There seems to be so many restrictions when you are pregnant. You know what we mean: Don’t lift this; don’t go up and down those stairs too much; you need your rest. But on top of mobility restrictions, there are also food restrictions to take into consideration.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are cooking dinner:
Fish
Who doesn’t love a great fish fry? As long as the fish is prepared by cooking to 145 degrees or opaque in the center you should be just fine. You can eat up to two servings of 12oz low mercury fish like salmon and shrimp weekly. Be sure to avoid raw or under cooked fish as well as shellfish. Avoid fish with high levels of mercury, those that are unpasteurized, refrigerated, smoked or pickled unless they are heated until they are steaming.
Meat & Poultry
If you are going to a barbecue be sure to have the host use a meat thermometer to ensure that your beef is cooked to 145 degrees; pork and ground beef are 160 degrees and chicken is 165 degrees. Abiding by these temperatures is key. You do not want to eat anything that is under cooked during pregnancy.
Eggs
You can enjoy scrambled eggs in the morning (as long as your morning sickness doesn’t get the best of you). Be sure to cook until the yolks are firm and use a pasteurized egg product when a recipe calls for uncooked eggs.
No matter how tempting it is, you cannot eat raw cookie dough or cake batter that has raw eggs in it. You should also stay away from homemade desserts that have raw eggs in them.
Cheese
This group of foods is pretty easy; check the label when buying soft cheese to make sure it is made with pasteurized milk. You can eat pizza or enjoy the hard cheese platter at a friend’s wedding this summer.
When taking inventory in your mind for what to eat during your pregnancy, use your best judgement. You may have to ask the chef at the barbecue to cook your chicken for a few minutes longer, but whatever keeps mom and baby healthy is best to have.
You can still enjoy so much during pregnancy; don’t get too discouraged over the list above.
