First-time mums skimp on fruit and veg

New research has emerged that shows around 50 per cent of new mums aren’t scoffing enough fruit and veggies.

A Melbourne-based study published in the June issue of Nutrition and Dietetics probed the intake of 529 new mums. It found that 42 per cent weren’t eating the recommended serves of fruit per day.

Worse still, 93 per cent weren’t getting the recommended five serves of veggies per day. Breastfeeding mums, however, were doing better than their non-breastfeeding counterparts.

“Our study found breastfeeding mums eat about half a serve more vegetables, or around an extra ¼ cup of cooked vegetables, than non-breastfeeding mums. They also eat a greater range of fruit and vegetables,” said lead researcher Deborah Leslie from Deakin University in Melbourne.

Interestingly, she claimed that when mums eat a diverse range of foods, their babies are more open to a wide range of foods, too. Babies, she says, are exposed to flavours through the womb and through breast milk.

“A mum who regularly eats a range of fruit and vegetables will be helping to improve her child’s acceptance of those foods.”

Netting a fair share of fruit and veg when you’re breastfeeding and pregnant also cuts your child’s risk of developing serious disease, she says. 

To up your fruit and veggies

• Slice fresh fruit over breakfast cereal or porridge
• Serve fresh fruit with yoghurt for dessert
• Cut up fresh fruit and keep in a container in the fridge for a quick and easy snack
• Serve chopped fresh vegetables with home-made hummus as a snack
• Make an omelette containing mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes
• Grate vegetables into pasta sauces
• Add extra vegetables to casseroles and soups