is smoked salmon ok when pregnant

Foods to eat during pregnancy

With a few exceptions, pregnant women should follow the same healthy and varied diet that’s recommended to everyone. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats or vegetarian protein foods such as beans, lentils and pulses. Drink lots of water, too.

Pregnant women need to ensure they are getting enough calcium, so try to include lower-fat milk products such as natural yoghurt, semi-skimmed milk, or calcium-fortified non-dairy products in your daily diet.

Dont be tempted to “eat for two”. Pregnant women need surprisingly few extra calories each day. The inevitable fatigue and cravings may make you reach for a quick pick-me-up in the confectionery aisle. Keep sweets and treats to a minimum and opt for slow-release energy foods that give you more of the vitamins and minerals you need.

Shark, swordfish and marlin are off the menu for pregnant women because they can carry sufficient amounts of mercury to harm your baby. Other, smaller oily fish can also contain mercury so the advice for pregnant women is to eat no more than two 140g portions per week of mackerel, salmon, sardines, anchovies, trout or other oily fish.

That said, pregnant women should try to include these two portions of oily fish to ensure they get enough omega-3 fatty acids to help their growing baby’s brain development.

Getting enough omega-3 during pregnancy is important, but it can be confusing to understand which foods provide what you need.

Omega-3 fatty acids fall into two categories:

• ALA: found in a range of plant sources, including chia seeds, ground flaxseed, rapeseed oil, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and green leafy vegetables. ALA can’t be made by the body so it’s important to get enough from these sources. Omega-3 enriched eggs are also a good source.
• DHA and EPA: long-chain omega-3 fats have important benefits to brain development, especially in pregnant women and young children. The body can make these from ALA but not as efficiently as consuming them directly. Fish oil and microalgae-based omega-3 supplements are available, as are omega-3 enriched eggs.

Fish liver oil supplements should be avoided because they also carry high amounts of vitamin A.

Soft cheeses with a soft white rind (brie, camembert, taleggio, etc) and soft blue cheeses (gorgonzola, dolcelatte, Danish blue) should be avoided unless they are cooked until steaming hot all the way through. This is because they may carry listeria, which can cause serious illness in pregnancy.

Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmesan and stilton are fine to eat, even if they are made with unpasteurised milk. The high acidity and low water content in these cheeses make them inhospitable places for bacteria to grow.

Soft cheeses made from pasteurised milk are ok to eat, too. Check the label on mozzarella, feta, halloumi, ricotta, goats’ cheese and paneer.

The advice on undercooked eggs in pregnancy changed in 2017. It’s now considered safe to eat raw or lightly cooked hen’s eggs if they carry the British Lion mark stamped on the shell. This mark shows that the producer has adhered to the Lion Code of Practice and the eggs will be free from salmonella.

If you have eggs from a neighbour or another source, be sure to cook both the white and yolk thoroughly before eating.

Duck, goose and quail eggs should always be cooked thoroughly.

While having some caffeine is fine, the advice is not to exceed 200mg per day. High caffeine consumption has been linked to low birthweight in babies. Caffeine quantities vary wildly in coffee-based and fizzy drinks. A medium cappuccino from a high street chain could contain up to 195mg of caffeine. On average, a mug of tea contains 75mg of caffeine and a mug of instant coffee contains 100mg of caffeine. A mug of filter or cafetiere coffee contains about 135mg of caffeine.

If you can’t face giving up your coffee during pregnancy, switch to decaf or even blend decaf and regular coffee to make a “half-caf”.

Due to the risk listeria poses, smoked fish – both hot (including smoked mackerel and hot smoked salmon and pate) and cold (including smoked salmon) – should now be avoided unless its thoroughly cooked.

The Food Standards Agency explain: Listeriosis in pregnancy can cause miscarriages and severe sepsis or meningitis in new-born babies.

Dr Caroline Handford, Acting Head of Incidents at the Food Standards Agency adds: “While the risks to the general public of becoming seriously ill due to listeria are very low, we need people who are vulnerable – specifically those over 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems – to be aware of the ongoing risks of consuming ready to eat smoked fish. If anyone from these groups is eating ready to eat smoked fish, we are reminding them of the advice to ensure that it is thoroughly cooked before they eat it including when served as part of a dish.

“People can also further reduce the risk by keeping chilled ready to eat smoked fish cold (5⁰C or below), always using products by their use-by date, following the storage instructions on the label, and cooking it until it is piping hot right through.”

Cured and undercooked meat

Meat should be cooked through completely due to the risk of toxoplasmosis-carrying parasites. This includes steaks, roasts, burgers, sausages, poultry and pork.

Pepperoni, salami, chorizo and air-dried hams may contain these parasites as well, so the safest option is to eat them cooked.

Can Pregnant Women Have Smoked Salmon? – Women’s Health and Harmony

FAQ

Is smoked salmon ok in pregnancy?

Salmon, including smoked salmon, contains a multitude of health benefits for pregnant women, including Omega 3 fatty acids essential for fetal development.Nov 5, 2024

Is smoked salmon raw or cooked?

Can I eat a lox bagel while pregnant?

What are the chances of listeria from smoked salmon?

Of the 786 smoked fish samples tested during this survey, L. monocytogenes was detected in 28 samples (3.6%). Three of the L. monocytogenes isolates were the strain in the CC217 outbreak (cases from 2020 to 2023).