⭐Cheeses in pregnancy: which to eat and which to avoid

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Cheeses in pregnancy

When we find out of to be expecting a baby, many habits must be changed in favor of a healthier and more functional lifestyle for the child's development. The doctor himself will provide us with a series of rather precise indications on what to eat and not during pregnancy and the ideas are quite clear also thanks to the amount of information that we will find on the Net. We know well that some foods - such as undercooked meat, cured meats, seafood, raw vegetables - should be avoided, but what about the cheeses in pregnancy? Which ones can we eat which ones should we limit?

Are cheeses in pregnancy good for you?

One of the most common food "cravings" among pregnant women concerns the cheese: it is a clear signal that the body needs proteins, calcium, vitamins and all the nutrients contained in the cheese which also serve to nourish the baby in the belly. The cheeses, as well as the milk and derivatives, are, therefore, very important foods in pregnancy because they provide concentrated quantities of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, essential for the mother's and baby's bones. They also bring vitamin B12 and proteins. However not all cheeses are suitable, some should be avoided.

Which ones to eat?

In the choice of what cheeses to eat during pregnancy and in defining the correct diet during pregnancy, we must take into account two elements:

avoid cheeses too caloric which could bring an excessive amount of fat and calories;
avoid cheeses a unpasteurized soft dough, which could contain potentially very dangerous bacteria, such as listeria.

Basically they are perfect:

il parmesan - to ensure the right amount of calcium per day, just insert a piece of Parmesan cheese into your diet every day
i hard cheeses, such as Fontina, sweet Provolone, Cheddar, pecorino, Asiago, Swiss cheese
they are fine too mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone cheese, spreadable cheeses.

Which cheeses are bad during pregnancy?

I cheeses to avoid during pregnancy, so I am:

soft cheeses in mold with a white coating on the outside (which create a more humid environment, conducive to the proliferation of bacteria), such as brie, camembert, gorgonzola, taleggio. They are good only if eaten after cooking;
blue cheeses soft like Danish blue and roquefort (unless cooked)
any food based on raw milk.

I unpasteurized dairy products may contain pathogens, such as E. Coli or la Listeria: a bacterium that can cause an infection called listeriosis, potentially responsible for miscarriage, neonatal mortality and complications, meningitis, premature birth, septicemia and problems in the newborn. Often listeriosis in the mother is asymptomatic, but it can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta. In other cases the listeriosis can manifest itself in the third trimester of pregnancy with symptoms as:

temperature,
muscle aches,
general malaise,
lower back pain,
diarrhea,
nausea,
He retched.

Pregnant women have one 10 times more likely to develop listeriosis compared to the rest of the population. To reduce this risk, it is sufficient to avoid raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products: the pasteurization it is a process that brings food up to a certain temperature in order to eliminate harmful bacteria.

List of cheeses that can be eaten during pregnancy

Here is a final list of cheeses that are allowed to be consumed during pregnancy, without major risks:

all hard cheeses;
parmesan and parmesan;
ricotta, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, goat cheese with no white coating on the outside;
melted cheese spreads;
soft unpasteurized cheeses, cheeses with a white coating on the outside well cooked and blue cheeses only after cooking as long as they keep the heat;
pasteurized milk, yogurt, cream and ice cream.