Rolls (one of the varieties of sushi) have become so popular in our country that they have long ceased to be exotic. And many girls, even being in an interesting position, can never refuse rolls and sushi with fish, for example, for lunch or dinner.
Can pregnant women eat sushi and rolls
- The benefits of rolls and sushi for a pregnant woman.
- Composition of products for traditional rolls. What is the danger of raw fish for a pregnant woman?
However, many expectant mothers, fearing for the health of the baby, are worried about the dilemma: is it possible to eat Japanese dishes during pregnancy, or is it worth forgetting about their existence for a while? Let's try to figure it out.
The benefits of rolls for a pregnant woman
The rolls and sushi contain many useful and necessary ingredients to maintain the immunity and health of a pregnant woman.
Compared to meat, fish is a lighter food, it is digested faster. And proteins of seafood (mussels, squid, shrimp) are not inferior in value to proteins of meat and fish, moreover, they are rich in iodine, which is especially useful in the formation of the fruit.
Composition of products for traditional rolls:
Fish is good for pregnancy. The most useful is sea fish, low-fat and even more fresh. Compared to animal meat, fish meat contains more nutritious protein and easily digestible fat, mineral elements (potassium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine). Sea fish contains a relatively high iodine content of 50–150 mcg per 100 grams, while the daily iodine requirement for nursing and pregnant women is 200 mcg.
The need for iodine in a pregnant woman ranges from 150-200 micrograms per day
However, it is doubtful whether raw fish is so useful and safe for a pregnant woman's body and can it be eaten?
What is the danger of raw fish for a pregnant woman?
There is a way out of the situation:
- completely abandon the consumption of raw fish and seafood during pregnancy;
- replace raw fish and seafood with those cooked at temperatures above 60 ° C;
- cook rolls from lightly salted or smoked fish.
- this is the main product for rolls, which goes well with fish and seafood. Rice contains fiber, which is essential for good digestion.
However, like most other plant foods, rice does not contain enough nutrients to promote obesity. Therefore, it is often used for dietary nutrition, because it provides energy for the body, but is not stored as fat. An average portion of 8 rolls has about 400 calories, and the fat content is only 3.7 grams.
Ginger - contains a unique amount of nutrients. Their listing alone is impressive. The ginger root contains carbohydrates, protein, fats, enzymes, mineral salts (magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, iodine, etc.), vitamins B1, B2, B3, C, E and folic acid. Ginger root is rich in fiber and organic acids. Ginger essential oil has pronounced antimicrobial properties.
Pickled ginger is eaten after eating sushi or rolls, as it helps to digest food, aids and improves digestion, and stimulates the secretion of gastric juice. Due to its high fiber content, ginger is good for those who suffer from constipation. In addition, ginger is good at cleansing the body of harmful substances. However, during pregnancy, it is undesirable to consume large quantities of ginger, as it causes heartburn.
Dried nori seaweed - with contain a large amount of iodine and vegetable protein, fiber, vitamins (A, B and D), Omega - 3 fatty acids, minerals necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland of a pregnant woman and the full development of the child's nervous system.
Is it possible to harm the passion for Japanese cuisine?
Excessive amounts of salt in fish and soy sauce. In the process of preparing sushi, salt is very difficult to standardize, because it is contained in products in a latent form, for example, 100 grams of salted red fish contains 12 grams of salt, 2-3 teaspoons of soy sauce contains about 1 gram of salt. At a daily rate of sodium chloride is 4–9 grams. It is especially recommended for pregnant women to reduce the amount of salt in their diet, because excess salt intake overloads the kidneys and heart. As a result, the legs and face swell.
Seafood contains substances (allergens), hypersensitivity to which causes allergies... Allergic reactions often include burning or itching in the mouth, redness of the skin, hives, pain and bloating (flatulence), gastrointestinal upset, and headache (migraine).
The most correct thing during pregnancy is to observe in all measure: you can not deny yourself, but also not pass, focusing on the state of health and the testimony of obstetricians.
The ideal option for the expectant mother would be if she cooks sushi herself from correctly selected products that will not cause food poisoning.
Microorganisms that cause food poisoning (salmonella, botulinus and staphylococcus) are very sensitive to high temperatures and during cooking, stewing, smoking, they completely die. Therefore, fish meat and seafood are recommended to be cooked.
Sushi (especially their variety - rolls) have become so tightly embedded in our life that they have long ceased to be considered exotic. Many, along with the usual Russian dishes, regularly use them for lunch or dinner. How to be pregnant? Should they continue to eat their favorite food, or should they still give it up? In this article we will tell you whether it is possible to use rolls during pregnancy, how they are useful or harmful for expectant mothers.
The benefits of rolls for pregnant women
It is unlikely that anyone will begin to argue that most of the products from which rolls are prepared are good for pregnant women:
- rice contains slow carbohydrates that energize for a long time and removes toxins from the body;
- the fish is rich in many important substances for the expectant mother and her baby: proteins, unsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, B vitamins;
- seaweed (nori, in which the rolls are wrapped) is a source of iodine, which is necessary for the high-quality functioning of the thyroid gland of a pregnant woman and the full development of the child's nervous system.
Fresh vegetables, cream cheese and other additions make the rolls even more beneficial for the health of the pregnant woman and her baby.
One portion of rolls (250 grams) contains on average only 150-350 kilocalories. This is important for pregnant women looking to choose nutrient-rich, low-calorie meals.
What is the danger in fish rolls?
The Japanese are sincerely offended when they hear from foreigners about the dangers of sushi for pregnant women. In the Land of the Rising Sun, expectant mothers often eat this dish and do not experience any problems with pregnancy. Only in Japan, rolls are prepared with the freshest, high-quality, fish free from harmful additives. In addition, Japanese women have been eating sushi since childhood - they are accustomed to such food. She entered our diet relatively recently.
Our rolls are often prepared with lightly salted fish. However, a number of restaurants and sushi bars also serve this dish raw.
When ordering rolls in a restaurant or buying them in a store, you cannot say anything about the following factors that relate to raw or salted fish:
- origin;
- how the product was transported;
- what were the storage conditions;
- whether the chef followed all the precautions when preparing rolls (even in expensive restaurants, they often ignore the rules of hygiene and use products that are not of the first freshness).
Raw fish can contain pathogens of the following diseases:
- helminthiasis;
- salmonellosis;
- hepatitis A;
- toxoplasmosis;
- listeriosis.
All these diseases are dangerous to the health of a pregnant woman and a child and can even lead to spontaneous abortion.
In our restaurants, rolls are often prepared with pre-frozen raw fish. This measure allows you to only partially protect the product (helminths and toxoplasma die at low temperatures), but this will not solve all the problems:
- The causative agents of listeriosis, salmonellosis and hepatitis A are resistant to low temperatures.
- It is necessary to adhere to certain freezing rules (for each individual pathogen of the virus - "its own" temperature and time), these conditions are not always observed.
- Before the rolls are prepared from the fish, it can be defrosted and re-frozen several times. This reduces the nutritional value of the food and increases the number of microbes in it. Bacteria do not die from low temperatures, but only stop multiplying. When defrosting, they become active again. Thus, when re-freezing, the product contains more of them. And if the fish has been frozen and thawed several times, it's scary to imagine how many bacteria it contains.
You can hardly be sure that you were served the rolls with pre-frozen, and not fresh (sometimes very conditionally fresh) fish. Of course, you can ask the waiter or even the chef about this, but are you sure that they will answer you the truth? If you do not get infected with any dangerous virus, food poisoning for the expectant mother is also not a gift. Therefore, it is better not to risk it.
It is better to choose rolls with boiled or canned fish and seafood.
Before eating rolls, consult your doctor. Perhaps he will find reasons why this dish is contraindicated for you.
Which rolls are safe for pregnant women?
Sometimes you can find this advice: cook the rolls with your own hands, freezing the fish yourself, and there will be nothing harmful in such a dish. But you don't know how safe and fresh the raw fish you bought is. In addition, as already mentioned, not all virus pathogens are killed by freezing. Therefore, women in an "interesting position" should generally refrain from eating rolls with raw fish, wherever they are cooked.
Today there are so many varieties of rolls that any expectant mother can find something safe for herself. Pregnant women should give preference to the following types of rolls:
- vegetable (with cucumber, carrots, avocado, etc.);
- with cheese or tofu (no fish or caviar added);
- if with fish, then hot (baking or frying kills viruses and bacteria);
- with thermally processed seafood and fish.
But crab sticks are not the best ingredient. They are made from fish of not the highest quality and are literally overwhelmed with chemical additives.
Some types of fish may contain an increased amount of mercury, which is dangerous for the health of the expectant mother and baby. These include shark, tuna, swordfish, mackerel. They should be avoided even when thermally processed. It is better to choose rolls with salmon and / or shrimp - they contain the least amount of mercury.
Why is it better to cook rolls at home?
