Thanksgiving is just around the corner, bringing with it a feast of delicious dishes and desserts. But before you dive in, pregnant moms need to be aware of some important tips and considerations.
Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday that celebrates gratitude, abundance, and the beauty of togetherness. It’s a time when loved ones can gather around the table loaded with our favorite delectable dishes and desserts. The air is filled with the warm aroma of roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, but as delicious as this sounds and the thought of getting stuffed has invaded your mind, for pregnant women these dishes can carry potential bacteria that should be brought to the forefront.
Although pregnant women can consume most edible things that aid in a nutritious diet and don’t impact the health of the mother or baby, it’s important to be aware of food safety during Thanksgiving as this is a time when raw meat and uncooked food can be present.
What Food To Avoid During Thanksgiving
Even if you believe that your stomach is strong enough to handle minor bacteria, being pregnant weakens your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses that could harm you and the baby. There are foods that medical doctors recommend pregnant women should avoid during Thanksgiving and this includes:
Raw or undercooked foods like meat, turkey, seafood, and eggs.
Raw cookie dough or dessert batters that contain flour or raw eggs.
Products made with uncooked eggs like eggnog, hollandaise sauces, Caesar salad dressing, and tiramisu.
Meat platters, smoked seafood, unwashed raw vegetables and fruit.
Avoid Fish with high mercury, such as swordfish, or shark.
Stay away from raw sprouts including Brussels and Alfalfa sprouts - cooked sprouts are okay
Don’t eat stuffing that is prepared inside the turkey- baked stuffing or stovetop stuffing is okay.
Stay away from Unpasteurized dairy products. Pasteurized dairy products are preferred.
Even though this is the time to eat, drink, and get merry, NO Alcohol- Not even one glass of wine!
If you are still unsure about what products to stay away from you can consult with your healthcare provider or nutritionist to know what foods are okay for you to eat or that you should stay away from.
Tips For Food Preparation
Now that we have mentioned some important foods to avoid it’s also important to mention how food should be prepared. Whether you are cooking the food or a family member is cooking, it’s important to make the cooks aware of the dangers that food can have when not prepared properly.
When cooking food you must prepare it properly including:
Wash your hands throughout cooking including after handling raw meat and vegetables
Make sure all meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature - Remember all meat including ground beef, chicken, and turkey should be cooked to 165°F.
Make all deli salads at home if you wish to eat salads including coleslaw, potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad
Cook all vegetables including sprouts, and wash all fruit. A better choice would be to cut your own fruit at home.
Make sure all dairy products say “pasteurized”
If you are to eat fish (low in mercury) make sure all fish is cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F
To learn more about food safety during pregnancy visit the CDC.
No Need To Starve Yourself
After mentioning all of the foods pregnant women should avoid and tips on preparing food, you may be thinking to yourself “I’m gonna starve” but that is completely untrue. Although pregnant women should be cautious, there are plenty of foods that pregnant women can eat. As long as the food is prepared properly and you stay away from uncooked foods, meats, and dairy products, you should be able to still indulge in your Thanksgiving dinner and also take part in the desserts as well, which is every pregnant woman’s favorite part.
If you are still unsure of what food you should eat and need help with nutritional guidance, 4th Trimester Place is always here to help. Remember we are Here-4-U-4 whatever you need. To schedule an appointment with our dietitian, you can call us at 833- Here-4-U-4 (437-3484) or book an appointment here.
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