During pregnancy, the mother-to-be has to be more careful about what she eats – and what is better not to eat.
1. Raw fish and raw meat
This hurts: Sushi with raw fish is unfortunately taboo from now on, because it can contain listeria, which can be life-threatening for the baby if it becomes infected. For all sushi lovers who can hardly imagine giving up their favourite food for so long: vegetarian sushi is a great alternative and tastes almost as good!
2. Raw eggs
From now on, you should also avoid eggs that are too soft or raw, because they could contain salmonella, which can cause food poisoning. Although this primarily harms the mother and not the unborn child, it is certainly not an experience that an expectant mother wants to have. Raw eggs can be found in tiramisu, chocolate mousse and zabaglione.
3. Raw sprouts
Here, too, care must be taken. Why? Because raw sprouts are among the most perishable foods. This means that not only listeria but also other pathogens can be present in high concentrations in unheated sprouts.
4. Caffeine
Opinions differ on this point. The fact is: if you need your good-morning coffee, you don’t necessarily have to do without it. However, it is important to note that caffeine intake during pregnancy is limited to two or three cups of coffee a day.
5. Raw vegetables and fruit
Raw vegetables and fruit should always be washed thoroughly. This will remove most of the germs that may be present.
6. Raw milk products
Raw milk cheeses may contain listeria. This includes some types of cheese, such as Brie, Feta, Mozzarella or Camembert. But beware: it is not immediately necessary to radically remove these types from the menu. In Germany, cheese is often made from pasteurised cow’s milk, in which case it is completely safe. You can find out which milk the cheese is made from on the back of the packaging.
7. Alcohol
It is probably unnecessary to mention this point, but we would rather play it safe: alcohol is absolutely taboo during pregnancy, because it can seriously damage the development of the unborn child. Alcohol should absolutely be avoided during the entire pregnancy.