What is Safe to Eat at Christmas When Pregnant?
Christmas is the perfect excuse for many people to eat whatever they want. But it can be difficult to know what to eat at Christmas if you’re pregnant. The key to enjoying the festive period, as always during pregnancy, is to eat a balanced nutritious diet. Being careful about what types of food you’re eating will help you stay healthy through to childbirth. So, it is important to know which foods to avoid eating at Christmas time.
Pâté
Meat spreads are often on the menu during the Christmas season, but you must be careful when eating them. Never eat pâté bought from the frozen section of the grocery store, as it might contain listeria. But if you can’t avoid eating meat spreads, make sure they’re heated through until steaming hot.
Fruit cake
Rich Christmas fruit cake is one of the most popular items at any Christmas dinner table. If the fruit has just been cooked with alcohol, it’s usually fine because most of the alcohol burns off during the cooking process. But make sure that the cake wasn’t soaked in alcohol after it was cooked.
Cheese
Cheese is actually a superfood, and while you can safely eat hard cheeses like Emmental or Cheddar, make sure to avoid mould-ripened soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, or blue-veined varieties such as Roquefort and Gorgonzola. These types of cheeses may carry listeria, which can potentially cause premature delivery or miscarriage. If you’d like to find out more about healthy eating while pregnant, check out our article on 5 Superfoods for your Pregnancy Diet.
Turkey and stuffing
While it’s ok to eat both turkey and stuffing when you’re pregnant, it’s especially important to make sure the turkey is cooked thoroughly to avoid food poisoning, which could be very harmful to you and your baby. Stuffing should also be cooked separately from the turkey to make sure that all bacteria are killed.
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Leftovers
Most of us find ourselves finishing leftovers over the next few days. To avoid food poisoning, make sure that all food has been stored and refrigerated properly.
It is also important to keep your food intake under control to avoid bloating and other digestion problems that could easily cause discomfort during your pregnancy. Remember, there’s no need to “eat for two”. If you want to sample different dishes, try to get smaller portions so you can still maintain your recommended daily intake. Make sure to take food breaks in between meals and don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Pregma!
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