Sushi while Pregnant?

starsjaime

So all this lunch talk, made me think to ask this question.  I'm a huge fan of Sushi and while being pregnant, i haven't had any.  Last weekend though, i did get an order of vegetarian sushi (so no fish).  Any other ideas on other sushi that we can order while being pregnant?  for example, is Crab (such as california rolls) okay to have while pregnant? i'm not really sure, because of it being raw, but then again, is the crab raw?  so is it safe?  

Just curious to see what everyone thinks!  But at least i have vegetarian sushi to help my wanting wasabi and soy sauce!   

tokenhoser

Most crab in sushi is "crab" - flavoured pollock.

I've eaten sushi several times, and just had what I liked. I don't eat it often enough to worry about mercury, and I get it at a place I trust not to food poison me. The listeria risk is similar to lunch meat. People just get more crazy about sushi because it's "weird" food, not "normal" food.

I will say that the straight up sashimi doesn't appeal. The texture gags me. So I don't eat much with actual raw fish.

Oh - and veggie sushi isn't really risk free. It could easily be cross-contaminated, as it's usually made in the same area as everything else. 

MrsBella_NC

Crab is fine, it's not raw.

We go out for sushi about every other week, I always like to get the spider roll (tempura soft shell crab), or something with shrimp.

Enjoy!

my4pups

I know crab meat is on the low end of mercury containing seafood, I have crab cakes about once a month because I LOVE crab meat. 

I don't know if its raw in sushi though??

 

Scout05

Even if it was real crab, it's not raw. Like shrimp and other shellfish in sushi, it's been steamed or cooked in some other way. Eel is also cooked, generally speaking.

Yes, it's safe. Enjoy in moderation, like everything else in life. I go for shrimp tempura and eel rolls, myself. They're awesome.

ckolak:-)

The main concern is with sashimi, or raw sushi. I've craved sushi rolls and eaten them this pregnancy, mmmmm. Go for it. Crab is fine to have, and so is the fake crab. It's also not raw in california rolls. Raw crab would be disgusting. Unless it's designated as sashimi, you're fine. If you're worried, you can ask the restaurant or whatever if it's raw.

Luckiest13

I ate sushi throughout my whole first pregnancy and so far all through this one. Basically whatever looked good - fish, veggie, raw or cooked. If you go to a regular place and have never gotten sick there then there's no reason to think you'll get sick this time. And really, food poisoning can happen with any kind of food. personally, I'm more scared of eating out at fast food places than at my regular sushi place.

Luckiest13

I ate sushi throughout my whole first pregnancy and so far all through this one. Basically whatever looked good - fish, veggie, raw or cooked. If you go to a regular place and have never gotten sick there then there's no reason to think you'll get sick this time. And really, food poisoning can happen with any kind of food. personally, I'm more scared of eating out at fast food places than at my regular sushi place.

gymnst1013

Personally, I don't avoid sushi at all.  The place I normally go is reputable and I've never had an issue.  And all sushi fish in the US is required to be flash frozen which kills any parasites.

And no, crab is not raw.  And in most cases it's imitation anyway.

soon2bmrscantrell

Raw Crab is a liquid consistancy, it has to be cooked before it comes out of the shell. So I'm pretty sure it always has to be cooked before eatting.

MissMommyMac

Unless you go to a raw bar or eat sashimi, you can eat all the sushi you want. Sushi from buffets or take out places are steamed and are just fine to eat. I ate a whole bunch yesterday at lunch, my favorite is the eel rolls.

sjacks

Crab meat in sushi is either real crab meat or imitation crab meat. Real crab meat has to be cooked. All shellfish has to be cooked (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.). If you were to crack open a crab leg raw, it would be a liquidy texture, not a meaty texture. The meaty texture only occurs after being cooked.

 But to answer your question, you can have imitation or real crab meat when pregnant and all crab meat in sushi is cooked.  

loanbpham

Aww....I wish this was posted months ago. I LOVE sushi and didn't have any because people kept telling me it was bad.

 

 

MrsJuicy2B

I've had sushi and sashimi several times while pregnant and I have no plans to give it up. It's an excellent source of protein, which my diet needs to grow a new person. I eat at trusted restaurants and have never gotten any kind of food-borne illness from sushi and have no reason to expect I will in the future. I limit my consumption of fish containing high levels of mercury, but that's really the only precaution I take. Sashimi grade fish meets higher safety standards than deli meat, which I haven't given up either. I'm pregnant, not breakable. I don't see the point in giving up an entire food group because I might get sick from it and if I get sick I might throw up. And if I throw up too much, I might get dehydrated. And if I get dehydrated the baby might be harmed. That's a lot of implausible "ifs." I'm far more likely to harm myself or my baby in a car accident. Maybe I should give up driving until the baby is born?

tokenhoser

MrsJuicy2B:

I've had sushi and sashimi several times while pregnant and I have no plans to give it up. It's an excellent source of protein, which my diet needs to grow a new person. I eat at trusted restaurants and have never gotten any kind of food-borne illness from sushi and have no reason to expect I will in the future. I limit my consumption of fish containing high levels of mercury, but that's really the only precaution I take. Sashimi grade fish meets higher safety standards than deli meat, which I haven't given up either. I'm pregnant, not breakable. I don't see the point in giving up an entire food group because I might get sick from it and if I get sick I might throw up. And if I throw up too much, I might get dehydrated. And if I get dehydrated the baby might be harmed. That's a lot of implausible "ifs." I'm far more likely to harm myself or my baby in a car accident. Maybe I should give up driving until the baby is born?