It couldn't be easier to come to a restaurant, order rolls at home or buy them in a store. Unfortunately, none of these methods can be called reliable. Even if the rolls do not contain raw fish, they are not always safe:
Make your own rolls! Today, on the Internet, you can find a sea of video recipes: following them, even a beginner can cope with the preparation of this dish.
Cook as many rolls as you eat at a time, without leaving for later. After lying down for a couple of hours, the dish will lose some of its vitamins and nutrients and will no longer be as useful as fresh.
Soy sauce, ginger and wasabi during pregnancy
Rolls are usually consumed "in company" with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi. Pregnant women should be careful with these products:
- Soy sauce is good for pregnant women in small amounts. However, it must be prepared by natural fermentation, without chemical additives.
- Ginger often causes allergies in pregnant women. Even if your body has never "produced" negative reactions to this product before, you are not immune to the development of allergies. The quantity does not matter - a small piece is enough for some. Better to refrain from eating ginger.
- Wasabi should also be discarded. At best, this hot seasoning will provoke heartburn, and at worst ... Wasabi increases blood circulation (including blood flow to the uterus), which can lead to miscarriage.
However, since the rolls are delicious and just with soy sauce, it will be easy for a future mom to give up ginger and wasabi for a while.
Everyone knows the incomprehensible desires and preferences in food of pregnant women. Most of them, at least once, but burn out with the desire to feast on sushi. But not everyone knows if pregnant women can eat them. We need to figure this out.
Can pregnant women have sushi?
The daily diet should be as fortified as possible, complete, and, which is not unimportant, varied. This is necessary for the correct development of the unborn baby and for the mother's own health. But still, doctors put a taboo on some products for pregnant women. For example, from the second half of pregnancy, you should reduce the amount of salt consumed, and you should also not push on canned food and foods that contain GMOs.
Also, some types of fish (mackerel and shark) contain large amounts of mercury, and this is very risky for a child. Everyone knows that sushi is perishable, because raw fish can be stored for no more than 6 hours at room temperature, otherwise you may have acute poisoning, and a pregnant woman is worthless. Don't order them for home delivery or buy them in supermarkets. You will never know their real date of manufacture and it is strictly forbidden for pregnant women to eat such sushi, since the latter risk both their health and the health of their unborn child.
Homemade sushi
If you wish, you can make sushi at home. But for this you need to know exactly the shelf life of the fish used, and also not to make the dish for future use.
Make one serving and eat right away, satisfy the desire, you may not want them anymore. Can pregnant women use homemade sushi? Decide for yourself based on the recipe and products you will use.
What sushi can pregnant women eat?
Japanese cuisine not only consists of sushi and raw fish rolls, it also has a very wide variety of other dishes: soups, sushi and rolls with smoked meats, noodles, cereals and much more.
There is the same sushi made from smoked, dried and boiled fish, they will perfectly complement the diet of a pregnant woman. And they are also low in calories, because it is a dietary product. They are safe for pregnant women, and you can safely introduce them into your diet. So, we can conclude: you can eat sushi for pregnant women, but be wise when choosing them. At the same time, any fish and vegetables are needed for the body of the expectant mother and the normal development of the baby, because they are very rich in vitamins and microelements. Observe all sanitary conditions and boldly introduce them into your diet.
A few notes
The question that worries expectant mothers: "Is it possible for pregnant women to have sushi?" - has a couple more nuances. Firstly, soy sauce and wasabi are always served from sushi, and they do not bring any useful and nutritious substances to the expectant mother. Secondly, very often ginger is served along with sushi, and it belongs to allergic products and is undesirable during pregnancy. After conception, the woman's body is rebuilt, and an allergic reaction to ginger may occur.
As mentioned above, sushi is a Japanese dish. And your child, even in the stomach, should be fed and taught to the products that are grown in your region, and only then you can try other dishes if he likes them. Japanese cuisine is very much loved and appreciated in our country, but still this food remains exotic for us.
Conclusion
In any case, every pregnant woman is different, so before you eat sushi, consult your gynecologist or other specialist in your clinic to avoid negative consequences.
Until recently, dishes from the exotic cuisine of the land of the rising sun, that is, Japan, were something outlandish and incomprehensible to us. An interesting set of products, it would seem, which cannot be combined in any way, fell to the taste of many. The number of visitors to sushi bars is growing every day. Many even try to create a Japanese "masterpiece" on their own at home, using a variety of products.
However, is it possible to eat exotic dishes for women in an interesting position? After all, this is a special time for each of the fairer sex, when expectant mothers scrupulously monitor their nutritional diet and try not to harm themselves and the unborn child.
