can i eat omelet in pregnancy

Can I eat omelet during pregnancy?


Pregnancy is a magical time for most women. You are looking forward to when you will be holding the baby in your arms for the first time. You are positively glowing with all the hormones pumping through your body, and you have been advised to eat more than you usually did, which means you are finally off that skimpy diet you hated with all your heart anyway! But, speaking of diets, did you realize when you first became pregnant how many things were to go off your list? And there is so much conflicting information around regarding food that you don’t even know what is safe and what isn’t! Take eggs, for instance. You love them boiled, scrambled, and fried, especially fried, but now that you are pregnant, should you eat them anymore?

It’s required, in moderation

The news is both good and bad, actually. Fried eggs, or omelets, are actually very safe to eat during pregnancy. They are a great source of protein, and definitely better if you consider the meaty alternatives. And if you are a vegetarian (though hopefully not a vegan), then you really need to rely on eggs quite a bit to get your required nutrition. But, just like everything else on your pregnancy menu, you should really not go overboard with your fried eggs either. There is no harm in eating a few a week, but it is never a good idea to make a whole lunch or dinner entirely with omelets.



Small amounts to avoid cholesterol

The problem with eggs, despite their great protein content, is that they have a pretty high amount of cholesterol and fat. Although you do need some amounts of healthy fat in your body while you are pregnant, gaining too much weight will lead to a whole new bunch of problems for you and your baby. Eating too many eggs will lead to an unhealthy deposition of cholesterol in your body, which will take up residence in your veins and around your organs. And fried eggs will only add to that since you need oil to fry the eggs, and even the healthiest oils, in immoderate amounts, can lead to multiple health issues.

Deep fried to avoid salmonella

Yet another problem with eggs is that they can be very generous hosts to a dangerous bacterium called salmonella. Salmonella takes up residence in uncooked meat, fish, and dairy products, and can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, food poisoning, and several other forms of gastrointestinal problems. This will affect the pregnant woman especially hard since her immunity is already compromised. Therefore, sunny side up, half poached, or half fried eggs are a strict no-no for the pregnant woman. The entire egg needs to be well fried and kept in heat for a long time, and eaten piping hot. The eggs must be fresh, because the longer it has been sitting on the shelf, the bigger the parasitic colony is.

Also read: Can I eat rice during pregnancy?

The best way to eat your eggs is of course hard boiling them. That way, you are certain that there are no thriving colonies of bacteria, and definitely no oil at all. You can also opt for the egg white, which is actually the nutritious part. And if you are really looking forward to eating some omelets, why don’t you go for the egg white omelet instead of the whole fried version? Of course, this might not really be the ideal choice, but that is a compromise we can safely make for those nine months.