Is anyone else not giving into the food restriction hysteria?

[laila 44]

But I've also heard of pregnant women contracting listeria in salad! Then what? I agree un- pasteurized cheeses I avoid but if they are oft but pasteurized then I don't see a problem...

 

[Gem1302]

Pasteurised cheeses are ok I think, it's soft unpasteurised I think we have to avoid. Except on pizza and cheese strings, I'm not really a cheese fan so don't really concentrate on which cheeses are on and off limits. And I always wash salads anyway, there's much lesser risk with them though. I did recently read though that the ready made salads are washed with certain chemicals that aren't too healthy for us pregnant or not, so if you buy ready mixed salad in a bag, I'd still wash it just incase.

 

[iwantabub]

But I've also heard of pregnant women contracting listeria in salad! Then what? I agree un- pasteurized cheeses I avoid but if they are oft but pasteurized then I don't see a problem...

did the salad have soft cheese in it? lol

i think a lot is hyped by people telling "i heard of this and that"

theres a big difference between seeing it factually in the papers or on the news or happning to a friend than "i heard"....

lysteria needs a place to grow the bactria ... plant foliage doesnt have that i dont believe (correct me if im wrong) so the salad(if it was true) must have had some form of meat or animal product etc....(hence why the list of "no" foods are all cheese, meats, eggs etc)

i personally think some things are over exagurated ...

but salamis (which have been cured not cooked and do not kill any bacteria) i will only eat cooked on a pizza or something....
and soft cheeses i never ate anyway so no biggy for me ....

 

[CastawayBride]

The pre-packaged to go salads can have listeria. I asked my doctor lol

My doctor also said that if I really wanted a sub sandwich to ask them to heat the meat up and then I could have it, has anyone heard of this? I was thinking of caving in and having one....but toasted to ensure the meat was heated to kill the listeria. I have not tried yet though!

I also don't do small cheeses, gave up soda. Trying my best to try to eat sensibly.

 

[iwantabub]

ye hun...

eating deli meats is ok as long as theyre cooked ... it kills the bacteria...

im not sure to what temp tho?.... in one of their toastie machines at subway i would think it would be ok ?

 

[stardust1976]

I make sure that any steak or lamb I have is not super rare, but a little pink is ok. I eat hotdogs and deli meat and cheeses just not stuff like brie which I didn't eat ordinarily anyway!

I drink coffee in moderation (but if it didn't give me such a god-awful stomach ache these days I'd most likely drink more than my couple of cups a week!) I drink normal caffeinated tea several times a day. I eat nuts, peatnut butter eggs (but I don't eat them overly runny).

I eat fried bacon and eggs and I eat mounds of chocolate! I drink some Coke when I feel like it.

I don't drink (which I am missing! I'd love to have a Corona or Baileys with my husband or friends at the moment!!), and I don't smoke (but I don't normally anyway, it is a disgusting habit).

I think most things in moderation are absolutely fine, and if it's something that your digestive system is used to, you should be doubly fine to eat it. I think most of the theoretical risk comes from the possibility of listeria or food poisoning. And if you are careful about hygiene, careful about where you get your food from, and eat things that your stomach is well used to (pregnancy isn't really the time to start being adventurous in the food department really!), then you'll be totally fine! It can be ridiculously over the top and I think common sense needs to reign a little bit these days!

 

[Catrina123]

I stay away from fish and lunchmeat but other then that I eat what I want within reason. Someone tried to tell me to cut out chocolate but that's just not happening..lol

 

[smokey]

I eat whatever I want, only thing I avoid is mouldy cheese and alor of fish things but thats only because I cant stand them anyway.
The whole have to eat steak well done is a load of nonsense because its not actualy blood and inside steak is sealed isonot exposed to bacterias, as long as the outside is cooked you can have the inside however you want.
Plus most soft icecream is made with a pasterised mix (i have to make this stuff on a dault basis) and as long as the machine is cleaned regular its fine

 

[smokey]

But I've also heard of pregnant women contracting listeria in salad! Then what? I agree un- pasteurized cheeses I avoid but if they are oft but pasteurized then I don't see a problem...

did the salad have soft cheese in it? lol

i think a lot is hyped by people telling "i heard of this and that"

theres a big difference between seeing it factually in the papers or on the news or happning to a friend than "i heard"....

lysteria needs a place to grow the bactria ... plant foliage doesnt have that i dont believe (correct me if im wrong) so the salad(if it was true) must have had some form of meat or animal product etc....(hence why the list of "no" foods are all cheese, meats, eggs etc)

i personally think some things are over exagurated ...

but salamis (which have been cured not cooked and do not kill any bacteria) i will only eat cooked on a pizza or something....
and soft cheeses i never ate anyway so no biggy for me ....

