Is Pork Good For Pregnancy? Here's What Mums-to-Be Need to Know

Can you eat pork while pregnant? Is it okay to have a hearty bite of your favourite pork floss buns?

Eating a balanced diet is essential while you are pregnant. You are not just eating for yourself, but for the little one growing inside you. So it is important that you know what types of food to focus on, and which ones to avoid. 

While you get more allowance because you’re eating for two, it is still best to monitor and ensure healthy weight gain. This is so you can avoid pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, and ensure your baby’s development and growth.

And while there are clear-cut food and beverages to avoid like alcohol, there are still grey areas that need to be covered in terms of what a pregnant woman can eat and include in her diet. 

This article will focus on pork, which is generally regarded as the less healthy type of meat. So if you’re wondering when it’s safe to eat pork during pregnancy–if in the first trimester or last–you’ve come to the right place. 

Can You Eat Pork While Pregnant? What’s Safe

It contains protein, yet it also contains fat. So expectant mums are sometimes confused about including this juicy meat in their diet. Is pork good for pregnancy? 

It is safe to eat pork while pregnant, provided that it is cooked thoroughly. It must have an internal temperature of 75℃ or 165℉. This means you should avoid eating pork that is undercooked, still has a pink hue or has any trace of blood.

It is a good time to invest in a food-grade thermometer, especially if you cook your own food at home. Meanwhile, when dining out, make sure you tell the server that you want your pork cooked “well done.”    

Food-Related Illnesses When Eating Pork While Pregnant

When you’re pregnant, you have a weaker immune system and have a greater risk of getting sick from bacteria from the environment, and even the food you eat. 

Raw and undercooked pork have higher chances of containing bacteria that can cause illnesses and may potentially harm your baby.

Common bacteria found in pork include listeria, salmonella, staph aureus, and e.coli. Out of all these, listeria is a cause for concern as this can severely harm the foetus. 

You also have a risk of getting toxoplasmosis if you eat raw and undercooked meat like pork. It can lead to serious complications when it spreads to your baby, and even cause miscarriage.

You must also be careful of catching trichinosis, an infection with symptoms like headache, eye swelling, stomach pain, muscle aches, and chills. You can get trichinosis when you eat pork contaminated with trichinella worm larvae.

That is why it is important to always make sure you eat pork that is well-cooked and when possible, freshly prepared. 

Benefits of Eating Pork During Pregnancy

As long as you are eating well-cooked pork while pregnant, there is nothing to worry about. In fact, there are many health benefits to including pork in your diet. You can even eat pork during early pregnancy, in the first trimester.

Meat, including pork, is an excellent source of protein. Aside from that, pork also has a lot of vitamins and minerals including: 

• Vitamin B6 – essential in forming red blood cells
• Vitamin B12 – is important in brain function and blood formation. A deficiency can cause neuron damage and anaemia. This vitamin is important in the first trimester, as your baby is experiencing rapid growth.
• Iron – needed for red blood cell production and preventing anaemia
• Zinc – for a healthy brain and immune system
• Selenium – essential mineral, a powerful antioxidant
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin – for growth and metabolism
• Phosphorus – for body maintenance and growth

Moreover, pork also contains collagen, gelatin, and glycine. These also have health benefits. 

Research has shown that collagen and its cousin gelatin help in reducing joint pains, which are common in pregnancy. 

Meanwhile, amino acid glycine is essential during the late stages of pregnancy. Consuming enough glycine helps in making enough proteins, which is important in the baby’s health and growth in your womb. 

ALSO READ:

Nutrients and Vitamins Needed By Mums During Pregnancy

Here’s What You Should Remember About Drinking Green Tea During Pregnancy

Dieting During Pregnancy? All You Need To Know About Vegetarian, Pescatarian, and Gluten-free Diet

Types of Pork to Eat and Avoid While Pregnant

When eating leftovers stored in the refrigerator, make sure pork is heated to 75℃ or 165℉.

You Can Eat Pork While Pregnant. What Food Should You Avoid?

• Raw meat like beef, chicken, and other types of poultry
• Raw seafood
• Cold chicken or turkey found in salad bars or pre-packaged sandwiches
• Store-bought sushi
• Soft and semi-soft types of cheese like feta, brie, camembert, and ricotta
• Raw eggs in food such as in homemade mayonnaise, aioli, pancake batter, cookie dough, chocolate mousse, or cake batter
• Pre-prepared salad (make them at home, washing ingredients thoroughly)
• Raw bean sprouts including Alfalfa, radish, broccoli, onion, clover, sunflower, soybean, and mungbean
• Raw and unpasteurized dairy including milk, yoghurt, and cream

Food to Eat While Pregnant

• Foods rich in folic acids like green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, bread, pasta, and citrus fruits
• Calcium-rich foods like pasteurized milk and yoghurt, hard cheese, sardines, salmon, and green leafy vegetables
• Foods rich in iron including meat, fish, poultry, dried beans, peas, and iron-fortified cereals
• Protein-rich foods like pork, beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dried beans, peas, nuts, and tofu 

Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.