The DREADED food list

Tnallen107 · December 2015

Ladies!

First time mommy here! I am about 7 weeks along, and I decided it was time to start researching the proper diet for my new little bundle. BOY, there is a whole long list of things to avoid. Maybe I should have titled this "Things I CAN Eat"... With that being said, I know there are things are very specifically off limits, raw eggs, deli meats, soft cheeses, mercury rich fish...etc... I am more interested in what you experienced mommies have learned along the way! Any tips or hints on what to eat when suffering with morning sickness? Or maybe tips for breakfast meals when eggs make you want to vomit? Also, how do we feel about white fish, such as Cod and Tilapia? Any input is so very appreciated!

I look forward to learning from those of you who are well-versed-mommies! I want to be the very best incubator that I can be.

Thanks ladies!

Fremdschamen · December 2015

Keep in mind that the ban on "soft cheeses" really just refers to unpasteurized cheeses-- so go ahead and eat pasteurized goat cheese and cream cheese, etc.

Most cheeses sold in regular grocery stores are pasteurized. I actually find cheese to be a great snack for quelling nausea.

In my view, fish in moderation is fine, but I hate it, so I never eat it anyways!

Oatmeal is a good morning meal if eggs don't work for you (oatmeal is great for breastfeeding too). You could also try Greek yogurt with fruit. Or toast with peanut butter and a banana maybe?

During first tri, I always find it helpful to have a bunch of small snacks with me wherever I go. Cheese, crackers, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Hard candies and mints also help with nausea.

SheHulk723 · December 2015

According to my ob, deli meats are fine. The concern with those is listeria which is like less than a .5% chance if your living in a developed country. Soft cheeses are only a problem if it's unpasteurized, which most are pasteurized and just fine. Fish is fine in moderation. But here's my opinion on tilapia- it's crap. Seriously, my family in the seafood business refer to it as ti-crap-ia. It's not nearly as nutritious as many many other fish and is very low in the oils that are good for you in fish. I highly suggest salmon for nutritional value and snapper for flavor haha

ZedPM3 · December 2015

I'm new at this, but I've heard that deli meats are fine as long as you heat them up until they're steaming.

Small snacks throughout the day are helping me a lot. For breakfast the only thing I can stomach lately is cereal, but I could probably do granola and yogurt. Something that's been sounding really good to me the past 24 hours is overnight oats.

Tnallen107 · December 2015

Thank you ladies! I LOVE cheese. So that makes me feel better about my choices.

So, another question. What do y'all use to clean your fruit? I typically use the "FIT" fruit spray, but it seems that it is suggested to just use water when pregnant. I don't know about y'all, but I don't feel like the nasty finger nonsense from the grocery store, or the farmer's market is cleaned off with just water. Especially on foods that I eat raw, like bell peppers and celery. Ideas and opinions?

Pepper6 · December 2015

Deli meats are fine, even cold. If it concerns you, there's a little less risk of deli counter meat than prepackaged (I always but from the counter anyways since it tastes so much better)

Fish is fine in moderation, even sushi. The risk with raw fish is contamination, not the actual rawness itself, so as long as you are eating from a reputable place, it's probably okay.

Any cheese that's pasteurized is fine. Almost all cheese that you buy in a standard grocery store is pasteurized, so you're good there.

DressageDarling · December 2015

I would ask your OB. Mine told me to continue on as normal. The only thing she wants is no sushi (which I don't eat) and to stay away from high mercury fish.

As for morning sickness, I've been taking B6 and unisom. I just started, but I've heard it works well. I also got ginger hard candies which have been AMAZING. Any time I feel sick, I have one and usually feel better.

BritMC18 · December 2015

As all the other ladies have said, you can eat pretty much all of the food you listed (and most of the food on any of those "do not eat" lists). My OB told me the only dietary change I needed to make was to just try and eat healthier. The only restriction she gave me was to look out for high mercury fish (like DressageDarling's OB told her as well). I don't eat seafood, so that's not really an issue for me though.

From what I understand, even the foods that are "not so good" to eat can be eaten in moderation.

Rebeccavw25 · December 2015

I agree with all the posts on here! I've been struggling with the constant nausea, though, so for now I'm just doing my best to just get through it so even if it's not always the healthiest option, I eat what I can stomach! I find an apple with a couple slice of cheddar cheese are great, pretzels, crackers, etc. help, too. And I agree with, Fremdschamen--for some reason cheese really seems to help with the nausea for me along with milk. I'm not going to lie--a fat bowl of mac n cheese really does it for me! My doctor also told me the most important thing for me right now is to get plenty of water and rest as much as I can. I hope that helps a little!

TheTamedShrew · December 2015

The only fishes on the "no" list are king mackerel, swordfish, shark, and tilefish.

I still eat salmon sushi at reputable restaurants. I avoid raw tuna just because it has higher mercury content.

I had turkey from the deli counter in my sandwich for lunch. I ate it cold. Risk of listeria is very very low. I think you have a higher chance of getting it from spinach than lunchmeat, and I'm definitely not avoiding spinach.

I rinse my fruit with plain ol' water.

Try not to worry too much about the foods. A lot of lists are ridiculously over cautious.

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