Sorry but fruits, veg and salads that havnt been washed properly are extremly high carriers of listeria, pribably actualy one of the highests because it is a soul based bacteria.
12 years of doing and training people in food hygien finaly has a intersting purpose when your pregnant

 

[d_b]

I still eat most things I normally would eat. I have avoided the raw fish sushi, but I still eat veggie and cooked fish sushi. I don't eat much deli meats or hot dogs, I did have a deli meat sandwich but I microwaved the meat first. I still have coffee, max of 2 cups a day.

I've never heard of avoiding nuts while pregnant. I eat peanut butter every day and don't plan on stopping!

 

[iwantabub]

But I've also heard of pregnant women contracting listeria in salad! Then what? I agree un- pasteurized cheeses I avoid but if they are oft but pasteurized then I don't see a problem...

did the salad have soft cheese in it? lol

i think a lot is hyped by people telling "i heard of this and that"

theres a big difference between seeing it factually in the papers or on the news or happning to a friend than "i heard"....

lysteria needs a place to grow the bactria ... plant foliage doesnt have that i dont believe (correct me if im wrong) so the salad(if it was true) must have had some form of meat or animal product etc....(hence why the list of "no" foods are all cheese, meats, eggs etc)

i personally think some things are over exagurated ...

but salamis (which have been cured not cooked and do not kill any bacteria) i will only eat cooked on a pizza or something....
and soft cheeses i never ate anyway so no biggy for me ....

Sorry but fruits, veg and salads that havnt been washed properly are extremly high carriers of listeria, pribably actualy one of the highests because it is a soul based bacteria.
12 years of doing and training people in food hygien finaly has a intersting purpose when your pregnant

oh wow... i so didnt know this,,, thanks



also what are hot dogs???

like over here a hot dog is a sausage in a roll with cheese and sauce(ketchup) and sometimes onion or whatever...

is that what ur all tlking about ??

 

[smokey]

Doh that was ment to say soil based not soul based bacteria

 

[smokey]

But I've also heard of pregnant women contracting listeria in salad! Then what? I agree un- pasteurized cheeses I avoid but if they are oft but pasteurized then I don't see a problem...

did the salad have soft cheese in it? lol

i think a lot is hyped by people telling "i heard of this and that"

theres a big difference between seeing it factually in the papers or on the news or happning to a friend than "i heard"....

lysteria needs a place to grow the bactria ... plant foliage doesnt have that i dont believe (correct me if im wrong) so the salad(if it was true) must have had some form of meat or animal product etc....(hence why the list of "no" foods are all cheese, meats, eggs etc)

i personally think some things are over exagurated ...

but salamis (which have been cured not cooked and do not kill any bacteria) i will only eat cooked on a pizza or something....
and soft cheeses i never ate anyway so no biggy for me ....

Sorry but fruits, veg and salads that havnt been washed properly are extremly high carriers of listeria, pribably actualy one of the highests because it is a soul based bacteria.
12 years of doing and training people in food hygien finaly has a intersting purpose when your pregnant

oh wow... i so didnt know this,,, thanks



also what are hot dogs???

like over here a hot dog is a sausage in a roll with cheese and sauce(ketchup) and sometimes onion or whatever...

is that what ur all tlking about ??

Yep thats a hot dog here as well

Are you in the US? (sorry mobile website doesnt show location)
Back last year in the US there was a mass recall nation wide for dole packaged salads because of a huge listeria contamination.

 

[iwantabub]

nah Australia...

over here hotdogs arent very popular anyway but its not on any of my avoid lists ....


we had an outbreak a while back of a brand of salamis and stuff like that...

not sure about preganant people but quite a few people died...

it was in 1996 but there are still people needing transplants and all sorts from it ... scary stuff...

 

[stardust1976]

I also just wanted to add that unless you KNOW the quality of your meat, don't necessarily trust that your steak IS a whole piece and sealed.

There are many examples of steaks and cuts of meat being 'glued' together with cheaper parts of the cow, therefore making the meat potentially unsafe especially if you don't cook it all the way through. This is essentially because bacteria can get in where the glue has been used and if you don't cook it to well done, you are potentially exposing yourself to that bacteria.

