Is it safe to eat raw veggies while pregnant?

[JFTB1177]

I LOVE raw veggies but have been avoiding them during this PG after reading info on the net stating there is risk of toxo or listeria by eating raw veggies. But this morning I made a bagel & cream cheese and put slices of (washed) tomato on it and omg it was heavenly!!! I feel like everything I like (sushi, feta/goat cheese, raw fruits and veggies, egg nog lol etc) is off limits and my diet during pregnancy is BORING and tbh, not as healthy as when I'm NOT pregnant!

Anyone here eat raw veggies during PG?

[sosurreal09]

that is ludacris who told you you cant eat raw fruit and veggies?

[DanielleT]

Oh my Goodness; I have never heard you can't eat them...I've heard you must wash them well before you eat them but yeah never that you shouldnt'...

[Amber1218]

Raw veg is great when you're pregnant. I know that since I failed my glucose test, my midwife really pushed for half my diet to be raw veg. Hope you find the support you're looking for! Take care!

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

that is ludacris who told you you cant eat raw fruit and veggies?

 I can't remember exactly what sites, but I read on the net that you have to be very careful, and that scared the crap out of me! :(

[MyFullHouse]

99% of the vegetables eaten in this house are raw.  My kids prefer them that way, and I hate to cook, lol.

Of course, it's always important to wash fruits and vegetables well, including those labeled "prewashed".

My personal weakness this pregnancy has been bruchetta.  Lots of raw tomatoes in my belly!

[Beverly]

I think if you were to eat only one type of food during pregnancy (or ever, really), I'd think raw vegetables would be the best! :)

[lillymonster]

not to sound snarky, but don't animals eat raw veggies? Aren't there communities that eat veggies more than cooked meats - how would they have survived and been able to breed? Or would toxo or listeria not be present in those situations? I am just not sure why they wouldn't be safe. I think washing is very important, but I think more because of modern day farming techniques would be harmful then the risk of toxo or listeria.

[Liora]

Originally Posted by Beverly 

I think if you were to eat only one type of food during pregnancy (or ever, really), I'd think raw vegetables would be the best! :)

Amen!

[OakTreeMom]

I agree with everyone.  My Dr said to eats lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Just wash them really well before eating.  I actually crave fresh fruit.  Veggies not so much.  I just wash everything super good and crunch away!!!  YUM!

[Peony]

This is seriously the first time I have ever heard this one! Needless to say, oh no I would never avoid raw veggies during pg. I don't avoid anything actually, but I am not one to go off what medical professional say I should do during pg.  If your kids are what you ate during your pg then DD2 would be half raw cookie dough and half spinach salad. I never have been able to eat another spinach salad in the last 4 years because I ate so many with her. 

[Aliy]

Don't read the interntet that is bad for you!!!!!!

Eat your veggies just be careful like so many other things. as long as you are washing stuff you should be fine. i wouldn't eat raw meats but raw veggies i think would be just fine

[Thyme Mama]

anyone beside me think this was a holiday helper gag thread?

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

anyone beside me think this was a holiday helper gag thread?

Unfortunately, it's not. I have OCD and am very paranoid, esp when PG (and esp after losing 4 babies). :(
 

[Thyme Mama]

Originally Posted by JFTB1177 

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

anyone beside me think this was a holiday helper gag thread?

Unfortunately, it's not. I have OCD and am very paranoid, esp when PG (and esp after losing 4 babies). :(
 

i'm so sorry! about your losses and if i sounded insensitive. i really have never heard/read that before and i thought i had read/heard it all after my 3 losses and midwifery school.

i have heard/read to avoid salad bars and raw veggies when eating away from home, but never to avoid them altogether. in fact, i am a student midwife and we really stress to our clients to eat as much raw greens and veggies as possible to keep iron and calcium levels up.

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

Originally Posted by JFTB1177 

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

anyone beside me think this was a holiday helper gag thread?

Unfortunately, it's not. I have OCD and am very paranoid, esp when PG (and esp after losing 4 babies). :(
 

i'm so sorry! about your losses and if i sounded insensitive. i really have never heard/read that before and i thought i had read/heard it all after my 3 losses and midwifery school.

i have heard/read to avoid salad bars and raw veggies when eating away from home, but never to avoid them altogether. in fact, i am a student midwife and we really stress to our clients to eat as much raw greens and veggies as possible to keep iron and calcium levels up.

Hey it's okay! I wasn't being snarky, hope it didn't come off like that. I honestly am just extremely paranoid. I'm sorry about your losses too! :(

Do most people avoid salad bars, etc when PG? Also, I am afraid to have any fresh veggies from any restaurants at all... do most PG women eat fresh veggies (like on sandwiches, etc) when ordering out? Not that I eat sandwiches either- lol!
 

[sosurreal09]

sorry for your loses mama

[rhiandmoi]

You need to wash veggies very well if you are eating them raw while pregnant. Especially lettuces or other things that are grown very close to the soil. The main concern is toxoplasmosis (caused by T. gondii) which can be found in the soil and easily transfered on to the leaves as they grow. It's not the season, but if you are pregnant during melon season, it is advisable to carefully wash the outsides of melons before cutting into them for this reason also.

Listeria is another possibility because it is able to grow and thrive in cold temperatures unlike other bacteria. It is also present in the soil. But it is very slow growing and usually would have to have been in a damp environment without being cleaned for several months before getting to dangerous levels.

[~Adorkable~]

JFTB1177, you are doing great, hand in there, i know this has been hard time in general for you. i have seen you get thru so much in the last 7 months, I'm really proud of you.

yes it is smart to wash you fruit and vegetables very well, it is smart for everyone to do that. beyond that they are pretty darn safe and sooo good for you.

i personally avoid salad bars of raw food or not hot enough food, cause that just seems silly. but the rest of fine. i also eat sandwiches at good places that i know and trust.

hugs lady, you really are on the home stretch and doing great

[Smokering]

I'm pretty sure that if you followed EVERY piece of don't-eat-it advice during pregnancy, you'd starve and die. I've heard no raw veggies, no fruit (due to fructose), no dairy, no meat, no processed soy, no rice, not too many carbs, no peanuts... I mean, what's left? Limp boiled Brussels sprouts, three times a day?

I admit I'm fairly lassez-faire about food during pregnancy. I had sushi once - I felt guilty, but I'd JUST seen it being freshly made, and was craving it like you wouldn't believe. I've had Subway without even thinking about the raw veggie issue! The risks are real, but they're *extremely* low. I'd rather focus my dietary energies/guilt on avoiding things that are, as it were, intrinsically bad - MSG and trans fats and nitrates - rather than worrying about things that are good and healthy and nourishing, but which also have a very small risk of illness. You know? I mean, if you can do both, or need to for your peace of mind, more power to ya - but it's ridiculous for anyone to try to guilt trip an expectant mother for eating her veggies.