Many foods should be avoided not only during pregnancy but also during breastfeeding. You have no choice but to change your nutritious diet to ensure your baby’s health.
But do not worry if you are pregnant. Eating delicious food and putting it in your food basket is still possible.
Meat, sushi, cheese, etc., are generally uncooked and raw, so they are more likely to be infected with bacteria or viruses.
If you are looking for safe cheeses and dairy products for consumers, you may think of pasteurized milk on the ingredients list.
If cheese or any dairy product does not state on the package if it is pasteurized or not, please avoid consuming it.
Even if you provide pasteurized cheese, there is no guarantee that it will not be contaminated after production. Secondary contamination may occur along the supply chain.
Get your cheese from stores that care about their organization’s cleanliness and sanitary conditions.
If you wonder whether it is safe to eat characuteri while pregnant, continue reading the Charcuterie during pregnancy article.
Also Read: Cured meats while pregnant
Is it safe to eat Charcuterie while pregnant?
Some foods can contain a good number of cheeses, and meat safe for babies.
Mindy Cockeram, a certified childbirth and breastfeeding educator, believes that it is hard to say the safety of Charcuteries while pregnant women.
She adds, “Charcuterie and soft cheeses are completely safe if they do not contain listeria monocytogenes bacterium.”
She emphasizes that pregnant women should be careful since there is no way to ensure the safety of charcuteries. In contrast, pregnant and the pregnant woman should avoid eating junk food during pregnancy to the extent possible.
As she said, “Listeria is more commonly found in unpasteurized cheeses and deli or luncheon meats,”
The CDC claims pregnant women are more susceptible to Listeria infection, which can lead to stillbirth and some severe issues.
Besides, OB-GYN Kim Langdon mentions that it is better to avoid all soft cheeses, like brie, veined and marbled, because they’re unpasteurized.
Cockeram says if you want a pregnancy-safe character board that includes deli meat, dried fruits, sharp cheese and nuts, you can heat deli meat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before adding it.
Despite Charcuterie sounding dangerous during pregnancy, they can enjoy it by heating the meat.
They can also enjoy the dried nuts and sharp cheeses accompanying your board. There are many options to include on a Charcuterie board.
Also Read: Can pregnant women eat salami?
Benefits and drawbacks of eating Charcuterie during pregnancy
As we mentioned earlier, consuming charcuterie during pregnancy is unsafe because it poses pregnant women with the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage.
Due to this, we have no choice but to ignore its benefits.
Please seek your gynecology doctor’s advice before consuming Charcuterie during pregnancy and try to know about foods to avoid during pregnancy.
Can you eat charcuterie boards while pregnant?
On holidays and celebrations, when people gather together, they prepare many delicious food items.
Charcuterie boards are delicious, beautiful superfoods, which is an easy recipe. So it is usually included on the table and gives guests a luxurious and delicious experience.
As a pregnant woman, it isn’t surprising that you can’t avoid eating Charcuterie while pregnant.
The gluten-free charcuterie board contains an abundance of fruits, vegetables, sharp cheeses, gluten-free crackers, and nuts to enjoy your party along with charcuterie boards.
If you are planning a baby shower or birthday party, you can place a Charcuterie board on the table, which you can easily prepare.
In addition to gluten-free options, other nutritious pantry foods are available on the Charcuterie board, such as coconut-powder-dusted date balls, peanut-encrusted whole dates, and sweet potato chips.
Concerning vegetables and fruits, you can include more colors in your Charcuterie board, making it a more nutritious meal.
The rest of the article will explain which food items can be added or removed from Charcuterie Board.
Charcuterie Boards in Pregnancy
Food items that could be included on Charcuterie Board
- Hard Cheese
Given that most hard cheeses undergo pasteurization, one of the ingredients on the Charcuterie board runs a small risk to the mother and fetus.
Eating hard cheese on the Charcuterie board during pregnancy is an effective way to gain calcium because pregnant women are typically deficient in calcium.
Cheddar, Swiss cheese, and Gouda can be served on your board.
- Dried Fruit
Along with the beauty of dried fruit on the Charcuterie board while pregnant is also more beneficial for pregnant women because it has a high amount of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins and iron.
As a result, it can help to reduce the risk of preeclampsia.
- Hummus
Hummus is rarely included on the charcuterie board during pregnancy, although it is the most reliable and delicious item.
Hummus contains vitamin B, protein, and folate, which are vital to the development of a baby.
- Pickles
Pickles are introduced as a reliable source of nutrition on the Charcuterie board during pregnancy.
But pregnant women should maintain a balanced intake of pickles. While eating pickles helps you keep potassium and sodium high, they can be dangerous to an excessive extent.
- Nuts
As with dried fruit on the Charcuterie board, while pregnant, nuts are categorized as healthy foods for pregnant women. They can provide pregnant women with fiber, vitamins B and E, omega-3 fats, protein and more.
Given that they are high in fat and calories, one should limit their intake.
Food items that should be avoided on Charcuterie Board
- Deli Meats
The main component of a charcuterie board is deli meats, including prosciutto, salami, sliced turkey, pepperoni, and more.
Since these items are more likely to poison and increase the risk of abortion and stillbirth, they should be excluded from the Charcuterie board while pregnant.
- Pâté
A pâté is also a common ingredient on charcuterie boards. Pâtés vary widely in type, but the most common on the board is foie gras. Pâté is also known to be unsafe for pregnant women to consume.
Pâté also contains listeria, like deli meat, and pregnant women should avoid eating it.
- Chorizo
This delicious sausage is made of pork and fat. Although on the market, there are packaged with byproducts, these products are not healthy to be on the Charcuterie board during pregnancy.
Moreover, chorizo is raw and uncooked meat, which makes it unsuitable for pregnant women.
Due to the possibility of being infected with toxoplasmosis, which can be transmitted from mother to fetus.
- Soft Cheeses
And the final item in Charcuterie that should be omitted is a soft cheese, which varies from Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, and Chèvre.
These cheeses are unpasteurized and can pose the risk of listeria, so they are unsafe on the Charcuterie board while pregnant.
Let’s recap
As a pregnant woman, you may be curious to know if it is safe to eat Charcuterie while pregnant.
In this article, we explained that Characutetie during pregnancy is not a reliable item to be included if you’re in a box.
But by making some changes, you can enjoy it as a Charcuterie board.
Also, we introduce some items that can be added or excluded from the board.
If you have any questions about this article, let us know in the comments.
We hope this article helps you to handle your issues.