Types of Cheese You Can Eat When Pregnant
Cheese is a great source of calcium and can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Keep in mind that some cheese can have a high fat content. Many varieties of cheese are safe to eat in pregnancy. There are some cheeses however, that aren't safe to eat because they are more likely to grow harmful bacteria such as listeria.
What cheeses can I eat and which cheeses should I avoid?
Soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as brie, camembert and chèvre (a type of goat's cheese), are not safe to eat if they are uncooked in pregnancy. This is the case whether they're made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk. Soft, uncooked, blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue cheese, gorgonzola and roquefort, are also unsafe to eat when you're pregnant. That's because these cheeses are more moist than others, which allows listeria bacteria to grow. If you become infected with listeria, you can get an illness called listeriosis, which may harm your unborn baby.
It is a rare condition though, so try not to worry if you've already eaten cheese that may not be safe. The risk to you and your baby is still low. Just stick to safe cheeses in the future to protect you and your baby.
The good news is that both soft, mould-ripened and soft, blue-veined cheeses can be enjoyed if you cook them thoroughly to kill any bacteria. For example, you can still enjoy some oven-baked camembert. Just make sure you've cooked the cheese until it's piping hot throughout, and not just melted.
Hard, blue-veined cheeses, such as stilton, are far less likely to contain listeria and are safe to eat even if they're made from unpasteurised milk.
In fact, all hard cheeses, whether they're made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk, are generally safe to eat.
Can I eat vegan cheese during pregnancy?
All vegan cheeses are generally safe to eat in pregnancy. However, some varieties can be highly processed and packed with additives and preservatives. Also vegan cheeses are often not good sources of protein, calcium or vitamin B12, though some brands do add these in. Try to choose a variety made from simple, whole-food ingredients, such as ground nuts or vegetables. The shorter the ingredient list, the better. You can even make your own vegan cheeses at home. There are lots of recipes available online, from vegan parmesan to cheese dips.
Foods to avoid in pregnancy
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Safe cheeses for pregnant women
All hard cheeses are safe to eat when you're pregnant, whether they're made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk. They can be smoked or unsmoked and include:
- caerphilly
- cheddar
- cheshire
- derby
- double gloucester
- edam
- emmental
- English goat's cheddar
- gouda
- gruyere
- havarti
- jarlsberg
- lancashire
- manchego
- orkney
- parmesan
- hard pecorino
- provolone
- red leicester
Soft, processed cheeses, if made with pasteurised milk, are also safe to eat. These include:
- cottage cheese
- cream cheese
- feta
- goat's cheese without rind
- halloumi
- mascarpone
- mozzarella
- paneer
- port salut
- processed cheese such as cheese spread and cheese segments
- quark
- ricotta
- roulade
Unsafe cheeses for pregnant women
Soft, mould-ripened cheeses are not safe to eat, whether they're made from pasteurised or unpasteurised milk, unless they are thoroughly cooked until piping hot. These include:
- brie
- blue brie
- baron bigod
- cambozola
- camembert
- chaumes
- chevre (goat's cheese with a white rind)
- pont l'eveque
- taleggio
- vacherin fribourgeois
Soft, blue-veined cheeses are also not safe to eat, whether they're made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk, unless they are thoroughly cooked until piping hot. These include:
- bergader
- bleu d'auvergne
- blue wensleydale
- shropshire blue
- Danish blue
- dolcelatte
- gorgonzola
- roncal
- roquefort
- tomme
Any soft cheeses made with unpasteurised milk aren't safe to eat unless they are thoroughly cooked until piping hot. These may be made from cow's, goat's or sheep's milk and include:
- chabichou
- pyramide
- torta del cesar
Read more
- Learn how to prevent food poisoning in pregnancy.
- Find out more about food safety when you're pregnant.
- Check out what's safe to eat and drink when you're breastfeeding.
Joanne Lewsley is a freelance copywriter and editor, and specialises in creating evidence-based parenting, health and lifestyle web content.
Types of Cheese You Can Eat When Pregnant
Source: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x3175/what-cheese-can-i-eat-during-pregnancy