Pickled mussels in pregnancy: can they be eaten?

Pickled mussels in pregnancy: can they be eaten?

Maintaining control over diet is important at any stage of our lives, but especially for pregnant women. During pregnancy, it is necessary to control what foods can be eaten and in what way so as not to harm the health of the fetus. As a preventive measure against certain diseases, it is very common for doctors to forbid pregnant women to eat sausages, raw foods or certain large fish. That's why, it is not surprising that if you are pregnant you have doubts about what foods you can continue to eat normally. So, in today's post we clarify if you can eat pickled mussels in pregnancy. Keep reading!

 

Forbidden foods during pregnancy

When a pregnant woman goes to the doctor, This usually recommends a series of foods that you should incorporate into your diet. Nevertheless, the doctor also usually makes a list in reverse, namely, a list of foods that should not be eaten during this period.

This prohibition is mainly due to two factors:

  1. That food can contain parasites and bacteria, as is the case of the famous toxoplasmosis of sausages or listeriosis of cheeses.
  2. Containing any component harmful to the health of the baby, such as alcohol or foods with high percentages of vitamin A, as is the case with pate.

 

How to eat seafood during pregnancy

Both fish and shellfish provide nutrients such as iodine and Omega fatty acids 3, especially important during pregnancy. Nevertheless, consumption of large fish should be limited during this stage, as they may contain large percentages of mercury.

This is an environmental contaminant that once ingested, it is not eliminated from the body so it accumulates in the tissues of fish and shellfish. That's why, the bigger the fish, more mercury we will be ingesting. This is bad for everyone, but especially for pregnant women as methylmercury can easily cross the placental barrier, affecting the baby's nervous system.

As for the seafood, these can also be classified according to the percentage of mercury they contain. But calm down, there are many shellfish that have a low mercury content, as is the case with cockles, the octopus, the squid, at the pot, the baby squid, he crashed, the prawns, shrimp, Lobster, crayfish, the prawns, the knives and, of course, the mussels!

Therefore, Yes, mussels and pregnancy they are compatible.

 

The seafood, always cooked

Another aspect to which you should pay special attention if you are pregnant is cooking food.. Yes, can pregnant women eat seafood, but never raw or undercooked. And this rule should also apply to fish.

This is because when cooking fish and shellfish, chances of becoming contaminated by toxic substances are eliminated, bacteria or parasites such as anisakis or the aforementioned listeria.

 

Canned mussels and pregnancy

if you are pregnant, Perhaps one of the main questions you may have regarding the consumption of shellfish is whether can you eat pickled mussels while pregnant. Well calm down, The answer is yes.

This doubt usually arises due to ignorance about the process of elaboration of the canned mussels. We all know mussels, but not everyone knows how this type of preserve is made. So since it is not entirely clear whether the pickled mussels are cooked or not, it is normal for doubts to arise about its consumption during pregnancy.

But the truth is that the canned mussels they are already prepared for direct consumption, without the need to cook them since they have previously been cooked. The first step is chipping, then they cook and finally the marinade is prepared, a paprika-based sauce, oil, vinegar and water.

So there is no doubt, It can eat pickled mussels pregnant. In the same way that they can be eaten naturally, steamed or in another type of recipe, as long as they are not raw.

 

Benefits of eating mussels pregnant

They can not only be eaten mussels during pregnancy, but these are beneficial for both the health of the mother and the baby. And it is that the mussels provide omega fatty acids 3, what help the growth and development of the baby's brain.

They also provide folic acid or vitamin B9, very important during pregnancy, but its consumption is especially recommended for its high iron content. Mineral that is usually reduced during pregnancy due to the prohibition of eating certain foods that can cause toxoplasmosis. In this case, you should look for foods with a high iron content., like mussels, to fill this gap.

So you already know, comer pickled mussels During pregnancy not only allowed, but it is beneficial!