What Soft Cheese Can I Eat While Pregnant
Most cheese is fine to eat during pregnancy. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan and soft pasteurized cheeses are safe (and delicious) to eat in moderation. Nearly all cheeses made in the United States are pasteurized by default, but you may run into unpasteurized cheese at a farmer's market or if you buy imported cheese at the grocery store. Avoid unpasteurized soft cheese during pregnancy because it may contain listeria, a type of bacteria that can lead to listeriosis. This infection is rare but particularly dangerous for pregnant women.
Once nausea recedes in the second trimester and your appetite begins to pick up, you might be dismayed at the long list of foods you can't eat during pregnancy. One food that gets an especially bad rap but shouldn't: cheese.
The reality is, most – but not all – cheese sold in the U.S. is perfectly fine to eat during pregnancy. Here's what you need to know to stay safe.
Can pregnant women eat cheese?
Yes! Pregnant women can eat hard cheese as well as soft cheese clearly labeled as "pasteurized." Pasteurization involves heating milk to a specific temperature to kill potentially dangerous bacteria. In fact, pasteurized cheese is a good source of calcium and protein, which promote strong bones and healthy growth in your baby.
Just try not to overdo it, since cheese is also high in sodium and saturated fat. One portion of cheese is 1 ½ ounces (roughly the size of your thumb). The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that women aim for a total of three servings of (ideally low-fat) dairy per day, which in addition to cheese includes milk and yogurt.
Which cheese is best when pregnant?
Hard cheese (such as cheddar or Parmesan) is your safest choice during pregnancy. Hard cheese contains less moisture than soft cheese, which slashes the odds that potentially dangerous bacteria will grow even if it is made from unpasteurized milk.
Pasteurized cheese during pregnancy is another safe bet. Nearly all cheeses made in the United States are pasteurized by default, but you may run into unpasteurized cheese at a farmer's market or if you buy imported cheese at the grocery store. That means most soft cheeses are also safe to eat during pregnancy, as long as the label specifies that they're made with "pasteurized" milk.
The following soft commercial cheeses are generally always made with pasteurized milk and considered safe:
- cream cheese
- cottage cheese
- processed mozzarella
These common soft cheeses are sometimes raw, so look for the "pasteurized" label on:
- goat cheese
- blue cheese
- feta cheese
- camembert
- brie
- ricotta cheese
If you're at a restaurant and can't check the label, know that it's safe to eat any cheese that's been heated until it's steaming hot – for instance, cheese on a pizza or in a grilled-cheese sandwich.
Cheese to avoid when pregnant
When you're pregnant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding unpasteurized soft cheese, raw milk, unpasteurized yogurt, and unpasteurized ice cream. That's because these products may rarely contain the bacteria listeria, which can cause listeriosis. Pregnant people are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than the general population. This infection can be passed on to an unborn baby and cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor, or death in newborns.
Pasteurized cheese can still become contaminated with listeria if it's produced in a facility with unsanitary conditions. If you want to be extra careful, you may want to avoid Hispanic cheeses, even if they're pasteurized, since they have been linked to listeriosis outbreaks in the U.S. Examples of Hispanic cheeses you may want to avoid include:
- queso fresco
- queso blanco
- queso blando
- queso cotija
- queso panela
- queso ranchero
- cuajada en terrón
Bottom line: Hard cheeses and pasteurized soft cheeses are safe (even healthy!) to eat in moderation during pregnancy. If you're unsure whether a soft cheese is pasteurized, and it's not steaming hot, skip it.
What Soft Cheese Can I Eat While Pregnant
Source: https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/diet-and-fitness/cheese-pregnancy_40008588