I'm not sure of the food standards in the US, perhaps they don't have this issue - but over here the use of glue in meat is legal. And I don't think it has to be labeled either - so it makes it very difficult to tell whether your steak is sealed or not. I try to only buy the graded more expensive meat from the main supermarkets because that way I know it's the good stuff so to speak - it's very common in some butchers and they will charge the highest price for a steak made from glued together offcuts. I avoid steaks from the smaller supermarkets too as they just don't taste the same so I feel you can't be too careful in those instances.

This is why I say meat should be cooked well - a little pink is ok but anything more than a little pink and unless you know exactly what is in that steak, you ARE risking food poisoning.

 

[Catrina123]

I also just wanted to add that unless you KNOW the quality of your meat, don't necessarily trust that your steak IS a whole piece and sealed.

There are many examples of steaks and cuts of meat being 'glued' together with cheaper parts of the cow, therefore making the meat potentially unsafe especially if you don't cook it all the way through. This is essentially because bacteria can get in where the glue has been used and if you don't cook it to well done, you are potentially exposing yourself to that bacteria.

I'm not sure of the food standards in the US, perhaps they don't have this issue - but over here the use of glue in meat is legal. And I don't think it has to be labeled either - so it makes it very difficult to tell whether your steak is sealed or not. I try to only buy the graded more expensive meat from the main supermarkets because that way I know it's the good stuff so to speak - it's very common in some butchers and they will charge the highest price for a steak made from glued together offcuts. I avoid steaks from the smaller supermarkets too as they just don't taste the same so I feel you can't be too careful in those instances.

This is why I say meat should be cooked well - a little pink is ok but anything more than a little pink and unless you know exactly what is in that steak, you ARE risking food poisoning.

you are very right there

I did not say it in my last post because I forgot but she also asked what did our grandparents do? Well the truth of the matter is we put a lot more added stuff in our foods then our grandparents did. We still do not know what the affect of these products will truly be yet. Unless you are able to afford the high quality organic stuff your getting foods with a lot of additives. A lot of people cannot afford that however as its really expensive. Doesn't mean you should freak out about every little thing you eat but you should watch what you are taking in. Even when your not preggo.

 

[surprisedmama]

This is a great post! Just as I'm polishing off my (raw) tuna roll (last serving of fish for the week, only serving of tuna, and not like there is much mercury in a tuna roll).

I eat what I want. A steak cooked beyond medium rare is a total waste of steak. Sometimes I want a runny egg and since I personally know the guy we get our eggs from, I'm not worried. I eat peanut butter, other nuts, cold lunch meats, and really only avoid lots of caffeine. Obviously I've cut out alcohol and I don't smoke or do any other drug.

 

[CBF]

I'm really really not a paranoid android about what I eat. I eat sushi (on occasion), smoked salmon, Delhi meats if I feel like it and coffee. The only thing i won't chance are raw oysters and too much Tuna due to its high mercury content. I don't drink alcohol or smoke at all but I do enjoy pasteurized soft cheeses. I think these food restrictions are exaggerated a bit. I mean, everything in moderation is fine IMO ( except smoke and alcohol). My dr also said that sushi is super healthy to eat on occasion if bought fresh from a reputable place, the omega 3 is excellent for baby's neuro development. I did the same in my last pregnancy and my dd is super healthy and advanced so why the hysteria? anyone else out there not paranoid and just basically enjoying eating in moderation? I mean what do the women in Japan do? What did our parents do?

Totally agree! I asked my doctor too, and she agrees as well to everything you mentioned. She also told me the whole side sleeping scare is an old wives tale too. I probably wouldnt eat deli meat from a stinky, hot, foreign market lol but i will most definitely eat a big salami sandwich made with deli meat from my local grocery store anytime. And i think i got off coffee during my first pregnancy, but seriously, i dont know anyone with a two yr old that can function without coffee! Lol so im a coffee a day mom this time around. Im not too concerned at all.

 

[Equreuil]

Not really. Quite a few of the things on the no-no list, were already stuff I rarely ate anyway. The only thing that I really had to give up was alcohol (I'd have one or two most nights).

I still indulge in a bit of sushi once in a while, same with tuna (about once a month for each really). Deli meat when I want it. I don't even bother heating it up when I do! For a while there I was having at least 2 hot dogs a day. I refuse to eat red meat that is cooked well done. It is not going to kill me or hurt the baby to have some pink in the middle and some juice.

 

[Calif]

Yea I eat sushi (Japanese doctors actually recommend it. In the US, sushi grade fish must be flash frozen before it gets off the boat anyway, killing the bacteria if any).
I don't drink coffee because I'm afraid of the kid getting ADHD which I have a little of. I will have some on occasion.
I do limit my mercury fish.