It is extremely important to eat the most nutrient dense foods during your pregnancy to aid the healthy growth of your developing baby. Therefore, it is essential that you make a diet chart that has the most balance components, and does not put too much or too little of any item. Usually, protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and eggs are highly recommended in certain amounts during pregnancy, this leniency does not extend to all types of meat. For instance, raw or undercooked meats are a strict no-no, and deli meats are also out of bounds for the pregnant woman. Similarly, red meat is also a little bit of a grey area. Arguably, there is no good time to indulge in large buckets of beef and mutton, but pregnancy is a time you should be extra careful in.
Avoid undercooked beef
The most important thing to keep in mind is the type of beef that you intend to have. To begin with, do not eat any kind of raw or undercooked meat, and this extends to beef as well. Raw or undercooked meat acts as a great host to a colony of germs known as listeria, which is extremely harmful for the baby and can be potentially fatal for both the fetus and the mother. Listeria causes listeriosis, which can lead to still births, miscarriages, and severe developmental defects in the baby. Besides, it is also known to cross the placenta, which can lead to infections that can get impossible to recover from.
Eat it hot
Another type of meat that you should not eat is deli meat, for the same reasons stated above. If, however, you do buy deli meat, make sure that it is piping hot when you eat it. Avoid freezing the meat for too long since any kinds of bacteria can grow on cold meat that will not die even in the coldest of temperatures. For this reason, you need to buy the meat in small amounts and cook and eat them immediately, or in a few hours.
Make it yourself
For the time being, avoid buying cooked meat. You do not know how old the beef that has been used is, or how hygienic or otherwise the cooking conditions were. Although it might seem a daunting task, try to cook as much as possible at home for those few months. If you are too tired to cook, and must get some prepared food, get it from the most familiar of sources.
Also read: Can I eat chicken during pregnancy?
The good news is, however, that there is no reason to assume that you cannot eat beef when you are pregnant. Of course, there are a number of health concerns associated with beef that will make you skeptical of eating it, but it also has its own share of a considerable number of health benefits. Therefore, all you have to do is exercise some caution about the kind of beef preparation that you are having, the kind of meat you are buying, and the amount you are consuming, and you will be all set to enjoy the occasional beef. The key, like anything else, is moderation.