On Thanksgiving, people tend to overindulge in food. With mouthwatering food such as pumpkin pie, turkey, cranberry, and sweet potatoes for dinner, who wouldn’t? We can think of one person who shouldn’t indulge in food served during Thanksgiving, and they are expectant moms. You do not want to eat food that may put your unborn child at risk. If you are pregnant during Thanksgiving, you should not indulge in the following types of food:
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Undercooked Turkey
Inform the host cooking the turkey to ensure they cook it at 180 F. Pregnant women should not eat the turkey if it appears undercooked. Again, if they are the host, they should cook the turkey at the recommended temperature.
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Apple Cider
Pregnant women can drink pasteurized cider, but not apple cider. The beverage of the season can expose the expectant mother to E-coli.
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Turkey Stuffing
Expectant mothers should not eat stuffing if it is cooked inside of the turkey. If the stuffing is prepared separately, they can eat it. If you are preparing a Thanksgiving feast, be sure to cook the stuffing separately so you can eat it as well.
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Pate
Pate contains cooked ground meat and fat combined together to create a paste. People often serve pate as an appetizer during the holiday. The appetizer contains listeria and can lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, or a grave illness. It is advised for pregnant women to avoid pate at all costs.
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Soft Cheese
To be exact, they should not eat unpasteurized soft cheese. However, eating pasteurized cheese is okay. To be on the safe side, you should not go near any dish containing Brie, feta, blue-veined cheese, camembert, gorgonzola, Roquefort, queso blanco, panela, and queso fresco.
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Vegetables
Since preparing a Thanksgiving feast can be hectic, some people may forget to wash some of the vegetables. Even though there is no way of knowing it, it is better for expectant moms to avoid eating vegetables, as they may contain pesticide residue.
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Raw Brownie Batter
Pregnant women cooking brownies as a dessert option for Thanksgiving should avoid the temptation to lick the brownies batter from the spoon or the bowl. The brownie batter contains raw eggs and by eating it, it exposes them to salmonella. Mousse desserts and custard pie are two other desserts you need to avoid digging into on Thanksgiving.
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Cold Turkey Sandwiches
You can eat the turkey sandwiches when they are first served, but eating them later on is not advised. The cold meat contains listeria. If pregnant women want to eat turkey sandwiches leftover from last night, they should heat the meat first, and then eat it.
If you are pregnant during Thanksgiving, you may find it hard to resist the delicious Thanksgiving meal. Remember, there is always next Thanksgiving for you to indulge in your favorite foods.
If you are feeling ill or sick after Thanksgiving or you just want to ensure your unborn baby is all right, you can visit Pediatric Healthcare of Northwest Houston for a checkup.
