Safe Eats for Mom-to-Be:
Eating Out During Pregnancy

Craving a plate of steaming Pad Thai or a juicy Paneer Burger during pregnancy? Don’t put those cravings on hold! With a little preparation and some smart choices, venturing out to your favourite restaurants can be a delightful and satisfying dining experience for both you and your growing baby.

husband feeding pregnant wife

Many women crave restaurant meals during pregnancy, but concerns about food safety can dampen those desires. The good news is that with a little planning and awareness, enjoying a night out doesn’t have to be risky. Here’s how to navigate restaurant menus and buffets while keeping you and your baby healthy.

Choosing the Right Restaurant

Look for Certifications: Opt for restaurants with certifications from local health authorities and good online reviews regarding cleanliness.

Freshness is Key: Order dishes made to order and served hot. Avoid buffets where food may have been sitting out for extended periods.

Making Savvy Menu Choices

Cooked Foods: Order dishes that are freshly cooked and served hot. Avoid raw or undercooked meats, seafood, and eggs, as they may contain harmful bacteria and parasites.

Fruits and Vegetables: Avoid pre-cut raw fruits and vegetables unless you wash and peel them yourself or you trust the restaurant’s hygiene standards. Opt for cooked vegetables instead.

Dairy Products: Ensure all dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yoghurt, are pasteurised. Unpasteurised products can carry harmful bacteria like Listeria.

Seafood: Avoid raw seafood like sushi and sashimi. Ensure all seafood is well-cooked to avoid bacterial contamination. Be cautious with shellfish as they are prone to toxins and bacteria.

Avoid Pre-Packaged Salads

Avoid pre-packaged salads from stores or buffets. They may have been sitting out for a long time and are more prone to bacterial contamination.

Avoid salads with unpasteurised cheese (such as feta, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese) and dressings made with raw eggs or unpasteurised milk.

Avoid salads containing processed meats, such as deli meats, hot dogs, and smoked seafood, which can harbour Listeria.

Homemade Salads: Prefer salads made at home where you can control the washing and preparation process. If making dressings at home, use pasteurised eggs or avoid raw eggs altogether. Consider using vinegar or lemon juice-based dressings, which are safer options.

Temperature Control: Keep salads cold until ready to be eaten. If transporting salads, use ice packs or a cooler.

Women eating

Water and Beverages

Water: Drink only bottled water with intact seals or boiled water.

Ice: Avoid ice in drinks, as it may be made from unfiltered water. Opt for beverages served without ice or ensure the ice is made from safe, filtered water.

Beverages: Avoid unpasteurised juices and beverages.

Handling Buffets

Freshness: Ensure buffet items are freshly prepared and not left out for extended periods. Hot items should be steaming, and cold items should be properly refrigerated.

Serving Utensils: Use the serving utensils provided and avoid cross-contamination between different dishes.

group of women eating

General Precautions

Hand Hygiene: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol.

Food Temperature: Consume food while it is still hot. Avoid food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Street Food: Street food often lacks proper hygiene standards and poses a higher risk of contamination. When eating outside, avoid all raw foods or drinks (like pani puri water, jal jeera, sugarcane juice, sprouts, etc.). Also, avoid eating and drinking from roadside stalls.

Prefer to have your favourite chats made at home.

Leftovers at home

Avoid eating leftovers, especially if they have not been stored and reheated properly. Maintaining the right food temperature during pregnancy is crucial to preventing foodborne illnesses –

Hot Foods: hot foods at 60°C (140°F) or above to prevent bacterial growth.

Cold foods: Keep cold foods at 4°C (40°F) or below.

Ask About Food Preparation: When in doubt, ask restaurant staff about how food is prepared and stored.

Seek out restaurants that display certifications from local health authorities. This signifies their commitment to food safety protocols.

By following these simple yet effective tips, you can transform your next restaurant outing into a delightful and safe experience. Remember, a healthy and happy mom-to-be translates into a healthy and happy baby! So, go forth, explore new culinary delights, and embrace the joys of dining out during your pregnancy journey!

Dr Latha Sashi
Chief Nutritionist & Head,

Dept of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Fernandez Hospital

How Eating Habits During Pregnancy Can Affect 3 Generations

After conceiving, having a balanced diet and following a healthy lifestyle is vital for you and your little one. While you’re pregnant, your body is just not your own – it has your baby attached and dependent on it as well.

Healthy eating during pregnancy is important for your baby’s development and growth. You must have heard that maintaining a healthy and balanced diet throughout pregnancy is beneficial. But have you thought why and how is it important?

What do the recent studies suggest?

New research suggests that your eating habits during pregnancy affect not only your baby but also your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Medical professionals believe that maternal diet plays an important role in your baby’s development.

One of the unique aspects of the research was to find how a mother’s eating habits can have an impact on her baby even before conceiving.

Read More

Importance of Probiotics and Prebiotics in the Pregnancy Diet

Introduction

A healthy pregnancy mostly depends on your diet during pregnancy. A balanced diet rich in natural foods that include probiotics and prebiotics allows you to stay healthy and fit. These components help in digesting and distributing the nutrients of the food throughout the body. Probiotics and prebiotics obtained either from supplements or from natural food sources are considered to be safe during pregnancy. But consulting a doctor is always a nice idea before taking any kinds of supplements.

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Probiotics and Prebiotics

Commonly known as good bacteria, probiotics are live microorganisms that are present in the intestine naturally. These good bacteria help in breaking down the food that we eat and help in providing energy to the cells. Whereas,  prebiotics are food components which are not digested by our body, but they stimulate the growth of the friendly bacteria.

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Benefits of Probiotics during Pregnancy

During pregnancy, women have to go through a variety of discomforts which may occur frequently or may be severe. Stomach upset, stomach cramp, bloating and constipation are some of the common conditions that occur in pregnant women. Intake of probiotics directly from food or through supplements gives you relief from these problems. Below are a few of the benefits of probiotics:

  • Helps in making your digestive system healthier so that it works more effectively
  • Prevents diarrhoea due to infections and antibiotics
  • Makes the immune systems of mother and baby strong
  • Gives you relief from inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome
  • Maintains urinary health
  • Prevents premature birth due to infections in your birth canal
  • Helps in treating food allergies, atopic dermatitis and eczema in babies
  • Aids mental health and brain function
  • Helps in keeping cholesterol level balanced

Foods containing Probiotics

Probiotics are available in a variety of foods which include :

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  • Yogurt
  • Lassi
  • Dosa
  • Idli
  • Dhokla
  • Uttapam
  • Bhatura
  • Kulcha
  • Paneer
  • Fermented bamboo shoot

Foods containing Prebiotics

Here is a list of some foods containing prebiotics:

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  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Unrefined wheat
  • Soya beans
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Kiwis
  • Oranges

Conclusion:

Eating a healthy diet enriched with a variety of nutrients along with probiotics and prebiotics is essential for a healthy pregnancy. It will not only help you to stay fit and healthy but will also enable your baby to have a healthy development.

Images Courtesy:

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http://autoimmunesociety.org/

http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/

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