I’m newly pregnant: Can I safely eat Thanksgiving dinner? We haven’t told our family we are pregnant, but I want to ensure I’m eating safely regardless of where we spend the holiday.
—First-Trimester Nervous Nelly
Congratulations! Fortunately for you, Thanksgiving is not a holiday with a lot of forbidden pregnancy foods. Perhaps most notably, we know the deli turkey is something people worry about in pregnancy but roasted turkey is not the same as deli turkey. Even as leftovers, these are not a listeria risk. So if you love Thanksgiving turkey (not everyone does…) go to town.
Generally, during pregnancy, you want to be a little more careful about salmonella and e-coli. Not because of a concern about the pregnancy, but just because being sick while you’re also pregnant is a lot more unpleasant. This suggests two cautions:
- Avoid stuffing which is cooked inside the turkey (this is actually something everyone is supposed to avoid, but I know there are those of you who still do it! Not this year for you.)
- Avoid undercooked turkey. Turkey is notoriously hard to cook evenly, because it’s so big, and many of us have found ourselves with a turkey with raw parts. For this year, stick to the more dried out parts.
Other than that – enjoy. If you can, that is.
Depending on how newly pregnant you are, you may be nauseous and not feel like eating.
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