Listera from cold subs? REALLY? Question about Train food saftey, too

[gummibears]

Wow, just wow. I'm seeing how scary things could have been with DS. I ate loads of fish with him. No clue fish sticks carried mercury (when I say loads, I mean days in a row of it!)

Now I see no cold meat subs? What? I ate those like mad from Subway with DS on board. So, now I see the cubed meat I threw in a salad last night is also a no-no (unless I steam it and who steams cubed meats for a cold salad?). *sigh* I was trying to eat more meat for protine that I'm severely lacking in diet, and now look what happened. I can even bet with ds I had salads where I didn't wash the lettuce down, too since it was bagged, which I did last night as well. UGH! This is frustrating.

I'm not going to overly worry about the risk from the one salad as I mentioned I ate more than 3 subs in the first trimester and beyond with son, but, wow. This just stinks. I'm not gonna do that again, either. Just, yeah.

In addition, this REALLY puts a cramp on what I can eat on the train next month. What would YOU choose? They have hot dogs, subs, breakfast sandwiches, and so on things like this, and they can be heated, but in a microwave (and in sealed bags, so they ARE hot when served sometimes too hot - is this enough? If it's not I'm baffled how we can eat because it's 16 hours no stopping to get off anywhere and I gotta eat something other than bagged chips that we will buy before boarding the train!

[nova22]

I don't worry too much about things like that. Listeria is just as common when you're pregnant as when you're not. I ate Subway food like crazy during one or two of my pregnancies and never suffered from it; they clean their meat slicers thoroughly, no one wants to be sued for giving someone food poisoning or in trouble for failing a health inspection.

I'd bring some snacks with you and then use your judgment on the train. I got some Planters Omega-3 mix at Target that I really like. It has chocolate covered soybeans, dried cranberries, and walnuts. It's great to keep in the car so if I get hit with a sudden wave of hunger, I have something semi-substantial right next to me to hold me over until I can eat something bigger later. Out of the things you listed I'd choose subs over hot dogs or breakfast sandwiches but I really think you'd be okay either way.

[gummibears]

I think I'll check into that mix and maybe add in a trail mix, too. I don't want all bad for you stuff to tide me over, but eating only on the train would cost a mint (a hot dog alone no drink is $4!)

There's still a few weeks to think on this and I'll bring it up in my next visit as well and see what my doctor has to say.

As for it just as common when not as when pregnant, really? I was reading up on it earlier and like most things, it says it's more common due to compromised immunity. Odd.

[GolfAddict]

I, personally, wouldn't worry too much. I've been having about 1 of those items once a week. And I think if the choice was a sub (with veggies and cheese as well) versus a completely nutritionally void bag of chips....I would choose the sub. I think the majority of folks on this board subscribe to the theory of "everything in moderation".

But, like the pp, I would definitely bring some snacks with me. I try to always carry something with me because I just never know when the hunger (and nausea if hunger isn't satisfied) will kick in.

[finnegansmom]

why not bring some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or some other snacks? Even just some fresh bagels and a little container of hummus?
I get skeeved out easily by food places that you might find on a train or a plane and I'm a vegetarian, but back before sept 11 when you could bring food and stuff on a plane, I fly to sicily once and brought breads, hummus, baby carrots, LOL. I was the envy of my cabin.
I would bring some waters too, unless you want to pay $4 for a bottle...

[jeminijad]

I eat deli meats and raw milk products, if I feel confident about their preparation/storage conditions. If you look the world over, different cultures have all of these prohibitions about what pregnant women should and shouldn't eat...

As far as the train... no idea.

[MaerynPearl]

i second everything said

plus... fish sticks are usually fine as they are made from farmed fish or freshwater fish, not deep ocean fish.

For cold deli meats, usually your local health department will have a list of the ratings of some of the local places. I refuse to shop/eat anywhere with lower than a 98 (just out of personal experience working in several foodservice places... 98+ is usually run by someone who is strict about health code)

When moving down here, 1100 miles from where I lived my whole life, I checked health department ratings before deciding where to shop. I am now extremely comfortable buying from the deli we picked or visiting the certain resturaunts we picked... that they are likely run by people who care about the food safety, and thus about the customers health.

[gumshoegirl007]

While listeria may be a risk for all, if you do happen to come in contact with it as a pregnant person, you're 20x more likely to contract it. You may or may not get sick, but your baby could get really sick and die. The thing about listeriosis is that the contamination can happen anywhere in the food process. While your local deli/store may be clean, it can happen at the manufacturing plant. Last year around 20 people died here because of a listeria contamination that started at the Maple Leaf plant.

Yes, I still eat lunch meat and hot dogs. But, I'll only eat it after it's been seriously heated up to kill any of the bad bacteria.

[Jenne]

I have eaten lunch meat and passed up lunch meat while pregnant. It is all psychological for me. I'm not worried about getting listeria but psychologically some places "seem" cleaner then others. If you are on the train and want a deli sandwich...have it. If you don't, don't. But I'm "reckless!" and would eat unpasteurized milk and cheese too. I figure bad things happen but for the most part human beings and pregnant women couldn't be as delicate as some believe or we would be extinct! In 1920 people ate ham and pepperoni and preserved meats and lived.

Jenne

[EnchantedMamma]

If anything, I would avoid salad.

A local processing plant here was shut down after 10 people were sickened (5 elderly died) from listeria traced back to their produce.

I know someone mentioned this before. Something about European doctors being more lax in some areas but telling women to avoid salad bars/salad.

For me, I eat salad at home but will not be doing any more salad bar trips or fast food salads!

[Cujobunny]

Mmmmm now I really want a sub.....

[pregnant@40]

I ate a lot of subs during the first trimester, but asked them to heat up the meat. Unsure if that helps.

Listeria infection usually will not be recognized by the mother (ie. intact immune system), but can cause stillbirth to the fetus.

[pregnant@40]

Originally Posted by EnchantedMamma

If anything, I would avoid salad.

A local processing plant here was shut down after 10 people were sickened (5 elderly died) from listeria traced back to their produce.

I know someone mentioned this before. Something about European doctors being more lax in some areas but telling women to avoid salad bars/salad.

For me, I eat salad at home but will not be doing any more salad bar trips or fast food salads!

Any food sitting out in a food bar is supposed to be avoided during pregnancy, in fact.

[spargel]

Bring your own food on the train. Not only will it be healthier, but it will taste way better too. Whether pregnant or not, I always bring my own food on trains and planes. That way I always have a good option if the food stinks, and it usually does.