Where did this nutrition sheet for breastfeeding moms come from?  Who put it
together, based on what reserach, and who paid to have it printed up?  Is
this something done in-hospital or by a formula company?  Inquiring minds
want to know.  Diet has little influence on breast milk quality or quantity
-- some proteins do get through into the milk, such as cows' milk protein,
and there is some evidence to suggest recommending a reduction in dairy,
especially if family has a history of dairy allergy and/or baby develops
"colic" symptoms.  Maybe restrict caffeine and alcohol.  Otherwise, a
breastfeeding mother should be able to eat pretty much anything she wants,
and in any quantities.  She should be encouraged to eat to appetite, not to
try to "diet".  Women the world over eating a diet based on 99% rice (or
millet or sorghum) and 1% vegetables and spices, and the occasional bit of
meat -- seem to make perfectly good breast milk and more than adequate
quantities.  Only when women are starving is the quantity of breast milk
lowered -- the quality is still fine.  Just as most of us get through the
day eating a diet less than the current RDAs (which are set artificially
high to include the needs of more than 80% of the population) -- most
breastfeeding moms will get through the day just fine eating junk food.  You
should encourage healthy eating habits in everyone (starting with breast
milk for babies), but not give the impression that milk quality or quanitity
will be adversely affected if the mother doesn't have a good diet, as the
research does not support this at all.

Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition