Today we continue with the third part of the pregnancy nutrition series. Among other things, we will focus on the topic: fish and meat during pregnancy. I explain why you, dear mom, should absolutely avoid raw products and how you can minimize the risk of infection through the right handling of the diet.
Raw products are absolutely taboo for young moms!
Our last blog article on “nutrition during pregnancy” was about the cheese. Now you’re probably wondering if the bacteria (listeria) could show up in other products, and unfortunately, it really does. When you are pregnant, your immune system is weakened and prone to infections, so now you have to be extra careful what you can ingest without harming your little one and you.
Again, dear mom, you should necessarily heat the products. The same applies as for cheese made from raw milk: heat to above 70℃ for at least three minutes. This way you will kill the bacteria, such as listeria, the pathogens of toxoplasmosis that can be on raw meat, and other pathogens, and you can eat most things without any problems.
Here are some foods you should definitely avoid as a pregnant woman, as they may contain listeria or nematode larvae:
- Raw fish
- Cold smoked fish (this made my beloved smoked salmon with cream
- cheese and bagel a no-no…).
- Steak cooked to a “medium-well-done” state, so you can only eat well-done steak!
- raw meat (e.g. tartar)
- sausage slices wrapped in foil
- sausage with surface smear (this is really called like that :-))
- raw sausages (e.g. salami, teewurst, cervelatwurst etc.)
- raw eggs
Uncooked eggs can contain bacteria such as salmonella and can lead to salmonella poisoning, which can be very uncomfortable for mom. Salmonella infection is not directly dangerous to the baby in the mother’s belly, but the pregnant woman may lose a lot of fluid due to the symptoms, which in turn could harm the baby.
Caution: raw eggs can also be an ingredient in many (homemade) foods such as mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce or tiramisu. In the case of ready-made products, the eggs have usually been pasteurized and the salmonellae have thus been killed. However, this must be mentioned on the packaging!
Should I forgo fish and meat entirely?
Even if the raw version is absolutely taboo, you should not completely abandon fish and meat during pregnancy. On the contrary!
Fish and meat are valuable foods also for expectant moms. Meat contains important nutrients, such as vitamin B12, zinc or iron, which your body especially needs during pregnancy. Fish and seafood are suppliers of valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which your baby needs for healthy eye and brain development, among other things.
It is only important that everything is well cooked/steamed or fried. Sausages made by heating, such as bologna, mortadella or cooked ham are also allowed if they are fresh.
Hygiene is the be-all and end-all!
I strongly recommend you to pay attention to hygiene during pregnancy! If you have touched raw meat or fish before cooking or frying, wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. When preparing, you should also be sure to use separate dishes, because of the leaking juices from raw fish or meat. Also, before eating, always wash your hands so that bacteria do not have a chance to enter your body. Likewise, always pay attention to the shelf life of the products and eat them as fresh as possible.
So dear mom, I hope I could give you some useful information today on your pregnancy journey. Please keep in mind that raw products are completely forbidden, so you minimize any risk for your little one. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t drive yourself crazy either and see the benefits for a healthy, balanced diet of meat and fish during pregnancy.
Nutrition is a bit like your sports program, if you know how to do it, it will do you a lot of good and you will prepare yourself and your unborn child excellently for the birth and the time after.
With this in mind, bon appétit and,
Keep it Moving,
Yours, Birte.
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