Heated Steaming Deli Meat?

lmontclair

I know that your not suppose to eat deli meats and I have happily fought off my craving of an italian sub for weeks.Safety for the baby comes first.

 I have been reading and heard from other sources that they are fine if heated up until steaming. I am going over my moms today and we always order my favorite hot sub called a leaveit to us that has capicolla, prosciuttri, genoa salami, hot peppers, and melted provolone.  All day I couldnt wait and it just clicked to me about the cold cuts! The thing is I'm wondering since its heated up there and if I reheat it until its steaming , will it be ok?

 My cousin and friend both heated and ate cold cuts when they were pregnant. Have you done this?

judahsmommy1

I've had them heat the meat to steaming. I've also just eaten deli meat without heating it. Everyone has to decide how their going to handle the recommended diet changes during pregnancy. There's the obvious no drinking no smoking which is generally accepted to be a must, then there's the no caffeine, no lunch meat, no canned tuna, no soft cheeses, no pineapple core, no papaya and mango etc.... I just try to eat reasonably and go light on things that have some form of risk associated to them. (With the exception of alcohol and smoking... I avoid those. ) 

k.martell

I eat it straight out of the fridge.

If you are worried you can nuke the meat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  Also avoid shakes & soft serve ice cream for listeria too (if you are worried, I personally lived off shakes for the first tri with DD).

NJbaby2012

Hi there,

 My thought is you can't be sure how hot it was heated so you should reheat. I'm sorry, I don't eat deli meats.

stemms8810

I have eaten deli meat both ways.  A lot of women have as well.  Do what makes you feel comfortable.  Once the meat is heated once, I believe it's fine even if you reheat it.  With my first I didn't even realize the hype about listeria and cold cut meats.  I am sure I ate it sometimes now knowing and my DD is fine.  I never got sick.

HeyJune

Yes, heating the meat should kill listeria. I avoid deli meat and processed meats (hot dots, bacon, cold cuts, etc.) in general because it contains sodium nitrate/nitrite as a preservative which is a carcinogen. 

anne14marie

yep, i eat deli meat without heating it. i asked my dr and she said yes there's a chance at listeria but really this is when the meat is old and has been sitting out which is why she doesn't recommend eating deli meat that's been sitting out at a sub place b/c you have no idea how old it is or how long it's been sitting out. she said if you're buying your own meat you know the freshness. she also said to watch for the "slimey" texture that comes with meat getting old and that's when you shouldn't be eating it.

i don't eat it on a regular basis, but if i'm in a hurry and need to make a sandwhich i will.

mlf625

You do realize hundreds of foods could potentially be infected with listeria, right? I don't know why lunch meat is always the hysteria causer around here. My OB laughed and said it's 100% fine, even cold. Use common sense, don't eat something that sat out all night, and relax.

Greco1014

k.martell:

I eat it straight out of the fridge.

If you are worried you can nuke the meat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  Also avoid shakes & soft serve ice cream for listeria too (if you are worried, I personally lived off shakes for the first tri with DD).

In all the things I've read about what not to eat during pregnancy, I've never seen any mention of avoiding soft  serve ice cream and milkshakes. I've been craving both like crazy, and will order a milkshake when I go out to eat to compensate for the alcoholic drink I can't have...

I can't imagine that soft serve and milkshakes present any kind of real risk...has anyone else heard this? 

Greco1014

k.martell:

I eat it straight out of the fridge.

If you are worried you can nuke the meat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  Also avoid shakes & soft serve ice cream for listeria too (if you are worried, I personally lived off shakes for the first tri with DD).

Greco1014

BTW, please disregard my above extraneous post...technical difficulties... 

mnm214

Greco1014:

k.martell:

I eat it straight out of the fridge.

If you are worried you can nuke the meat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  Also avoid shakes & soft serve ice cream for listeria too (if you are worried, I personally lived off shakes for the first tri with DD).

