Can you eat halloumi when pregnant?
DURING pregnancy, there are some foods that are best to avoid or limit because of possible risks to your baby.
While It can feel overwhelming, there are still plenty of things that you can eat if you are pregnant. Here we look at Halloumi.
Can you eat halloumi when pregnant?
You’re in luck as you ARE able to eat halloumi while pregnant.
However, it’s important to make sure that the cheese meets two simple criteria before eating.
- It’s fresh – that means it hasn’t been sat open in the fridge for a long period of time and is still within the expiry date.
- It’s made from pasteurized milk – this is milk that has been heated to kill off any bacteria. Supermarket cheese will tell you on the pack if it contains this.
As most people tend to cook halloumi, it will mean that anything not killed by pasteurization or brine is very unlikely to make it to the plate.
Overall halloumi is a particularly safe cheese to eat while pregnant.
What cheeses should you avoid when pregnant?
There aren’t many kinds of cheese that you must avoid while pregnant.
Most, if pasteurized and/or cooked until piping hot, are normally ok.
The cheeses that you should be more cautious with include:
- Mould-ripened soft cheeses. These include camembert, brie, and some types of goat’s cheese. While you should avoid eating them raw, they are safe if they’re baked.
- Soft blue cheeses. These include gorgonzola or Roquefort. Blue cheeses are mostly fine as long as they’ve been cooked.
- Any unpasteurized cheese. Sheep’s cheese, goat, or cow.
So hard cheeses, hot cheeses, and pasteurized cheeses are safe options – just make sure they’re fresh.
What foods should you avoid during pregnancy?
Eating a variety of healthy food is good for you and your baby while pregnant.
But there are some foods you should not eat because they might make you ill or harm your baby.
The main foods to avoid include:
- soft cheeses
- undercooked or raw meat, fish and seafood
- pre-prepared or unwashed fruits and vegetables
- soft-serve ice cream
- undercooked or raw eggs
- unpasteurised milk
- alcohol
Foods to limit include:
- caffeine
- fish
- liver