Tuna for lunch or no??

[GolfAddict]

I have been craving the tuna salad sandwich from the deli next door to my work. I'm pretty sure it isn't a good quality tuna.

Should I go for it? Or not?

[MaerynPearl]

According to every source I have seen... you do not have to avoid tuna, just not eat too much of it.

By not good quality though, do you mean you think it will make you sick or its not albacore or what?

because if you think it will make you sick... no dont get it. ew. lol.

but if you are just afraid of mercury content... the less expensive tuna tends to actually have less mercury content

in which case I say... have a sandwich. Then wait a few days/week or so before having another.

[WifeofAnt]

Regular Light Tuna is fine but try to avoid Albacore Tuna. It should say right on the can what kind it is.

[Qbear'smama]

I agree with MP, I have had cravings for tuna sandwiches here and there and when you eat something you're craving, ahhhhhh it's heaven!! Go for it!!

[lillymonster]

i eat tuna every few weeks. I oddly have been craving it this pregnancy, but I do make sure to wait a few weeks between eating it. I think one sandwich is fine, unless you mean bad quality as a not clean restaurant! Then don't eat it

[GolfAddict]

I meant the quality probably wasn't the "best" because it is just a small deli that probably uses all generic brand meats, cheeses, etc. I don't think they are using Boar's Head with no nitrites, etc.

but if you are just afraid of mercury content... the less expensive tuna tends to actually have less mercury content

I actually thought I read somewhere not too long that the white albacore tuna had the most mercury when they tested several different types.

Thanks!!

[myk]

yup, i'd go for it. especially cheap tuna, it tends to be "light" tuna rather than "white" or "albacore", which comes from a smaller animal and therefore has less mercury. it's not like you're eating it daily, you're satisfying a craving on an occasional basis.

[DanielleT]

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pre...ishmercury.htm

There's a list here of sea food such as tuna that you can eat, how much and how often...good resource!!

[Carolina Kel]

The preggo in me agrees with the PP's about the albacore vs. regular tuna.

The former food/restaurant inspector in me says if you don't think the place is preparing their foods in a safe manner, stay away. Tuna salad, especially if it's made on-site, can be one of those things that can get you sick if it's not made and cooled properly. If you're in a larger city, you can sometimes get copies of inspection reports from the health department or they might be available on-line.

An FYI about cleanliness... there is a difference between "dirty" and "scary" when it comes to how a restaurant handles its food.

Dirty is just that... dirt. Some places have excellent food handling practices (foods are kept at the proper temps, cooked properly, cooled properly, cross contamination is avoided, no sick food workers) but have dirt or grease or some other "temporary" problem that can be fixed with a good cleaning session.

Scary is a whole different animal... When foods aren't kept at the proper temperature (40F or below for cold foods, 140F or above for hot foods), are cooled down improperly, aren't reheated safely, are handled by sick food workers or have had some contamination from raw animal products - those risk factors are going to get you sicker with something serious (think listeria, salmonella, botulism, etc.) much faster than a little crud on the counters.

Trust me on this one... sometimes the nicest and cleanest looking places have the most troubles in the kitchen where you can't see.

Now that y'all are thoroughly grossed out, Bon Appétit!

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by Carolina Kel

An FYI about cleanliness... there is a difference between "dirty" and "scary" when it comes to how a restaurant handles its food.

having worked several places I can tell you... the places where we were forced to worry more about keeping everything clean looking vs. actually handling food properly were not places I would eat.

[Blanca78]

Yeah, what I'd worry about is not so much the mercury content but the fact that it's a deli salad--you don't know how long it's been sitting in the case, etc.

[Aliy]

i'd go get a sandwich

[ryleeee]

Originally Posted by Aliy

i'd go get a sandwich

me too!!

[JFTB1177]

Just do what I do and when I get a tuna sand craving I make it at home so I KNOW it's safe! Everyone on here knows what a worrywart I am so for me to eat one says a lot lol. Just buy the regular tuna in water (NOT the albacore!), and get mayo that is new or at least hasn't been sitting in the fridge too long. Then you'll know that everything is fresh and that the tuna you are using is ok.

[houseofblues]

In my mind the benefits of eating seafood and the omega 3s during pregnancy outweigh any risks.

Light tuna (not albacore) has very little mercury in it, and canned salmon has even less and it has WAY more omega 3's!

Just substitute canned salmon for canned tuna in any recipe.

[boogiebearlove]

Tuna is good for you! I don't know what you mean by "good quality", but I eat Starkist from a can and I'm okay. You can eat it a few times a week, as long as it isn't albacore. Eat albacore only once a week, because it's higher in mercury.

[tracymom1]

Originally Posted by Aliy

i'd go get a sandwich

Exactly!

[Apple Girl]

Dang it, now I want tuna!

[HRJ]

I am working w/ a nutritionist b/c of being gluten free/casein free while PG. She says 'no' on tuna. She really pushes wild Alaskan salmon, and I think she said cod?

[hollytheteacher]

I'm literally eating a tuna melt on a bagel as I read this thread! lol.

I was also told to stick to the light non-albacore stuff and i'd be fine.

I've been having tuna about once a week. I've also had Salmon about once a week. For some reason i've been majorly craving both this time around. I think this baby will come out quite the seafood lover lol.