Making Healthy Food Choices

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Choose fresh, 

frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice. Include dark-green, 

red, and orange vegetables; beans and peas; and starchy 

vegetables.

• Make at least half your grains whole grains. Try oatmeal, 

popcorn, whole-grain bread, and brown rice.

• Move to low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese. Fortified soy 

beverages also count. 

• Vary your protein routine. Choose seafood, lean meats and 

poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts 

and seeds.

• Use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list to limit items 

higher in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. Drink water 

instead of sugary drinks. Choose vegetable oils instead of 

butter.

Tips for 

Breastfeeding Moms

Making healthy food choices along with 

regular physical activity will keep you healthy 

while you breastfeed.

Find Your Healthy Eating Style

Choose a variety of foods and beverages to build your own healthy 

eating style. Include foods from all food groups: fruits, vegetables, 

grains, dairy, and protein foods. 

The amount and types of food you eat is an important part of a 

healthy eating style. Before you eat, think about what and how much 

food goes on your plate or in your cup, bowl, or glass. 

 Doctors Recommend:

Your Baby’s First Food

• Doctors recommend feeding only human milk (commonly 

referred to as breast milk) for the first 6 months. Continue 

breastfeeding in addition to solid foods until your baby is at 

least 1 year old.

• Breastfeeding helps form a special bond with your baby.

• Human milk helps protect your baby from illness.

• Breastfeeding is also good for you. It may help lower your risk 

for type 2 diabetes, and breast and ovarian cancers.

What About...? 

• Talk with your doctor before taking any medicine (both overthe-counter and prescriptions), herbal or dietary supplements, 

or drinking alcohol or caffeine. 

• Keep your baby away from smoke. Don’t let anyone smoke 

around your baby. 

United States Department of Agriculture
Daily Food Checklist

The Checklist shows different amounts of food depending on how much of your baby’s diet is human milk. Moms who feed only human milk 

to their baby need slightly more food. This is a general checklist. You may need more or less amounts of food.*

Food Group

*If you are not losing weight you gained in pregnancy, you may need to cut back on the amount or change the types of food you are eating.

Breastfeeding only Breastfeeding plus formula What counts as 

1 cup or 1 ounce?

Eat this amount from each group daily.*

2 cups 2 cups 1 cup fruit or 100% juice

1⁄2 cup dried fruit

3 cups 21⁄2 cups 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables or 100% juice

2 cups raw leafy vegetables

8 ounces 6 ounces

1 slice bread

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal

1⁄2 cup cooked pasta, rice, or cereal

61⁄2 ounces 51⁄2 ounces

1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or seafood

1⁄4 cup cooked beans

1⁄2 ounce nuts or 1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 egg

3 cups 3 cups

1 cup milk

8 ounces yogurt

11⁄2 ounces natural cheese

2 ounces processed cheese

Get a Daily Food Checklist for Moms designed just for you. 

Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov/Checklist.

Being Physically Active

Unless your doctor advises you not to be physically active, 

include 21⁄2 hours each week of physical activity such as 

brisk walking, dancing, or swimming. The activity can 

be done for at least 10 minutes at a time, and preferably 

spread throughout the week.

Beverages

Your need for fluids increases while you are breastfeeding. 

You may notice that you are thirstier than usual. Drink 

enough water to quench your thirst. Drink other beverages 

such as low-fat milk or 100% juice as part of your Daily 

Food Checklist. 

Seafood

Seafood is part of a healthy diet. Omega-3 fats in seafood 

can have important health benefits for you and your 

baby. Salmon, sardines, and trout are some choices 

higher in omega-3 fats and lower in contaminants such as 

mercury.

• Eat at least 8 and up to 12 ounces of a variety of 

seafood each week from choices that are lower 

in mercury. 

• Eat all types of tuna, but limit white (albacore) tuna 

to 6 ounces each week.

• Do not eat tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king 

mackerel since they are highest in mercury.

Food and Nutrition Service

FNS-458

Revised December 2016

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Learn about other nutrition assistance programs: 

http://www.benefits. gov/

Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/guidance