Sausage in pregnancy: when you can eat it in peace

The benefits of eating meat during pregnancy

Why should meat never be missing on the table of a pregnant woman? Because unlike everyday life, when the choice to consume meat refers to a question of ideology, for a future mother the substances contained in this delicious second are essential for the development of the child.

Meat is in fact rich in noble proteins, B vitamins, mineral salts such as potassium and magnesium and above all iron. All great for growing strong and healthy the little one you carry in your belly.
And how can those who don't like meat provide these benefits to the fetus? There are alternative foods such as legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas) which are a source of plant-based proteins and poorer in amino acids than animal-based proteins. To replace meat, the expectant mother can consume a portion of legumes alongside cereals such as pasta and rice.

Now that you understand that meat is a good ally to have in your weekly diet, know that there are rules to follow in order to be able to consume it safely: the first and most important is that during pregnancy the meat must be well cooked because the blood inside it could carry the toxoplasmosis bacterium, toxoplasma gondii. Toxo is an "infection to avoid for those who are expecting a child since it causes serious consequences in the pregnant woman and especially in the child.
Another rule to keep in mind is the type of meat to choose; it is better to opt for the white meat of chicken, turkey and rabbit, to the detriment of the red one. This second type should in fact be consumed about 1 or 2 times the week, because it is richer in saturated fats that can trigger cholesterol and circulation problems for the mother.

So, in light of this, can you eat pork when you are pregnant, such as sausage?

Sausages and pork in pregnancy: yes or no?

Expectant pork is not ideal. It is rich in bacteria and is poorly digested by a pregnant woman.
That said, it does not mean that pork is one of the foods to avoid in 9 months, but it is simply to be eaten with due care. Cooked ham (which is obtained from the pork leg), for example, is the only cold cut that can be safely eaten by pregnant mothers. And what about sausages?

The answer is, it depends! It depends on the type of meat and the type of cooking it was subjected to.
Sausage tends to be a safe food to enjoy in this period of life, but like any other meat-based food, it must be cooked at the right temperature and in the appropriate way: the ideal cooking of a sausage for a pregnant woman is what she sees. also the center completely cooked, and which therefore no longer has juices inside.
As you well know, the sausage has a particular shape and cooking is not always successful, and perhaps this is where the doubt arises whether to eat its meat or not when you are pregnant.
Fortunately, this cooking problem is easily solved: you can cook the inside of a sausage well by cutting it in half vertically, or by piercing the surface with a fork and pricking. some water will be even more delicious.

The sausage cooked during pregnancy provides a lot of iron and a lot of protein, while it is highly not recommended to eat raw sausage. Sausages contain all nine types of amino acids (phenylalanine, isoleucine, histidine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan), making it a healthy choice even for those who are pregnant. Not only that, thanks to the mix of vitamin B12, iron and zinc, it will help develop hemoglobin in the blood and prevent possible anemia.

Contraindications to eating pork sausage when pregnant

Pork sausage, which is in fact a waste from the processing of the finest cuts, can be relatively dangerous in pregnancy, but only if the right precautions are not followed.

Raw sausages are definitely to be avoided, like any other type of raw meat, in order not to run into the bacterium of listeria. Listeria monocytogenes is found in water and on soil, and it is vital that the meat is cooked properly to kill it: the recommended temperature is 160-170 °.

In addition to the issue of improper cooking, eating sausage when pregnant can help reinforce some typical gestational ailments:

• heartburn and slow digestion, typical of the third trimester of pregnancy and accentuated by the spices used in spicy sausages. If you suffer from these disorders, it is best to avoid eating sausages until delivery. Consider that in these last stages the baby grows a lot and the uterus will consequently press on the stomach, causing acidity;
• excess salt, which is quite present in the food and which should be limited during pregnancy. Prefer pork with a low sodium content: the salt value in sausages can vary from 100 mg to almost 2 g;
• weight gain, prompted by the fatty part of the sausage. Two medium sausages contain 170 calories and 15g of fat, which is quite a lot when consumed regularly. The extra pounds are the hardest to get rid of after pregnancy!

How then to eat it safely? Below we give you some tips to continue keeping it in your diet as a future mother.

Tips to eat sausage safely during pregnancy

If you follow some precautions you will have no problems!

On top of all there is the perfect cooking of the food: the minimum is 70 ° for 4/5 minutes. Temperatures easy to reach with any type of cooking, from the grill to the pan. You can eat chicken and turkey sausage to vary a little from pork, if you like.
If the sausage is large, you can get it cooked more evenly by cutting it in half or into small pieces.

We also recommend that you consume the sausages when they are hot. If not, reheat them until they reach the right temperature. A similar argument applies to the preservation of food: in general, but especially during pregnancy, keep it in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days to preserve its freshness and make sure it is a food with a valid origin.

Is it possible to consume sausage as an ingredient, perhaps combined with pizza or a sandwich?
Of course, but even in these cases the cooking time is what matters. If you are outside, ask for it well done, only in this way will you avoid the risk of toxoplasmosis.

To end our article on the subject, here are which sausages you should always avoid when pregnant.

Sausage preparations to avoid in pregnancy

• Fried sausage
• Smoked sausage
• Dried sausage (uncooked)
• Raw chorizo

In the first and second cases it is a question of the heaviness of the food and inadequate cooking (in smoking the degrees are between 40 and 70, too few), while the dry ones are not recommended because part of the processing procedures may not eliminate all bacteria.
Finally, the chorizo ​​if it is raw is to be totally avoided, but if cooked correctly you can eat it.