The benefits and dangers of Japanese dishes during pregnancy will be discussed. We will also consider what types of Japanese "rolls" are the safest for expectant mothers.
What are the benefits of Japanese cuisine?
Although sushi and rolls are among the traditional dishes of Japan, they still occupy an important place in our nutritious diet. We are so used to pampering ourselves with a different set of incompatible ingredients that, even while expecting a baby, women cannot deny themselves the pleasure of eating their favorite dish.
And whatever one may say, the products that are part of almost all types of sushi are really good for our body. And above all, this applies to rice and seafood - the main ingredients of Japanese cuisine. These products contain useful and trace elements that should be present in everyone's diet.
Fish is a valuable product for women during pregnancy, as it contains a huge amount of nutrients that are necessary for the normal development and growth of the unborn child. But immediately I would like to note that not all types of fish products can be classified as useful. However, more on that later.
As for rice, cereals are an indispensable product for every person. The beneficial vitamins and microelements contained in it have a beneficial effect on all systems of the human body. There is no doubt that rice groats are also useful during pregnancy.
The sheet in which the savory ingredients are wrapped is called nori. A food product is made from red algae, which are known to be rich in iodine. This element is very important for the normal synthesis of thyroid hormones. Therefore, the algal component of Japanese dishes is also useful for absolutely everyone, including expectant mothers and their babies.
The advantage of exotic cuisine is that all cooked dishes are dietary. And for pregnant women this is an important factor, because it is no secret that expectant mothers are worried about their figure and extra pounds gained in nine months. The energy value of one serving, which includes 8 rolls, averages 500 calories. If we take into account the feeling of satiety that the food provides, then the figure is quite acceptable. This is probably why many women are so fond of Japanese cuisine. But is it possible for pregnant women to eat sushi and rolls?
Why do doctors "taboo" Japanese food during pregnancy?
The most important reason is the presence of raw products in Japanese rolls, namely fish. Let's see what the danger of this delicacy is:
When ordering sushi and rolls, you are not always guided by the freshness of the products and the date of production of the dish. Moreover, not all restaurants and cafes adhere to all sanitary and hygienic standards. Therefore, the risk of infection or poisoning is too high. And this is a convincing fact for lovers of sushi rolls during pregnancy. And here the doctors' opinion is unanimous: dishes containing raw fish are forbidden for expectant mothers to eat.
In addition to the raw delicacy, the rolls come with equally dubious ingredients. Let's look at what spicy Japanese seasonings and sauces threaten:
- may cause allergies, especially while waiting for the child;
- wasabi is a spicy seasoning, and doctors do not recommend spicy dishes to expectant mothers so that there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- soy sauce, prepared according to the classic recipe, is useful for women in position. But the product offered in Japanese restaurants and cafes hardly has any value. It cannot be called a dangerous seasoning, but it is also healthy.
What types of sushi and rolls are safe for expectant mothers?
Do not forget that today sushi rolls are made from different products, so for pregnant women the safest will be vegetarian or those that include thermally processed fish products. But nevertheless, before a meal, you should consult with your doctor and make sure that such dishes will not harm you.
Today, you can wrap completely different ingredients in nori, so try to choose those that will only benefit you and your baby. Of course, the best option would be sushi and rolls prepared by you personally. Only in this way you will be absolutely sure of the freshness and quality of the products used.
If you decide to visit a Japanese restaurant, then choose hot or vegetable rolls, preferably without hot sauces and seasonings. Thus, you will be able to satisfy your desire and indulge in your favorite dish. In addition, such diet types of sushi rolls are lower in calories, which increases their usefulness.
Of course, vegetable rolls are not a substitute for real Japanese fish sushi rolls. But only you can decide: succumb to temptation or wait until the child is born. Do not forget that you are responsible not only for your health and, but also for the well-being of your future baby.
Pregnancy is always an exciting period in the life of any woman. At this time, every pregnant woman needs to be extremely careful and careful about drawing up her diet, while constantly thinking about the health of her unborn child. Indeed, many of the products not only may not be useful for the baby, but even harm him. Therefore, in order for a child to be born healthy, any woman should approach the choice of a food set with a great deal of attention.
More recently, such gastronomic representatives of Japanese cuisine as sushi and rolls belonged to the category of exotic dishes. Now they have ceased to be a gimmick and many even cook them in their kitchens on their own. Such gastronomic representatives have gained wide popularity among the population of our country. If you go to a sushi bar, you will notice that it is never without visitors, customers are constantly there, and this is a direct proof of the popularity of sushi and rolls.
