Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means time to celebrate with family and indulge in all of the delicious food waiting at your dinner table. Let’s be real, no one has ever said their Thanksgiving meal was healthy. However, if you’re pregnant, there are ways to avoid the grease and calorie-ridden foods that leave you on the couch for the rest of the night. There are also foods you should try your best to avoid that may put you or your baby at risk.

 

Foods to avoid:

  1. Undercooked Turkey: You can’t have Thanksgiving without Turkey of course but to ensure that it’s safe to eat the turkey it must be thoroughly cooked. To ensure it was well-cooked the inside of the turkey must be cooked to at least 180 degrees. If this isn’t the case, the turkey may contain salmonella or toxoplasmosis.
  2. Soft or Unpasteurized cheese: The FDA stated that these types of cheese contain risks of listeria so it’s best to avoid these at all costs. To be safe, check the ingredient list of the cheese and make sure it states, “pasteurized milk.”
  3. Stuffing cooked inside a turkey: Stuffing is a great side dish for any Thanksgiving meal, but for the best interest of your pregnancy, it’s best if the stuffing is made outside of the turkey in a separate pan to ensure its thoroughly cooked all the way. Having it cooked with the turkey can place risks of it being undercooked and contaminated.
  4. Apple Cider: It’s a delicious drink to have during the season, however, this drink contains the risk of having E. coli. To avoid those risks, make sure that it is pasteurized.
  5. Custard Pie: It’s known to be a dessert during this time of year, but some custards and mousses have the possibility of containing raw or uncooked eggs which may carry salmonella bacteria.

 

Foods to have:

  1. Broccoli: It can be used as a great side dish to ant Thanksgiving meal. Broccoli is also great in fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants, in addition it also contains nutrients that are beneficial for the pregnancy. However, make sure they are washed thoroughly because they can contain bacteria if not washed properly.
  2. Sweet potatoes: It’s a win-win for sweet potatoes, it’s a traditional holiday food item and it’s full of nutritious fiber, vitamins, potassium and iron, all of which play a positive role on the pregnancy.
  3. Oranges: Although they are not a traditional Thanksgiving food item, they do serve as a great seasoning for the turkey. Aside from it offering great taste to a traditional meal, it’s also packed with plenty of nutrients such as vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and calcium.
  4. Lean Meat: Nothing wrong with skinless chicken breast, or any other lean meat for the holidays. You can make a variety of meals with them and they offer many helpful nutrients that are essential for your health and the baby’s growth.
  5. Carrots & peppers: An additional source of vitamin A that is essential in the development of the baby’s eyes, skin, bones and organs. In addition, you can use these food items to cook with any additional meal to offer great taste.