Is It Ok to Eat Boiled Crawfish While Pregnant
From the vast seafood collection of your favorite meals, can you eat crawfish while pregnant?
The diet of a pregnant woman is particular.
You need to ensure that whatever you are eating contains all the nutrients that you will need as your body changes.
In addition, you also need to be sure that whatever you eat is not harmful to you or your baby.
Pregnant women are usually advised to stay away from fish as it can adversely affect the baby.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule, especially when it comes to crayfish.
So, if you're wondering if you can eat crayfish while pregnant, this is what you should keep in mind.
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What Is Crayfish?
Also popularly known as crawfish, mudbugs, and crawdads.
Crayfish can go by many names depending on the region where they are.
This fish is a type of freshwater crustacean that most closely resembles a small lobster.
Cooking crawfish is quite simple. It just requires either boiling or steaming.
When boiling, just do this for 15 minutes and let it rest for another 15 minutes before you dig in.
You can eat crawfish on its own without any accompaniments or with other meals.
If you love spices, you can also add your favorite spices for more flavor.
Can You Eat Crawfish While Pregnant?
Considering the great constrictions of meals when pregnant, especially fish, it is not hard to see why would be concerned whether crawfish is a safe meal during pregnancy.
The short answer to this is yes, provided that the crayfish is well cooked.
Most of the time, fish is best avoided when you're pregnant.
It contains lots of harmful bacteria when not cleaned, cooked, or stored correctly.
You and your baby run the risk of being affected and getting really sick if you're not careful about the fish you eat while pregnant.
On the other hand, crayfish contains numerous benefits for a pregnant mother and her baby.
Crayfish is an excellent source of lean protein and is relatively low in fat and cholesterol.
There is very little mercury in crayfish, which is a huge plus when you're pregnant.
It is also a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, such as niacin, copper, iron, and selenium, which are crucial as your body undergoes all the changes that come with pregnancy.
It is recommended that pregnant women eat at least 240g of low mercury shellfish like crayfish weekly as part of their diet.
However, you should be careful not to overindulge as this may cause a build-up of mercury in your body, which is absorbed by the baby through the placenta.
It may lead to congenital disabilities and other developmental problems later on for your baby.
When you're eating crayfish while pregnant, you can make sure it's safe in the following ways:
- Be sure that you cook the crayfish thoroughly. The right cooking temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This is easily achievable when you boil the crayfish and the chances of undercooking it is very rare.
- Although the crawfish itself contains very little mercury, it can be unsafe if it comes from a very polluted area. Always make sure that you know where your crayfish came from before you eat it.
As much as you may like to eat whatever your heart desires, it is not always possible when you're pregnant.
You need to consider many things before you consume anything, particularly when it comes to crayfish.
So can you eat crayfish while pregnant?
Yes, provided that you are careful and follow the laid down guidelines to keep you and your baby safe.
Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She's an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.
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Is It Ok to Eat Boiled Crawfish While Pregnant
Source: https://www.parentalquestions.com/can-you-eat-crawfish-while-pregnant/