But now we are not talking about an ordinary woman who is in ordinary conditions, but about one who is in an interesting position. Is it possible for her to eat such dishes and will they not harm her unborn child?
Japanese cuisine and its benefits
If in Japan food, in which sushi and rolls are used, has long been traditional in nature, then this cannot yet be said about our country. But, at the same time, such dishes are quite popular with us. At first, they were extremely suspicious of such food. For a long time they could not understand how you can use ingredients that, it would seem, absolutely do not combine with each other. But in reality everything turned out to be somewhat different. The combination of products that make up the dishes turned out to be not only harmonious, but also delicious.
It is difficult for a woman who is a gastronomic fan of sushi and rolls to deny herself the pleasure of eating these dishes during pregnancy. The products that are in the composition of these dishes, undoubtedly, have certain benefits for our body, since they are a source of vitamins and minerals, without which the body of a pregnant woman simply cannot do. This is necessary not only for herself, but also for her unborn child:
- Fish is a valuable nutritious product not only when a woman is pregnant, but also under normal conditions. It contains a huge amount of valuable substances that are useful for the growth and development of the fetus. However, this does not apply to all fish species without exception.
- Rice is an irreplaceable product that is a constant representative of the daily diet of any person. It contains all the vitamins and minerals the body needs. Rice groats are also useful during pregnancy. No one has any doubts about this.
- A set of spicy ingredients is served on the table for a reason, but is wrapped in a special sheet called nori. Red algae serve as the basis for its production. It's no secret that seafood is extremely rich in iodine. Without this important element, the thyroid gland is not able to work normally. The presence of the algal component will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the woman and her unborn child.
- Japanese cuisine has another important benefit. They are all dietary in nature. During pregnancy, for any woman, this circumstance is of particular relevance.
It's no secret that during pregnancy, a woman, as a rule, tends to gain extra pounds. The standard portion consists of 8 rolls. With them, the body will receive 500 calories. But from its use there is a fairly good feeling of satiety. Therefore, the ratio of these figures is quite acceptable.
Possible limitations
Is everything as simple as it might seem on a superficial examination? Why does taboo sometimes coexist with the use of rolls by a pregnant woman? The reasons for this are as follows.
The main reason is that Japanese rolls contain raw fish products. This can be fraught with the following danger:
- The fish that is part of the dish is not heat-treated, and this can cause a number of infectious diseases.
- Eating raw fish can cause helminth infestations (eg diphyllobothriasis).
- Such dishes have a very limited shelf life. Failure to comply with storage conditions or violation of the terms of sale, they can cause food poisoning. The risk of infection is very high, since sometimes the requirements of the sanitary and hygienic plan are violated during their manufacture. Unfortunately, this is still the case. Therefore, doctors unanimously believe that a pregnant woman should not eat rolls and sushi. Do not forget that a number of components are attached to the dish, which will also not be useful to a woman during pregnancy.
Ginger is served with sushi and rolls. It can cause allergic reactions. The likelihood of their occurrence increases especially during the period when a woman is expecting a future child.
Wasabi is served with the dish, which is a hot seasoning. Any spicy food during pregnancy is not recommended for women, as it can cause problems in the digestive tract.
Not a single serving of sushi or rolls is complete without soy sauce. If it is absolutely natural and prepared according to the classical technology, then the woman will benefit from it. However, there are big doubts that such a sauce will be offered in a cafe or restaurant. Most likely, it is made using accelerated technology and the benefit from such a product will be zero.
What sushi and rolls are allowed by a pregnant woman?
A woman can eat those rolls that are made from vegetarian products or have been heat treated. But even in this case, a consultation from a doctor before using them will never hurt. Currently, it is allowed to wrap anything in the bucket elevator. Therefore, the choice should be stopped on those ingredients that will not harm the future baby.
The most optimal will be the use of those dishes that are prepared by yourself. The future mother herself will decide what needs to be included in the dish, will make it according to all the rules in compliance with the requirements of the sanitary and anti-epidemic regime. It will be much safer, both for herself and the unborn baby.
If you don't have the time and desire to make them yourself, then you can enjoy this dish in a Japanese restaurant. When visiting him, the choice should stop on hot or vegetable rolls. It is advisable that they do not contain hot spices and sauce. You can eat them without fear that they will ruin your figure.
Naturally, vegetable rolls cannot be compared to a real Japanese dish. But the right to choose is up to the woman. She must choose between temptation and safety. After all, the health of the unborn child can be put on the scales. For a responsible expectant mother, of course, the preponderance will be in the direction of health.
Video: is it possible to eat sushi and rolls during pregnancy