Top 10 holiday foods to avoid during pregnancy

Dec 01, 2010 5:54 AM by Kim Grundy

Posted in Parenting / Having a Baby

Unsafe Foods
During Pregnancy

The holidays are a time of fun, family and plenty of yummy food and drinks. When you are pregnant, however, you must be extra careful of what you are eating and drinking because of the effect food can have on your baby. Experts share with us the top 10 holiday foods to avoid during pregnancy. Read our list before you sit down for that holiday meal.

Glass of eggnog

We all overindulge during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, but some popular holiday foods can actually harm your baby if eaten while pregnant.

Dr. Christina Chambers, professor of pediatrics at UCSD and program director of CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line, says that telling pregnant women to avoid alcohol during the holidays is her number one concern. "It's crucial we spread the word during this time of year, especially about avoiding alcohol in pregnancy," she said.

What else is on the list? Read on to find out the top 10 holiday foods and drinks to avoid during pregnancy.

Spiced Cider

Before you down that glass of spiced cider, make sure it does not contain any alcohol. Most experts agree that you should completely avoid alcohol during pregnancy. "Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a leading cause of mental retardation," says Laurel Prince, a CTIS teratogen information specialist.

What you can drink: Non-alcoholic apple cider or spiced cider

Eggnog

Most holiday eggnogs contain brandy, so check with the host to make sure it is non-alcoholic before indulging.

What you can drink: Pasteurized non-alcoholic eggnog

Rum balls

Talk about it!

Check out our parenting message boards and talk to other moms about pregnancy food preferences.

Think rum balls don't contain enough alcohol to be harmful during pregnancy? Think again. Rum balls actually do contain enough alcohol that they should be avoided during the holidays. What about chocolate balls without rum? Go ahead and enjoy -- with some reservations: "Just also be aware that chocolate contains caffeine and pregnant women shouldn't consume more than 300mg of caffeine per day," says Prince.

What you can eat: White chocolate balls (no caffeine!) or white chocolate chip cookies

Soft cheeses

Panela, Cotija, Queso Fresco, Blue-Veined Cheeses, Brie, Feta and Camembert are all soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk and must be avoided during pregnancy. They can contain the bacteria listeria monocytogenes that can cause a miscarriage or stillbirth.

What you can eat: Cheeses marked "made with pasteurized milk," such as Cheddar, Colby, Parmesan, Romano, Swiss, mozzarella and Monterey Jack.

Hot dogs and lunch meats

When eaten cold, they can also contain the bacteria listeria monocytogenes which can be harmful to baby.

What you can eat: You can eat lunch meats if you heat them until they are steaming hot.

Keep reading for more foods to avoid during pregnancy

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Tags: holiday foods parenting pregnancy foods to avoid pregnancy health

Comments

Comments on "Top 10 holiday foods to avoid during pregnancy"

People should avoid eggnog while pregnant because these are dangerous holiday foods.

Homemade christmas ornaments should be used by everyone,It's a nice christmas ornament craft with it.

First of all,thanks to you..Because until now do not know that should avoid eggnog while pregnant.Also the tips about dangerous holiday foods are really very helpful for ladies.

Till now i don't know about this dangerous holiday foods.Thank you very much for informing that taking eggnog while pregnant is risky.

thanks for the tip on dangerous holiday food. didnt know eggnoc while pregnant isn't good at all with that alcohol. will be more cautious next time.

I haven't tried out any homemade Christmas ornaments for gifts. Maybe Christmas ornament craft would be a cheaper alternative to buying them in the store. They don't seem to make them like they used to.

Dangerous holiday foods? I didn't think having eggnog while pregnant would be a problem. I'm so glad I read this article. Yikes!

I had no idea that you should avoid eggnog when pregnant, although it makes sense. I'm glad that I came across this list of dangerous holiday foods now as I'm making a menu for our holiday gathering and several of my friends are pregnant.

These are very dangerous holiday foods especially having eggnog while you are pregnant amounts in maximum risk for the baby.So Kindly avoid all these foods.

Not only are holiday foods good, but so are Christmas ornament crafts. Making homemade Christmas ornaments can be really fun.

in this christmas, i tried homemade christmas ornaments to decorate my house.

The above listed foods can be said as dangerous holiday foods during pregnancy.And if you want to have Eggnog while holiday when you are pregnant then make its pasteurized non alcoholic eggnog...