Stocking your postpartum pantry with healing foods is a great way to enhance your recovery after childbirth and support you in these early weeks. Traditional cultures all over the world emphasise a focus on warming, grounding and nourishing foods for new mothers.
According to Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine a mother is energetically cold after giving birth and has an excess of the air element in her body. This is because throughout the birthing process she looses heat and fire through blood, water through body fluid and earth from the placenta.
Sweet and warm foods help to dispel the excess cold and air so things such as soups, stews, casseroles, sweet puddings and herbal teas with warming spices are highly regarded and cold/raw foods are to be avoided.
From a Naturopathic view, adequate protein is required for healing tissues post birth, Vitamin C for wound healing, Iron for energy and replacing iron lost through blood at birth, essential fatty acids for hormones and mood plus B vitamins and magnesium for energy and nervous system support.
So which foods encompass all of these qualities and nutrients? Below I've compiled a pantry guide with my top foods for stocking your postpartum pantry at home. I would reccommend doing this in the lead up to your due date.
- Nut Butters (almond, brazil, cashew, peanut etc)
- Hommus
- Tzatsiki
- Tahini
- Nuts (almond, brazil, cashew, pecan, macadamia, walnuts)
- Seeds (Hemp, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame)
- Rye Sourdough
- Lentils (adzuki, red lentils, yellow split peas etc)
- Greens (kale, roquette, baby spinach, broccoli)
- Orange vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot)
- Nettle Tea
- Turmeric
- Raw Honey
- Dates
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Vegetable Broth
- Miso Paste
- Noodles
Stocking your pantry with these foods will help to optimise your healing and recover after giving birth.
If you would like more info on postpartum traditional care plus postpartum nutrition then you can check out my eBook 'Botanical Medicine for New Mothers' here