Once you announce the news of your pregnancy to the world, you are likely to be bombarded with a host of information about what to eat and what to avoid. All that you hear and see will probably leave you quite confused; to make matters worse, many of these information will be eminently contradictory.
On top of that, you will be plagued with constant cravings; all your weight loss diet plans will go out of the window as you constantly find yourself digging into bowls of ice cream, or longing to stop at the drive thru to take home and gorge on some terribly greasy and sinfully delicious takeout. And if you have ever eaten at KFC, you will know the temptation their food holds, pregnant or not. Being pregnant will make you think twice about ordering, but it is tough to keep temptation at bay.
Now and then is OK
The good news is, there is no harm in eating at KFC a few times during your pregnancy. Like everything else, KFC is also something you can eat as long as you don’t go overboard with it; order very small quantities, don’t let your whole meal consist of the takeout, and definitely do not make it a habit. Check if you feel queasy or notice anything abnormal after you eat the food once; if you do, steer clear of them for the duration of your pregnancy. If not, eat out about once a month, in minuscule quantities. It is unlikely that any harm will be caused by small amounts.
Valid health concerns
There are quite a few concerns with eating at KFC during your pregnancy, of course, and most of them are pretty valid. To begin with, KFC is, obviously, all fried food, both the vegetarian and non vegetarian options. Fried foods offer very little to no nutrition, and they can make you feel very ill with all the bloating and gas they will probably lead to. Besides, every pregnant woman knows the troubles she faces with her metabolism and digestion, and even small amounts can cause a lot of digestive issues, leading to cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. Besides, it will also make you gain undue weight, but that will happen only if you overdo on KFC.
The MSG scare
The biggest concern with KFC, of course, is their usage of MSG in their products. There is a lot of information to be found regarding the ill effects of MSG on the general health, and the health of the pregnant mother and her unborn child in particular. However, it would be very difficult to avoid MSG in general, especially since it is found in many packaged foods such as noodles. On the other hand, there is no conclusive proof and no scientific study baking the claim that MSG is harmful for the pregnant woman and her child, so this may as well be an unfounded claim.
Also read: Can I eat fish during pregnancy?
The desire to eat KFC is pretty common, whether you are pregnant or not. And there are actually many women who will say that they ate at KFC now and then during their pregnancy, and are none the worse for it. The bottom-line is, again, to stay in your limits.