Many, many, many people do. Just make sure to take your prenatal vitamins or whatever you're taking and make sure to pay close attention to your iron. Especially with you eating fish, you'll be fine.
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
    I'm a vegetarian so I sympathizes with you.

    "A lactating woman needs 500 extra calories and 12-21 extra grams of protein. This may be the only time in your life that you can eat large portions and lose weight." - http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/vegetarian-pregnancy.php

    Eat lots of eggs, fake meat, and beans and you should be fine. I would track your protein to make sure you're taking in enough as well as taking a multi-vitamin. If you're trying to lose weight, I would talk to a doctor about what nutrition is good for you. I would recommend maintaining (as opposed to losing) your weight and let breastfeeding naturally take its course.

    Good luck!
  • 6Janelle13
    6Janelle13 Posts: 353 Member
    I struggle with this often. For starters, enter your regular eating for a few days and just see what it looks like. Given that you are breast feeding I would consult your doctor on how to eat low calorie and healthy while making sure your body and baby won't suffer.
    eating as you are you will likely be under calories every day but if you can not sustain this lifestyle change for a long period this won't work. I started with simple changes like brown rice for white and whole grain pastas. I discovered greek yogurt and i bought a scale and measuring cups for portion control. I'm pretty happy with my results and I could do this kind of eating for years with out regrets. I still allow indulgences but much less than before.

    You have a baby to think about so a dramatic change right off the bat could be unwise and at best upset your baby's stomach. at worse you could hurt your milk supply or in an effort to supply milk your body may leech nutrients from your bones, teeth and muscles. I admire you goals but i think you need more guidance before you jump in
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I didn't eat any more protein while breastfeeding, and I did it for 5 years in all (2 babies) without a gap. I also didn't lose any weight AT ALL while doing it, but as soon as I stopped last October the weight started falling off.
  • bellarox13
    bellarox13 Posts: 95 Member
    Ok I will add beans, lentils, eggs and greek yogurt also. I do take a breastfeeding vitamin also. I am not purposely trying to cut meat, I have been really turned off it for a while. I think I might make up some daily meal plans and see what the nutritional value is, if there is anything lacking then I will add food to up whatever is lacking.

    I probably sounded a bit over the top in my original post and didnt meant to. I do want to make sure bubs and I get enough of everything, just without most the processed crap. I have never been a big meat or dairy eater.

    Thank you all for your suggestions so far. I will make an appointment with my dr just to make sure.
  • LovelySnugs
    LovelySnugs Posts: 389
    you seem to have a variety of answers here with regards to your actual questions, so i'll leave those alone. i just wanted to let you know that you can add "breastfeeding" to your food log, and it'll subtract calories out for you. a healthy diet with all the correct nutrients won't do you much good if you don't have enough calories.

    good luck, congratulations, and know that i, for one, am SUPER proud of you for trying to do the healthiest thing you can for the kid and keeping him (bubs? him?) first and foremost in your mind. there are so many other moms out there who simply can't.
  • bellarox13
    bellarox13 Posts: 95 Member
    you seem to have a variety of answers here with regards to your actual questions, so i'll leave those alone. i just wanted to let you know that you can add "breastfeeding" to your food log, and it'll subtract calories out for you. a healthy diet with all the correct nutrients won't do you much good if you don't have enough calories.

    good luck, congratulations, and know that i, for one, am SUPER proud of you for trying to do the healthiest thing you can for the kid and keeping him (bubs? him?) first and foremost in your mind. there are so many other moms out there who simply can't.

    Oh bubs (she) is the first priority here. She reallies mostly on me for nutrition (she has just started solids) so I do not want to risk anything there. I will be making sure I eat all my alotted calories also. I might have to add some nuts into my diet also. I am about to do an eating plan to check all nutritional info and take to the drs also.
  • 1234lbsgone
    1234lbsgone Posts: 296 Member
    You can cover most of the things you need IF you eat a large variety of fruits and veggies. Plus some beans and whole grains.

    There are a million beans, they are all yummy and filling, and healthy. Sometimes I use canned, sometimes I use dry. Sometimes I buy them fresh at the farmers market.

    Nuts are good. Good protiens, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals.....

    Grains are good too. And there are so many! Seriously, don't limit yourself to just brown rice. Quinoa is a great source of protien. Millet makes a great breakfast cereal or even a great substitute for couscous.

    As long as you have those things covered in a GREAT variety, you should be good. But like it was mentioned above, log it all to make sure you are meeting your goals. You might also want to have your blood tested to make sure you are really getting everything you need. I'm Vegan, so I eat pretty much as stated above. (Just not so clean all the time...) I have to take a B12 sublingual spray daily. B12 is not found in plant based foods.... unless they are grown in GOOD soil and not covered in chemicals and washed to death. Basically, you can't count on it. Then there is D3 which is another thing not normally found in plant based foods. Unless you are in a sunny climate, that may be a concern.

    Personally, I don't supplement unless needed. I go to the doctor and they draw my blood to make sure I'm getting the vitimins and minerals I need. I take D3 when Michigan has no sun and B12 because theres no way I can get that any other way. I cook in cast iron to boost my iron. Hasn't failed me yet ;)
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    you seem to have a variety of answers here with regards to your actual questions, so i'll leave those alone. i just wanted to let you know that you can add "breastfeeding" to your food log, and it'll subtract calories out for you. a healthy diet with all the correct nutrients won't do you much good if you don't have enough calories.

    good luck, congratulations, and know that i, for one, am SUPER proud of you for trying to do the healthiest thing you can for the kid and keeping him (bubs? him?) first and foremost in your mind. there are so many other moms out there who simply can't.

    Oh bubs (she) is the first priority here. She reallies mostly on me for nutrition (she has just started solids) so I do not want to risk anything there. I will be making sure I eat all my alotted calories also. I might have to add some nuts into my diet also. I am about to do an eating plan to check all nutritional info and take to the drs also.

    Good for you!! What a great mother. I see too many women who try to strictly diet throughout breastfeeding, smoke, drink, or worse - drugs while breast feeding. Some don't even bother taking vitamins or eating enough protein/etc. It's very refreshing to see you so concerned about your little one. Good on you! :drinker:

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