These food myths will blow your mind: Caffeine, Cheese, Milk, Seafood during pregnancy
Being pregnant, we’re pretty sure you spend a fair amount of time in your day thinking about food. You have weird cravings at weird hours, which by the way is totally normal, and you might be consuming more than your usual daily dose. However, there is always going to be a list of food items that you should avoid at all costs, and which has been scientifically proven to be harmful for you and your baby during pregnancy. There will be hoards of information and advice coming from people all around you, telling you what to expect, what to do, what not to, when/how and what to eat. It can get a tad overwhelming at times, and you should not blindly believe in all you hear.
We are here to help you bust the pregnancy food myths you keep hearing! Well, before you start looking through the entire article, let’s clear something up and answer your most asked question, is it safe to eat brownies during pregnancy? Well, brownies are universally loved and we won’t torture you, so yes, it is perfectly safe to consume brownies while you are pregnant. These can be one of your most intense cravings! Warm, soft and chewy chocolate brownies can bring anyone to their knees, not just pregnant women, so go ahead and enjoy! Let’s debunk some Food and Nutrition myths during pregnancy.
- Myth 1:
Avoiding Caffeine completely while being pregnant–
This can be a form of torture, making you quite irritable, caffeine deprivation during pregnancy. You might have been hearing this since ages that you should avoid caffeinated products like coffee, tea, soda etc. So this myth being busted might come as a relief to a lot of you. Caffeine may be enjoyed by healthy pregnant women—but the amount should be regulated. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) state that pregnant women can safely consume up to but not exceeding 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day, or about the amount typically found in two eight-ounce cups of coffee. So, drinking 1-2 cups (maximum) a day during pregnancy will cause no harm to you or your baby.
- Myth 2: Avoid Cheese
Most pasteurized and hard cheeses are completely safe for consumption during pregnancy. These include parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, romano etc. However, soft and unpasteurised cheeses are not safe for consumption. They might contain potentially harmful bacteria that could lead to food-borne diseases which pregnant women are more susceptible to. Hence avoid these varieties of cheeses like brie, camembert etc.
- Myth 3:
Myth 3 : No seafood consumption-
While there are certain seafood items which you should avoid that contain high amounts of mercury or dishes that contain raw/not properly cooked seafood (Goodbye sushi), eating low mercury level fish is perfectly fine. Tilapia, tuna, cod and salmon are high in omega 3 fatty acids which is good for you and your baby and is low in mercury. In fact, the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that women who are pregnant or lactating should consume eight to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood per week. The list of fishes, which contain high mercury levels that you should avoid are Shark, king mackerel, swordfish, bigeye tuna, tilefish etc.
- Myth 4:
Having milk and peanut will make the baby allergic to these foods-
Consumption of these or any kind of food items will not make your baby allergic to them. Allergies are based differently and there is no scientific proof that these food items make the unborn baby allergic to them. Do consume milk as it provides calcium and other important nutrients to your body.
- Myth 5:
Myth 5: Craving for sweet foods indicates a girl, and cravings for salty food indicates a boy-
Possibly one of the most ridiculous myths we have heard. What you crave is largely dependent upon your hormones. They have a great amount of impact on your cravings , taste sense and smell. These in no way indicate whether you are having a boy or a girl.
- Myth 6:
Myth 6: Eating something white the first thing in the morning will result in a fairer baby-
Please, remove this myth right away from your mind. This is not accurate or true in any way at all. The skin color of your child is purely dependent upon genetics, not in the shade of the food you consume.
There are a lot of questions regarding the usage of apple cider vinegar during pregnancy. There’s no research proving that ACV specifically is either safe or unsafe for pregnancy. Pregnant women should only use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with great caution and knowledge beforehand of the risks. It’s supposed to help with morning sickness, however there is no proof behind this.
Blueberries (as well as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries) are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, potassium and folate. It is absolutely safe to consume them during pregnancy. Hope we helped in busting some of these myths and make your life and pregnancy journey a tad bit easier. Do consume a healthy, balanced diet in order to provide proper nourishment to your baby, instead of avoiding healthy food items like milk or fish, which constitute an important part of your diet. Also, do keep in mind, eating for 2 is not the case here, it is also a myth. Having an additional 350 calories every day is enough for your baby, instead of consuming double of what you used to eat before. Eating the double of what you usually consume is not a healthy practice. Practice moderation at all times!