In all the things I've read about what not to eat during pregnancy, I've never seen any mention of avoiding soft  serve ice cream and milkshakes. I've been craving both like crazy, and will order a milkshake when I go out to eat to compensate for the alcoholic drink I can't have...

I can't imagine that soft serve and milkshakes present any kind of real risk...has anyone else heard this? 

 

https://www.livestrong.com/article/134842-soft-serve-ice-cream-pregnancy/

The risk of listeria exists in lots of things other than lunch meat.  Whether you want to avoid everything that carries a risk or not is up to you.   

mlf625

Greco1014:

I can't imagine that soft serve and milkshakes present any kind of real risk...has anyone else heard this? 

Okay.  Seriously.  TONS of things can be infected with listeria.  Vegetables, meats, cheeses and other milk products, fruits, etc. etc. etc.  Remember the cantaloupe scare last year?  Unless you're going to eat nothing but crackers from a box, you're going to run the miniscule risk of contacting listeria.  But I assume you're also driving your car, walking on snowy sidewalks, and crossing the occasional train track, right?  You're probably more likely to cause harm to your unborn those ways than by drinking a shake.  Again.  Use common sense.  Eat at trusted, clean places.  You'll be fine.

Kayte317

I eaten a few subs since I've been pregnant.  I just make sure the meat is heated.  I know the risk is very slim but why risk it if you don't need to.  When I get Subway I just make sure they heat the meat in the microwave, they look at you funny but will do it.  I got Cousins last week and they will do the same.  I'm sure if you ask, this place will also do it for you.  A sub sounds amazing!  I might have to go get one... lol

bubble515

ive heard it you heat it until it teams it should be safe..  if you dont eat it all the time if should be okay..   i do have to say though an italian sub and soft serve icream sounds sooo good right about now!!! 

laurakaz13

I ate turkey sandwiches every single day of my last pregnancy and none of them were heated. 

And ditto what the the PP's said about 100's of foods that can be infected with listeria.  Do you plan to avoid all those as well? 

genevievejones24

My #1 craving is ham, so I just toss it is the toaster over and were good to go

robsbride!

I've eaten deli meat every day since I got a BFP

Momma2Michelle

Greco1014:

k.martell:

I eat it straight out of the fridge.

If you are worried you can nuke the meat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  Also avoid shakes & soft serve ice cream for listeria too (if you are worried, I personally lived off shakes for the first tri with DD).

In all the things I've read about what not to eat during pregnancy, I've never seen any mention of avoiding soft  serve ice cream and milkshakes. I've been craving both like crazy, and will order a milkshake when I go out to eat to compensate for the alcoholic drink I can't have...

I can't imagine that soft serve and milkshakes present any kind of real risk...has anyone else heard this? 

Yes, soft serve has the same risk as lunch meat- listeria. From livestrong.com: "

Dangers to Pregnancy

The potential danger of soft serve ice cream comes from the possibility of contracting the bacteria listeria, which can live in the machines that hold and serve the ice cream. According to Baby Center, the bacteria can affect the placenta, amniotic fluid or fetus if the mother becomes infected. Approximately a third of the 2,500 cases of listeria infection each year occur in pregnant women. An infection can lead to complications, including premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth and skin sores, respiratory infections or meningitis in the newborn.

someso

Wait, what is wrong with mango?

amanda31H

I think heating deli meat in the microwave until it's steaming is disgusting.

I ate a ton of deli meat when I was PG with the girls because it's was the only kind of protein I could tolerate in first tri and most of second tri.  And around here, the deli's slice the meat off right then and there while they are making your sandwich, so it never concerned me.

There are so many ways you can get listeria.....

DCsara

My OB says deli meat is fine. I eat cold turkey right out of the fridge all the time--and when I took a birthing class with my last pregnancy, they served us lunch meat sandwiches for lunch. Many of the things you will read about on here are just fine--I've eaten sushi, hot dogs, diet coke, soft serve, etc, etc and baby is just fine. You have to be the judge of how much of a risk things really are.....