Pregnancy & Lunchmeat

[odcdinah]

Hi, I've heard that prepackaged lunchmeat is not good during pregnancy, but are there any deli meats that are safe for celiac and pregnancy? I miss my sandwiches!

Thanks for any input...

[JenKuz]

Hi, I've heard that prepackaged lunchmeat is not good during pregnancy, but are there any deli meats that are safe for celiac and pregnancy? I miss my sandwiches!

Thanks for any input...

The problem with lunchmeat for pregnant women is that it can harbor listeria. It's one of the only bacteria that can survive at refrigerator temperatures. It's not (usually) that harmful to healthy adults, but can be bad for the developing fetus, I think. It's killed by heat, so any meat that you can cook, you can eat. If you don't mind eating lots of melts, you're probably okay just make sure they're up to 160 degrees F.

[jerseyangel]

Another, more time consuming option, cook a ham, turkey breast or a roast beef on the weekend. Use it as a meal, and slice the leftovers to use for sandwiches during the week. These slices, you could also freeze.

[hez]

I avoided lunch meat with both pregnancies. I ate leftovers or made chicken/beef for sandwhiches. The good news is that after nine months you get eat it again!

Hez

[Michi8]

Remember too, that you need to avoid unpasteurized cheeses as well (same listeria risk) and any items (cheese, meats, etc) at the deli counter that may come in contact or be cross-contaminated...listeria can be transported from item to item as it gets handled. I don't know if it includes the salads too, but you may want to keep it in mind just in case.

Michelle

[Guest cassidy]

My doctor said lunch meat is fine, just to limit it to two servings a week. Limiting it was due to nitrates and not the risk of bacteria. I don't really like lunch meat but if I did I would probably try the one that doesn't have nitrates in it - I think it is applewood or applegate farms - something like that. I know a lot of pregnant women that eat lunch meat, so I guess it is just what you are comfortable with and what your doctor says.

[odcdinah]

thanks for the info - I cooked a ham last night and will heat that up for lunches. I read on a preg. site that it must be heated every time to steaming, even if already baked yourself. Between the celiac and pregnancy, about all I feel safe to eat is yogurt and fruit!

[misstigerlili]

There are lots of deli meats that are safe to eat! I never buy prepackaged meat. I always just read the ingredient list for the meats in the deli, if you can't see it, have the attendant show it to you. If you are particularly sensitive, have them wipe down the slicer and put on new gloves. Don't deprive yourself!

[Michi8]

There are lots of deli meats that are safe to eat! I never buy prepackaged meat. I always just read the ingredient list for the meats in the deli, if you can't see it, have the attendant show it to you. If you are particularly sensitive, have them wipe down the slicer and put on new gloves. Don't deprive yourself!

The risk isn't gluten (although I'm sure that's an issue with some deli meats as well). The risk is listeria, and the general recommendation is that pregnant women heat/cook luncheon meat before consuming and avoid unpasteurized cheeses. Listeria can easily be spread from product to product through handling or even just proximity in the deli display case. There have been cases of prepackaged meats being recalled due to listeria contamination as well. This is a listeria recall from July 2006 for hot dogs: Open Original Shared Link

Michelle

[Michi8]

For further information pregnancy & listeriosis, check out this fact sheet from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Open Original Shared Link It goes into good detail on what to avoid and how to prepare foods for safe consumption.

Michelle

[twtums]

thanks for the info - I cooked a ham last night and will heat that up for lunches. I read on a preg. site that it must be heated every time to steaming, even if already baked yourself. Between the celiac and pregnancy, about all I feel safe to eat is yogurt and fruit!

Yes, isn't that the truth! I tried heating the lunchmeat and thought it was nasty hot. It can be a big challange to come up with stuff to eat sometimes, I was so sad to learn I had to iliminate even more stuff from my diet. But so worth it!