Who doesn’t love seafood? All non vegetarians will agree that marine life has given us an extraordinary array of the most delicious foods known to mankind. And lobster, undoubtedly, is the king of the sea, at least as far as deliciousness is concerned. Most of us gorge on seafood every chance we get, and would probably do so a lot more if only our health permitted us. However, things change considerably during pregnancy, and we do have to wonder whether it would be a good idea to continue consuming seafood like crabs and lobster anymore. In this article, we will discuss how feasible it is to continue to eat lobster during the period of pregnancy, and if so, how much should be consumed.
Good for health
The good news is, there is really no harm in eating lobster once in a while. Quite apart from the fact that they are usually the more expensive variant of seafood, it is in fact a god idea to include them in your diet, because they contain a bunch of nutrients that is essential for your health and the healthy development of your baby. This holds true even if you are only planning to become pregnant; the nutrients in lobsters keep you healthy, which in turn increases your chances of conceiving. Lobster contains a wide range of nutrients from omega 3 fatty acids and a bunch of vitamins, all of which contribute to the good health of the mother as well as the baby in the womb.
How much to eat
It is important to keep in mind, however, that like everything else, overindulging in lobsters is not at all a good idea. Most fish and other seafood will contain some amount of mercury, which can be highly poisonous if taken in immoderate amounts. A little bit of ingestion will usually pose no harm at all, to either the mother or the baby, since it can be easily offset by eating other food. Eat lobster maybe once a week, but only if you really, really enjoy it, because the inclusion of lobster will mean that you will have to forgo a bunch of other kinds of seafood like clams, oysters, and mussels. Instead, mix things up; as long as you keep within the weekly limit of 12 ounces of seafood, you will be fine.
How to buy and eat
Be very careful of where you are getting your lobster from. If you are preparing your lobster at home, source it only from known sellers, so that you can keep a tab on the water body the lobster has been sourced from. Some water bodies have a higher concentration of mercury and other environmental pollutants, and that will have been absorbed by the lobster while it inhabited the waters. Check with your local fish advisory body for accurate details.
How to eat
Avoid frozen lobster since it will be host to a thriving colony of parasites, and steer clear of anything labeled, ‘smoked’, ‘kippered’, ‘jerky’, or ‘lox’. Never eat raw or under cooked lobster either to avoid contracting food borne illnesses like toxoplasmosis, salmonella, and listeriosis. Eat the lobster piping hot for the same reason.
Also read: What fish to eat and avoid in pregnancy?
You are recommended to eat more than the usual amount of seafood during your pregnancy, and lobster is a delicious way of meeting that demand. The best thing to do of course would be to prepare it at home, and as long as you are careful about how you prepare and eat it, you will be just fine.