Everyone is aware of the delicious and tempting pizzas. Since it is a fast food, you might be anxious to know if it is safe to eat pizza during pregnancy. Find out the hidden facts and stay happy and keep your child safe.Pizzas are one of the most preferred forms of food in the retail food market and in the home delivery segment. There is something irresistible about a delicious pizza that makes most pregnant women crave the, whether or not pizzas are safe for consumption during pregnancy is very subjective and will depend on the following conditions.
Can I Eat Pizzas during Pregnancy?
As a rule Pizzas come under the category of
junk food or fast food which is not a very preferable food option during pregnancy. However, if you order in pizza from a reputed pizza delivery brand which follows high food safety standards there is very less chance that it will be contaminated or pose any kind of health issue. You can definitely eat good quality pizzas once in a while during pregnancy. You can also prepare pizzas at home by using brown pizza base which is healthy as compared to white pizza base.
Benefits of Eating Pizzas during Pregnancy
The health benefits of pizzas during pregnancy are entirely dependent upon the kind of ingredients that are included in them.
If the Pizza is made up from individually healthy ingredients and cooked in a hygienic way then it is an ideal food for you as an expectant mother. Nutritionists say that every meal which a pregnant woman consumes should be full of complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fat.
In a pizza which is made of thin crust whole grain base, lean meat, tofu toppings and fresh veggies along with moderate amount of standard cheese all the dietary requirements are satisfied. In fact if you are not too fond of vegetables then chopping them up and having them as Pizza topping is a safer and fuss free way to consume them.
Pizza is classified as a comfort food which has definite mood enhancing properties. Eating pizzas has the capacity of making you feel happier and more content which is always a good thing in
pregnancy.
Harmful Effects of Eating Pizzas during Pregnancy
If your pizza is filled with high fat meat patty and fattening toppings then you will be consuming a lot of calories in one shot. Even if you are eating for two the excessive consumption of calories will only lead to unwanted
weight gain and high risk of cardiac problems.
If the pizza which you are eating is heavily topped with extra soft mould made cheese like Danish Blue, Brie or Camembert then it can become a health hazard for you. These kinds of cheeses contain high amount of Listeria. When you get infected with Listeria you can get Listerosis. In this disease you will get flu like symptoms while your foetus has a high chance of getting affected.
If the pizza which you are eating has shellfish as a topping then this can cause allergic reaction in your body or can cause food poisoning (if not cooked properly).
If the pizza which you are eating is topped with old cold cut meat then you can get
toxoplasmosis which is severe stomach infection that has the potential of harming your pregnancy.
Is it Good to Eat Pizzas during Pregnancy?
Pizzas can be good as an occasional meal whenever you feel the craving of eating something different. You can actually make a pizza healthier by opting for thinner whole grain crust, healthier toppings and lots of vegetables. Your nutritionist will be the right person to inform you about the kind of vegetables and meat that will satisfy your nutritional requirement during pregnancy.
Is it Healthy to Eat Pizzas during Pregnancy?
Eating Pizzas during pregnancy can be a healthy option as long as you make sure that ingredients like soft mould cheese, uncured meat, shellfish etc are not there in the toppings. pizzas are high calorie so a healthy option will be to limit your consumption of pizza to once in every ten days.
If you have a pizza composed of thin crust bread, lots of healthy vegetables and cured meat with only moderate amount of plain cheese then it can act as the perfect balanced meal for you!!
Is it healthy to eat pizza during pregnancy? Is it harmful to eat pizza during pregnancy? What are the benefits of eating pizza during pregnancy? Discuss here.