Lunch Meat

[Anonymous]

Okay - I am 7 1/2 weeks pregnant and I didn't think that lunch meat was a big deal to eat... I just did a search on it and now I am a little worried. If I have lunch meat at home I usually zap it to heat it up, but last night I had a ham and cheese from a deli at the park... Please tell me there are other mom's out there that will have a sandwich. Also what are some other lunch options?

[boutros10va]

I will have a sandwich occasionally, so long as I trust the place that's making it (ie: deli meat is fresh/ lots of customers mean there is very little time for bacteria to settle on meat etc) and I actually see them make it.

That said, peanut butter is also always a good standby.

[Anonymous]

I certainly had more than a couple of club sandwiches (my favorite lunch item) before I knew that deli meat was on the "no list" and even now and then I'll give in have a roast beef sandwich if I feel that I can trust the place preparing it. With that said, I've definately switched to eating a TON of salads these days. For what it's worth, my doctor said that it's ok to use the lunch meat that you buy pre-packaged and sealed at the grocery store and make your own sadwiches. I've also resorted to doing a double-toasted sub at subway when I didn't have any other options. So long as the meat is thoroughly heated I don't think there is a concern. Right now my favorite lunches include potato soup (especially when nauseous), ceasar salad (make sure the dressing is pasturized), and when all else fails pizza. They're not the best of options, but they work! HTH!

[Anonymous]

I don't think lunch meat is a big deal at all, if you just use common sense about its source. Would I eat a ham sandwich that had been sitting outside at a picnic, or was hours old from sitting in a conference room or something? No. But I don't think going to Subway is likely to jeopardize your baby (and like a PP said, toasted or pre-packaged and bought at the grocery store is even more fine).

[Anonymous]

Ugh, I know it's not fun...I stayed away from lunch meat the whole time through 2 pregnancies because it was my one of my OBs two absolute no-nos (raw eggs was the other). That said, I know people who ate lunch meat more than once while pregnant. I also ate a lot of salads, peanut butter, bagels, and actually really like the roasted chicken breast at Subway. Congrats on your pregnancy...

[Anonymous]

I did not know about the lunch meat rules when I was pregnant in '02. I ate subway once a week. I had a good outcome, but I am being more careful this go around. I love Italian subs, so I take it home, remove the meat, warm it, cool it and then put it back on the sandwich. I know, it is a little over the top.

Your chances of contracting an infection from one meal are not very big.

[Anonymous]

I'm 37 weeks and have eaten lunch meat the whole time. In the first trimester, sandwiches were the only thing that ever sounded good to me for lunch, so I just got over it. And both of my docs (I switched early on) said that there has been like 1 known case of listeriosis (sp?) in their entire time in practice and the chances are extremeely low of anything bad happening to your baby from eatnig at Subway. Anyway, you won't be the only one if you have a ham sandwich.

[Anonymous]

One of the reasons my Dr. said to avoid lunch meat besides the (granted, small) risk of listeria or whatever, was that actually, lunch meat has very little nutrition--its mostly salt and water and not really much protein or nutrients. So when you are trying to get servings of protein, she said it really shouldn't count towards that as a full serving...

[Anonymous]

It's funny how doctors are all so different. The ones at my practice say deli meat is fine to eat. I ate sandwhiches throughout my first pregnancy and have been eating them again without worry.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there are other reasons to avoid lunch meat. They contain nitrates and really aren't that healthy. Especially ham and other high fat options. I've eaten a couple of turkey sandwiches (after heating), just because I really love them.

[Anonymous]

First of all, congrats! I was also worried about lunch meat when I first heard the preg books advise you not to eat it. I asked my doctor and he said not to worry but to go in moderation. Like another poster said, use your good judgment but don't feel you have to give it up entirely. There are enough other more important things to worry about! Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy!

[Anonymous]

I ate it with DS and I eat it with this pregnancy. Make sure that you find a reputable place to eat it from...and eat it promptly. Don't let it sit out for long, if it's sliced from a deli, eat it w/in a day or two. Else, nuke it in the microwave.

[Anonymous]

My OB said it was fine to eat lunch meat but just use common sense (i.e. don't eat lunch meat that has been sitting out all day). I still tried to avoid it but mainly because it was unappealling to me when I was pregnant.

[Anonymous]

My OB said that it is chock full of preservatives which is why he wanted me to avoid it.