Who says end of year celebrations also says festive menus. Foie gras, champagne, oysters… So many emblematic dishes that make you salivate, but which pregnant women are not (always) allowed to touch, not without frustration. What should be banned to guarantee the good health of the future mother and the baby? What can they consume? We take stock.
Alcohol at Christmas: absolutely to be banned during pregnancy
It can be tempting to succumb to a glass of champagne as an aperitif or to have a glass of red wine to accompany the turkey. But when it comes to alcohol during pregnancy, the zero tolerance applies. Alcohol enters the baby’s bloodstream via the placenta and is highly toxic to his developing body. Alcoholic beverages can seriously harm its development and cause malformations. Even if it is sometimes difficult to say no to this moment of family conviviality, baby’s health and well-being must remain the priority.
The good news is that it is entirely possible to indulge yourself with a non-alcoholic but festive drink. You can of course drink a fruit or vegetable juice, sparkling water or toast to Champomy with the children. But for more pleasure, why not prepare an alcohol-free cocktail?
- One virgin apple mojito : mint leaves, sparkling water, apple juice, a little cane sugar, a few ice cubes.
- One Virgin Colada : two slices of pineapple, 10 cl of pineapple juice, a dash of coconut milk, a teaspoon of cane sugar.
- One non-alcoholic tequila sunrise : 1.5 cl of grenadine syrup, 10 cl of orange juice, crushed ice.
Pregnancy: what foods are forbidden at Christmas?
During pregnancy, the main risk is that of listeriosis and, if the pregnant woman is not immune, toxoplasmosis. It will therefore be necessary to ignore:
- The seafood : unless they are very fresh and especially well cooked. So no problem for lobster, crab or even scallops;
- Oysters and other shellfish that are eaten raw;
- Raw fish and meat;
- offal;
- caviar and eggs of lump;
- Homemade mayonnaise, which can be replaced by a yoghurt sauce or mustard;
- All products based oneggs raw;
- Duck or goose foie gras, unless very fresh and cooked to over 100 degrees. Ideally, it is better to favor vacuum-packed foie gras.
- Tarama;
- Smoked salmon, unless it has been frozen;
- The cold cuts ;
- On the cheese platter, avoid all soft cheeses (brie, camembert, munster, pont l’évêque, etc.), unless they are made from pasteurized milk. Blue-veined cheeses (Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, etc.) are also to be avoided. On the other hand, no problem for pressed or cooked cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyère, Cheddar or Gouda.
At the aperitif we favor the well-washed vegetable sticks, aperitif cakes (but without overdoing it!), hummus, beetroot mousse, vegetarian sushi with vegetables, gougères, parmesan tiles. As a starter, there are many possibilities: an asparagus mousse, a verrine of prawns and avocados, prawns.
Pregnant: am I entitled to turkey?
Excellent news, it is the main course that pregnant women have the fewest restrictions. Among the typical dishes of festive meals, nothing or almost nothing is forbidden. It will only be necessary to take care to avoid too heavy and greasy sauces which can weigh on the stomach and be difficult to digest. On the meat side, no restrictions with turkey, goose or capon. Even if we rather recommend the first which is a less fatty meat. No problem either with the stuffing, if it does not contain charcuterie.
Pregnant festive meal: which dessert to choose?
As we have seen, it is best to avoid recipes using raw eggs as they may contain salmonella. We therefore skip the crème brûlée, the Paris-Brest but also the pastry log! Fortunately, there are still many alternatives, including the frozen log, the jam-rolled cake, a fruit pie.
