Deli Meat

Aryana90 · November 2015

Hi everyone! So I don't have my first obgyn appointment until 11/18 and I'm just curious to know whether or not it's risky to eat deli meat? I have always packed myself turkey cold cut sandwiches for work but now I have been reading that Listeria is commonly found in deli meat, so for now I'm staying away from purchasing any deli meats but it's been really hard! Any alternatives

nlwz123 · November 2015

Lots of threads on this. Listeria isn't **commonly** found in deli meat. It can be potentially found in lots of things. You can always heat the deli meat if you really want it. My OB said as long as it's coming from a reputable source and hasn't been sitting out, it's more than likely fine.

tgortney · November 2015

Technically you can eat hot deli meat, so if you like your sandwiches cold. You could heat your meat up to steaming in the microwave then cool it in the freezer lol that's one thing a pregnant friend of mine did. Listeria is rare to get but more prone to pregnant women because of our weakened immune system. I've eaten a few hot deli sandwiches and was fine.

delujm0 · November 2015

The most recent Listeria outbreaks were in apples and ice cream (at least that was the case when i was pregnant last year). No one ever told me not to eat apples or ice cream while i was pregnant.

I had lunch meat maybe once or twice a week while pregnant - i usually have a daily sandwich, but i was more concerned about the nitrates and sodium while pregnant (it's not that good for you just in general). If i was at home i'd heat it up in the microwave or stick the sandwich under the broiler to make it a melt to kill the bacteria. or i'd get it freshly cut at jersey mike's or something. Other days i'd just have a PB&J (or even better PB&N, the N being Nutella). No harm done. I eat it every day again now that i'm not pregnant anymore.

Aryana90 · November 2015

Good to know ladies! Thank you so very much!

SnarkasaurusRex · November 2015

You're more likely to get listeria from unwashed produce, and as PPs have said, the latest outbreaks have been from things like apples, ice cream, and hummus. I ate deli meat my entire pregnancy, heated for 30 seconds in the microwave, per my OB's instructions.

jonesl12 · November 2015

Eating jimmy johns as we speak... Eat the damn meat

goldie987 · November 2015

The only meat I've been able to stomach is a grilled ham and swiss sandwich, a favorite from my childhood. I've made the choice that a slight risk of listeria IF the meat is contaminated and it isn't heated enough in the cooking process is worth getting some sort of protein in my system.

If you were to cut out everything that has been contaminated in the past few years, there'd be virtually nothing left to eat that is remotely healthy for you and baby. Use your best judgement and if you're super nervous about it, throw it in the microwave.

sarahjo8 · November 2015

Wracked with guilt but couldn't take it anymore...had to have Jimmy John's! According to the CDC, there have been no cases of listeria linked to deli meat in the past 5 years so what are the odds? Who would have ever predicted the huge Blue Bell debacle...yet my doctor didn't say to cut out ice cream. These "rules" seem so very inconsistent and not rooted in a ton of evidence.

Knottie13257900 · November 2015

The same is true of sushi...they tell you not to eat raw fish but if you search, there is zero scientific evidence to support this. I'm not gonna eat it every day but I plan to eat it once in a while.

DrillSergeantCat · November 2015

delujm0 said:

The most recent Listeria outbreaks were in apples and ice cream (at least that was the case when i was pregnant last year). No one ever told me not to eat apples or ice cream while i was pregnant.

I had lunch meat maybe once or twice a week while pregnant - i usually have a daily sandwich, but i was more concerned about the nitrates and sodium while pregnant (it's not that good for you just in general). If i was at home i'd heat it up in the microwave or stick the sandwich under the broiler to make it a melt to kill the bacteria. or i'd get it freshly cut at jersey mike's or something. Other days i'd just have a PB&J (or even better PB&N, the N being Nutella). No harm done. I eat it every day again now that i'm not pregnant anymore.

Dude....one of my favorite snacks is spread PB on half a tortilla and nutella on the other half, put banana slices on half, fold it over, pop it in a skillet for a few minutes, turn it over, and eat. YUMM!

Aryana90 · November 2015

DrillSergeantCat that sounds super yummy!

SaltyMcNulty · November 2015

tgortney said:

Technically you can eat hot deli meat, so if you like your sandwiches cold. You could heat your meat up to steaming in the microwave then cool it in the freezer lol that's one thing a pregnant friend of mine did. Listeria is rare to get but more prone to pregnant women because of our weakened immune system. I've eaten a few hot deli sandwiches and was fine.

The most recent listeria outbreaks have been in hummus and produce. Eating cold or hot deli meat, so long as it's from a clean source, is perfectly fine.

sarahufl · November 2015

Knottie13257900 said:

The same is true of sushi...they tell you not to eat raw fish but if you search, there is zero scientific evidence to support this. I'm not gonna eat it every day but I plan to eat it once in a while.

I just had sushi for dinner. I also eat soft cheeses regularly and I eat more deli meat now that I am pregnant than I ever did before.

little_bren · November 2015

Last time, my doc said it was fine but a dietician said no. I ate it occasionally and everyone lived. Just ate Jimmy John's the other day.

Dasha420 · November 2015

I've completely stayed away from deli meats and salamis.
Today though....I made myself a sandwich!
I fried the salami for a good amount of time.
Toasted bread...nice mayo...havarti cheese...tomato slices...salami slices...avocado with salt and pepper.
Mm!!
Cooking the meat to a certain temp supposedly kills the bacteria.

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