Can I Eat Cream Cheese While Pregnant? Yes, you can! You can eat lots of things while pregnant as long as they are safe for you and your baby. The key is knowing which foods to avoid and what foods are safe to eat in moderation. It’s also important to check with your doctor or midwife before eating new foods while pregnant. That said, most healthy women can continue eating the same types of foods they normally would while pregnant – it just depends on how much of that food you eat.
There are some general rules, however, that will help you know if a food is safe or unsafe during pregnancy. For example: If a food has more than 20 grams of fat per serving (or 200 Calories), then it’s not advisable to eat that food very often if at all during pregnancy. Fatty foods tend to be the ones highest in saturated fats and sodium – both of which should be limited when trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy in order to reduce risks of pre-eclampsia, hypertension, gestational diabetes, and placental insufficiency. If a food has more than 140 mg of sodium per serving (or 400 Calories), then it’s best to limit this food when you’re pregnant because too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and other issues like swelling, water retention, difficulty breathing when lying down, swollen hands and feet, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
What Can I Eat?
When it comes to what you can eat while pregnant, you have to think about more than just fat and sodium content. You also have to think about the nutritional value of the food you’re choosing to eat. In other words, “you are what you eat” – or better yet, “your baby is what you eat”. What’s good for you is good for your baby, so you want to make sure that your diet is rich in nutrients. These nutrients come from the following food groups: Dairy and eggs, Fats and oils, Seafood, Meats, Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains.
Dairy & Eggs
These two food groups are crucial for not only your own health, but also for the health of your baby. As far as dairy goes, you should be getting around 2 servings of dairy a day if you are NOT allergic to dairy (about 9 cups of milk, yogurt, and cheese combined). Protein and calcium are two nutrients you will particularly need to make sure you are getting enough of while pregnant. For eggs, you can eat as many as you’d like, so long as they are cooked. Raw eggs can contain salmonella which can cause food poisoning. So, if you like your omelets or hard-boiled eggs, you can eat them as much as you’d like.
Fats & Oils
Fats and oils are things that you should be very cautious about. Ideally, you should be eating less than 20 grams of fat per day when you are pregnant, especially if you are overweight or obese. If you are a normal weight, 35 years old or younger, and not planning to get pregnant in the near future, then you should be getting around 25 grams of fat per day. It’s important to note that these amounts are based on daily caloric intake, so if you are eating less calories, you will be able to eat more fats.
Seafood
If you are currently pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you may want to be careful about eating certain types of seafood. The most dangerous types of seafood to eat during pregnancy are fish like freshwater (farm) salmon, trout, shad, and mackerel. These fish tend to be high in contaminants like methylmercury, which can affect your baby’s nervous system. Others types of seafood that are ok to eat during pregnancy include: Anjou pears, Apricots, Avocado, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Prunes, Strawberries, and Tomatoes.
Meats
Protein is important while pregnant and you should be getting around 75 grams of protein a day. You can get this by eating lots of different types of protein-rich foods, but you definitely don’t have to eat meat if you don’t want to. If you are a vegetarian and are trying to conceive, then you should be eating twice as many legumes (beans) and whole grains than recommended for non-vegetarians. You also should be eating more soy foods (like tofu) as well as nuts and seeds.
Vegetables
During pregnancy, you should be eating lots of vegetables. The recommended amount is about 2 servings of vegetables per day. If you like to eat vegetables raw, then you’ll want to make sure you are washing them very well because certain types of vegetables, like lettuce and spinach, can be contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria. If you like to eat your vegetables cooked, then you’ll want to make sure you are steaming them in order to avoid getting parasites from contaminated soil.
Fruits & Grains
Fruits and grains are two other food groups that you should be eating a lot of during pregnancy. Each day, you should be eating 2 servings of fruits and 4 servings of grains. If you like to eat your fruits raw, then you’ll want to make sure you are washing them very well because certain types of fruits, like grapes, can be contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria. If you like to eat your grains in the form of oatmeal or rice, then you’ll want to make sure you are not cooking them with salt because it can lead to hypertension in your baby.
Summary
In conclusion, yes, you can eat cream cheese while pregnant. And, you can also eat lots of other healthy foods as well – as long as they are safe for you and your baby. It’s important to know which foods to avoid and what foods are safe to eat in moderation. It’s also important to know which nutrients are important for a healthy pregnancy.