Christmas is fast approaching, and being pregnant does not mean that you cannot indulge yourself during the long-awaited meal; on the contrary!
Foie gras and pregnancy? Smoked salmon? Seafood? Turkey? Cheese? Finding the right idea that is healthy, balanced, and safe for mom and baby is not always easy. So, how can you safely enjoy the holiday season while pregnant?
To answer it, Ocimum receives Océane, a dietician at Nutrikéo, during a live Facebook that you can find below if you missed it.
Océane, the nutrition specialist, gives you all her special advice for pregnant women to have a gourmet Christmas meal without feeling guilty! What to remember What foods should I avoid? And with which ones can we replace them during pregnancy?
AS A APERITIF / STARTER :
From the start of the meal, you will be able to delight your mother-to-be taste buds (try to save a little room to enjoy the whole meal!).
The main thing you need to remember here is to avoid raw foods in order to avoid the presence of bacteria.
So put aside this year raw fish, crustaceans, and other raw seafood… Among the foods concerned that you often find on holiday tables, we can mention fish eggs (trauma, caviar…), oysters, or smoked salmon.
Océane’s advice: To replace your smoked salmon or fish roe toast, opt for good eggplant caviar, tapenade, or petit fours. Of fir laminated dough are also easily achievable, garnish freely according to your desires (pesto, tomato sauce seasoned eggplant caviar …): there is something for everyone, what quickly make you forget your little toast Tarama!
If oysters are your guilty pleasure, switch to oysters au gratin!
LIVER GRAS AND PREGNANCY
And finally, fatty liver during pregnancy is not prohibited, but like all other foods, avoid consuming it raw. Fall for the pan-fried or cooked version; it’s just as good! The last tip, prefer sterilized foie gras: cooked at over 100 ° C, it no longer represents any danger.
So during your pregnancy, and even if granny’s foie gras is by far the best, prefer industrially sterilized foie gras.
Do you have any doubts? Pregnancy requires, do not hesitate to ask your host if his foie gras is well cooked.
FOR THE MAIN COURSE:
Here too, it is easy to indulge yourself without excess!
You can eat all kinds of meat (chicken, capon, beef…), but make sure it is well cooked, especially for your roast beef, to be tasted well cooked and not rare.
Also, favor lean meats to avoid excessively fatty meals and therefore bloating and poor digestion.
Océane’s advice: The traditional Christmas turkey is perfect to taste without feeling guilty since it is lean meat that contains a lot of protein. However, always check that your meat and stuffing are well cooked.
Regarding fish, remember that raw fish should be avoided. Océane also advises avoiding fish that easily store mercury, which can be a toxic substance (swordfish, monkfish, shark, etc.). Instead, indulge your taste buds with white fish! And for all the unconditional fans of smoked salmon, fall back happily on a good fresh salmon well cooked, in foil, or in a pan.
For the accompaniment, there is no contraindication: potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms … treat yourself! Just remember to wash your vegetables and salad well.
CHEESE AND PREGNANCY
Cheese during pregnancy is one of the small pleasures allowed, with some precautions!
During your pregnancy, certain cheeses should be avoided because they can promote the reproduction of bacteria, namely cheeses made from raw milk, unpasteurized soft cheeses, and bloomy rinds. The cheeses in question: Brie, Camembert, certain goat cheeses, or even Mont-Dore (As well as blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Bleu d’Auvergne).
Océane’s tip for cheese and pregnancy to go hand in hand: Fortunately, these cheeses can be eaten when cooked (mmh roasted camembert!), But there is also a multitude of other cheese choices.
Replace these with pasteurized milk cheeses, hard, cooked, and pressed cheeses. You can opt for Emmental, Cheddar, Gouda, cheese spread, goat cheese without flowery rind, or even Parmesan and Gruyere.
FOR DESSERT :
There too, you will be able to savor a good chocolate cake, fruit tarts, and not to mention the famous frozen Christmas log: take the opportunity to decorate it to announce the happy event to all your loved ones in an original way.
Océane’s advice: The only restriction for your dessert: avoid foods made with raw eggs, such as chocolate mousse and creams.
Instead, fall for fruit desserts! They bring you an appreciable freshness at the end of the meal and are often less rich in calories! Just be sure to wash your fruit well. Dried fruits are also a good idea: they are a good source of iron, which helps fight fatigue and contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system. Moderate, however, because they are very concentrated in sugars.
AND CÔT É DRINK?
Even if the small glass of champagne and all other alcoholic drinks are prohibited during pregnancy, you can indulge yourself with many non-alcoholic drinks. Sparkling water can also replace the bubbles in your champagne but consume in moderation to avoid bloating.
Océane’s advice: Treat yourself to non-alcoholic cocktails! They are easy to make by simply mixing fruit juices or by sliding a few frozen raspberries into sparkling water. Indeed, by moderating its consumption, sparkling water promotes digestion and prevents nausea.
The Oman team joins Océane to deliver its special future mom Christmas menu to you:
Drink: A delicious Mojito’mum accompanied by festive toast (tapenade, eggplant caviar, hummus)
And Ocimum even gives you his express recipe for this cocktail:
– 1 lime, 1 sprig of fresh mint
– 5 tablespoons of apple juice
– 1 can of sparkling water, crushed ice
– 1 tablespoon of cane sugar
Clean the lemon, cut half of it into small cubes, and put them in a glass. Add the fresh mint leaves cut with scissors. Pour in the juice of the remaining half a lemon, the apple juice, the cane sugar, and the sparkling water. Crush everything using a pestle. Finally, add on top of the crushed ice, and voila!
Starter: Gourmet butternut soup with chestnuts and pan-fried scallops
Right from the start, you’ll make people lie who think being pregnant at Christmas is complicated and boring!
Main course: Christmas turkey stuffed with its dried fruit stuffing accompanied by dauphine potatoes and a pan of porcini mushrooms
Cheese: Assortment of Comté, Gruyère, Emmental, Beaufort, and Parmesan (We remind you of the rule to be observed: only select cooked, pressed cheeses) accompanied by a little black cherry jam or honey.
Dessert: so there… We bet your imagination will be overflowing with original and irresistible ideas! The Oman team is waiting for your best recipes!
Then? Foie gras and pregnancy, aperitifs… we hope to have answered your main questions! Have you found any Christmas meal ideas now that you know how to enjoy them while pregnant?