Meringue is a type of delicious dessert which is made with egg whites. Since pregnancy has many dos and don’ts when it comes to diet, you should check the safety of meringue when pregnant before including it in your diet.
This article on Hipregnancy explores the answer to the top questions regarding the consumption of meringue while pregnant. Keep reading this article to the end to find out if it is safe to eat meringue for pregnant women and their unborn babies.
Is meringue raw egg?
Meringue is a combination of egg whites, sugar, and some acid, often used in Italian, French, and Swiss cuisines. It can be hard or soft, also known as cooked and uncooked. Meringue may contain lemon, cream of tartar, and vinegar. It is a great filling for pastries, mousses, and sweet goods.
Here are three common techniques for preparing meringue, including;
- Italian meringue
This meringue has a soft and creamy texture, used for decorating pastries, buttercream, or meringue frostings. To make Italian meringue, add cooked sugar syrup to whipped egg whites until glossy peaks of meringue form and it feels cool to the touch. It is not recommended to eat Italian meringue pregnancy as its egg is not cooked.
- Swiss meringue
This meringue is gently cooked and used as a base for cookies, buttercream frostings, and Pavlova. Swiss meringue is made with sugar and egg whites, whisked together and heated until the sugar dissolves and the mixture of whites and sugar starts to thicken.
- French meringue
French meringue is the most common meringue used in cakes, cookies, pavlovas, and soufflés. (Take a look at soufflé during pregnancy) To make French meringue, you should beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then add sugar and whip the egg whites until added sugar dissolves.
Now, you know what the three types of meringue are. It’s a time to see whether it is safe to eat meringue when pregnant. Let’s go!
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Can pregnant women eat meringue?
Since most kinds of meringue contain raw eggs, including them in your pregnancy diet is not recommended. There are two different types of meringue, including soft and hard. Do you want to know the difference between them? If yes, keep reading.
Soft meringue is lightly cooked, like meringue pie, pavlovas, meringue filling, and baked Alaska. Consuming soft meringues while pregnant can higher the risk of listeria and salmonella. Hard meringue is a cooked version of meringue, including meringue cakes, candies, and macarons.
To be safe, it is advisable to avoid any kind of meringue, whether soft or hard. Pregnancy has a high sensitivity, and you should pay extra attention to what you eat during this period. So, since meringue may contain raw egg, it is better to omit it from your list of pregnancy foods.
Consider meringue is not the only food you should avoid while pregnant. To learn more, check 10 things not to eat when pregnant. It can help you determine which food options are harmful to your overall heath, and the developing fetus.
Dangers associated with eating meringue when pregnant
Pregnant ladies have weak immune systems, and are always recommended to eat foods containing vitamin C to promote their immunity. Consuming fruits like kiwi during pregnancy or drinking orange juice while pregnant can help you in this way.
Consuming foods like meringue can make you ill during pregnancy since it might be contaminated with listeria, salmonella, or even toxoplasmosis.
One of the risks of eating meringue when pregnant is listeria, which can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, and preterm labor. It is good to know that raw egg is one of the foods that can cause miscarriage in pregnancy.
Another risk associated with having meringue for pregnant is salmonella, which can cause digestive issues. Unfortunately, it can be passed to an unborn baby and get the baby infected, resulting in issues like blood infection and meningitis.
Toxoplasmosis is another risk of consuming raw meringue during pregnancy. If you get infected with toxoplasmosis at early stages of pregnancy, then you baby has a risk of brain damage, and eye, liver, and spleen disorder. At later stages, it may cause eye infections in the unborn baby.
As you see, meringue is harmful to you and your baby. So, put it aside to prevent and eat healthy options, like pregnancy superfoods.
Is Pavlova safe to eat during pregnancy?
Pavlova is one of the popular desserts made with fruits, whipped cream, and soft meringue. Well, can you eat Pavlova while pregnant? The answer to this question is no!
In the recipe for this dessert, the meringue should be cooked until pale at low heat. Pavlova contains some raw eggs in the middle of the meringue; as a result, it is forbidden during pregnancy.
All desserts containing raw eggs should be avoided while pregnant to prevent health issues. One of the well-known desserts in this category is tiramisu. If you are a fan of this dessert, Hipregnancy highly recommend you read tiramisu during pregnancy before going to have it.
Can I eat lemon meringue when pregnant?
Eating lemon meringue when pregnant is not recommended, and this rule applies to consuming any other kind of meringue pie during pregnancy. Lemon meringue pie is not completely cooked, and the inside of the meringue is a bit raw and runny. As a result, it is forbidden for pregnant women.
Whenever you crave lemon meringue pie during pregnancy, remember that you are carrying a baby, and what you eat directly impacts your baby’s health. So, opt for healthier alternatives. For instance, you can make a pie at home and cover it with pasteurized whipped cream instead.
Conclusion
Meringue is a yummy dessert used in various French, Swiss, and Italian cuisines. Consuming meringue when pregnant is forbidden since it contains raw egg. Eating dessert during pregnancy is associated with the risk of infections, including salmonella, listeria, and toxoplasmosis.
In this article on Hipregnancy, we covered the answer to the question “Can You Eat Meringue When Pregnant?” and other top points every pregnant woman needs to know regarding consumption of meringue.
Hope you enjoyed this article. If there are still any unanswered questions, share them with us via comment. The Hipregnancy team is always ready to answer your questions!
FAQs
No, consuming raw meringue during pregnancy is a big no-no. Since raw meringue might be contaminated with salmonella bacteria, it should be avoided in pregnancy.
Yes, egg white is safe to eat while pregnant, as long as it is fully cooked. Raw egg whites can cause salmonella that can be passed to your baby. An infected baby may have a fever, diarrhea, blood infection, or develop meningitis.
Eton mess that contains raw eggs, even a small amount, should be voided during pregnancy.
To be on the side, avoiding meringue roulade while pregnant is recommended, as the egg whites in meringue are not fully cooked.
Yes, you can enjoy eating cream during pregnancy if it is pasteurized. Raw or unpasteurized cream can be contaminated with listeria and cause food poisoning while pregnant.