To be fair, the risk from listeria poisoning isn't dehydration. It's deforming or killing your unborn child. Other food poisoning is not as risky as listeria, which is typically contracted from things like sushi, lunch meat, and unpasteurized dairy.

It's fine to make a decision you're comfortable with, but do it based on facts.

NicciH

I've eaten sushi since being pregnant, and with DS I ate it often (I lived near the ocean though). But there are a lot of options of rolls with cooked fish, or 1/2 cooked fish. California roll is cooked fish. You can always ask which rolls are made with cooked fish. The only thing my doctor said is to be aware of the fish high in mercury, so not too much tuna (I've chosen not to eat tuna raw at all this pregnancy).

MrsJuicy2B

tokenhoser:

MrsJuicy2B:

I've had sushi and sashimi several times while pregnant and I have no plans to give it up. It's an excellent source of protein, which my diet needs to grow a new person. I eat at trusted restaurants and have never gotten any kind of food-borne illness from sushi and have no reason to expect I will in the future. I limit my consumption of fish containing high levels of mercury, but that's really the only precaution I take. Sashimi grade fish meets higher safety standards than deli meat, which I haven't given up either. I'm pregnant, not breakable. I don't see the point in giving up an entire food group because I might get sick from it and if I get sick I might throw up. And if I throw up too much, I might get dehydrated. And if I get dehydrated the baby might be harmed. That's a lot of implausible "ifs." I'm far more likely to harm myself or my baby in a car accident. Maybe I should give up driving until the baby is born?

To be fair, the risk from listeria poisoning isn't dehydration. It's deforming or killing your unborn child. Other food poisoning is not as risky as listeria, which is typically contracted from things like sushi, lunch meat, and unpasteurized dairy.

It's fine to make a decision you're comfortable with, but do it based on facts.

Sure, listeria is a risk when eating several foods and it's a dangerous infection to get. However, it's rare, especially when eating fresh, properly handled foods. The risk of catching it is vastly overblown in the US in this day and age. Yes, it can happen and yes it can be devastating if it happens while you're pregnant. But I like to keep the risks in perspective. If you're very worried about it, don't eat it, or eat the tempura variety. I'm not worried, so I'll be at Nobu this weekend.

Jake Ian's Mommy

I still eat sushi, but only in moderation.

starsjaime

Thanks everyone for all the great answers!  It's one of those things, where I "kind" of thought it was okay but it's always good to hear from other people that you are good to go!  i'm not much of a worrier, but my mother in law is, so it's just good to know that she is over thinking things!

 Thanks again! 

kelklump

All this sushi talk, I am having it for dinner. Yes its safe- but I wouldnt recommend going to a shady spot and getting raw items. Go with somewhere reputable that has lots of sales. You know they are cycling fish a lot faster than other places.

 

tokenhoser

Does anybody really intentionally eat "shady" sushi, pregnant or not? Are we really out there ordering sushi at our local truck stops?

This is one of those things where the advice is always a bit funny. No one gets food poisoning of any kind of purpose.

MissMommyMac

tokenhoser:

Does anybody really intentionally eat "shady" sushi, pregnant or not? Are we really out there ordering sushi at our local truck stops?

This is one of those things where the advice is always a bit funny. No one gets food poisoning of any kind of purpose.

 Mmm I love shady sushi! Haha.

e_uecker

I eat all the same sushi I had before. Some of the ones I eat have shrimp, salmon, or eel. Sushi is a pretty small amount of fish to eat. Alot of it is flash fried or smoked. If it is raw just make sure it is from a place you've been to several times and is a reputable place.

LittleEgypt

tokenhoser:

Does anybody really intentionally eat "shady" sushi, pregnant or not? Are we really out there ordering sushi at our local truck stops?

This is one of those things where the advice is always a bit funny. No one gets food poisoning of any kind of purpose.

No, but it's a great excuse to go to the nicest sushi place in town. I wouldn't buy sashimi at the grocery store anyway, but I guess somebody does (they sell it).

melgrady

I still eat sushi and sashimi once in a while when I get a craving. There is a great place near work that I go to and I have never had any problems with feeling sick. I feel much healthier eating sushi than fast food.

cocoart

I'm so glad there are other women out there who are eating sushi! Generally fish is very healthy while pregnant and the omegas help the baby's brain function and visual function. I asked my doctor about sushi and he said "Just eat at a reputable place".

Listeria is serious, but it's also incredibly rare. The bigger risk is mercury, so if you do go eat sushi, you want to choose good varieties of fish. There is this great site www.gotmercury.org where you can put in the fish you want to (or did) eat and how much and it will tell you how much mercury is in it. Basically it's best to stay away from big fish, like tuna.

And if you don't want to go raw, ask for it seared or "tempurad". 

stacylash

While yes parasites are a concern, the concern is mercury poisoning. You can really harm your growing baby with too much mercury.