curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 37 (Talking Postpartum Nutrition With Registered Dietician and Lactation Consultant Jaren Soloff)

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I learned about Jaren Soloff’s book, The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritious Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth Trimester, at just the right time. I have one postpartum experience under my belt, so have some firsthand knowledge about what that was like, and I’m about to enter another fourth trimester.

Her book — which is WAY more than just a book of recipes, by the way — left me feeling much more prepared to enter the postpartum phase this time around. It would be a great resource not just for anyone who’s pregnant, but also for anyone close to someone who’s pregnant. It will help you understand more about what to expect in the fourth trimester, helping you anticipate how to manage that phase if you’re about to experience it yourself OR how to support a loved one during her fourth trimester.

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with her for my podcast, and I hope you’ll take a listen to hear all the helpful information she has to share. She also shares some personal things, such as her struggles with an eating disorder, and how disordered eating can often appear during the fourth trimester. (Of course, I could relate!)

Jaren is both a registered dietician and a lactation consultant, so she’s armed with lots of relevant experience to help women navigate this important (and often overwhelming) stage of motherhood. The first section of the book serves up information about how other cultures approach the postpartum stage, how nutrition can help combat postpartum anxiety, some helpful food- and body-related tips on how to approach this stage, and more.

The rest of the book is full of delicious, nutritious, and EASY recipes. The recipes build on the nutritional recommendations she makes in the front of the book, so you can feel great about getting nutrient-dense food that’s perfect the fourth trimester. (She does the work for you, which I so appreciate.)

So far, I’ve tried her Blueberry Walnut Muffin recipe as well as her Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili. Our family loved both, and I can’t wait to try some others.

If you’d like to give one of Jaren’s recipes a try to get a feel for just how tasty and easy they are, she was generous enough to let me post one here:

SLOW COOKER THREE BEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
3 (14-ounce) cans beans of any variety (garbanzos, chili beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 cups vegetable broth
cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime juice, and red onion as optional garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the diced onion and garlic, sautéing for 2-3 minutes (until fragrant). Transfer cooked ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, stirring the ingredients to combine, and cook on low for 6 hours.
3. Taste when done, adding more salt to taste. Ladle the chili into bowls and add toppings as desired.

(See? SO EASY!!!)

See where to get a copy of The Postnatal Cookbook here!

During our conversation, Jaren also s