Many people have a lot of questions about the changes that can happen during pregnancy. This feeling is especially true when it comes to what you can put on your plate. Can pregnant women eat lobster? Yes, this delicious seafood is safe for pregnancy as long as safety precautions are followed and encouraged by healthcare providers and nutritionists. This delicious seafood is safe for pregnancy as long as safety precautions are followed and encouraged by healthcare providers and nutritionists.
So, is it safe to eat lobster during pregnancy? Let us see.
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Is It Safe To Eat Lobster While Pregnant?
Yes, it is completely safe to eat lobster during pregnancy. In addition to being delicious, lobster is packed with a range of nutrients recommended for use in a prenatal diet. It’s fairly low in mercury—though not as low as other seafood like scallops, shrimp, and oysters—and, as long as it’s cooked properly, there shouldn’t be anything that should upset your tummy.
Is It Safe for Baby? Cooked lobster is safe for pregnant parents and babies during pregnancy.
Benefits of Eating Lobster During Pregnancy
Lobster is listed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a “best choice” for eating seafood during pregnancy because of its low levels of mercury and its nutritional value.
- Rich in protein, iron, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, copper, magnesium, and vitamin B12, it is the best nutrient for a healthy pregnancy.
- Lobster is rich in lean protein and low in fat and calories. About 3.5 ounces of lobster contain 1 gram of fat, 19 grams of protein, and 89 calories.
- It is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for brain development in babies, fight depression in mothers, and reduce the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.
- Lobsters can be cooked in a short amount of time, so pregnant women who do not have enough time to cook during pregnancy or do not like to cook can cook.
How Often Can Pregnant Women Eat Lobster?
You can eat lobster as much as you want while pregnant. In fact, the CDC encourages pregnant women to eat seafood — simply because it’s really good for them.
As long as you choose low-mercury foods, seafood is a great source of protein and an excellent source of omega-3 fats, vitamins like B12 and D, and iron, which is especially important for pregnant women.
How Much is Lobster Mercury Level?
Lobster falls into the category of low mercury level seafood and because of that, it is known as a pregnancy-safe option. The mercury level of spicy lobsters is about 0.09 ppm (parts per million) and North American lobster is about 0.1ppm.
Which Lobster Dishes Are Unsafe For Pregnant Women?
Some lobsters are unsafe for pregnant women, not necessarily because of the lobster itself, but because of the way the lobster is cooked and served, and the ingredients in which it is cooked or cooked.
Below are some examples of potentially unsafe lobster dishes.
Under no circumstances should raw or undercooked lobster be eaten while pregnant, as lobster may contain Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacteria that can cause serious food poisoning.
- Lobster Bisque
Be careful if you order lobster bisque while pregnant, as it’s usually thickened with raw egg yolks and often contains heavy cream, both of which may be unsafe without pasteurization.
Check ingredients beforehand. If making your own, use a different thickener and make sure the cream is pasteurized.
- Lobster Thermidor
Thermidor lobster is similar to Bisque in that it usually contains egg yolks and/or cream, both of which should be pasteurized.
The cheese is topped with traditional coarse cheese, which is safe to eat if you’re pregnant, but double-check if you haven’t made your own.
Occasionally, a small amount of alcohol is added to the heat-sensitive multi sauce, but it should be so little that it’s nothing to worry about. For more on this, check out our article on alcohol content in food during pregnancy.
- Seafood Soup and Lobster Dumplings
Lobster dumplings or other types of creamy lobster pasta may have other ingredients mixed together to form a filling, such as cream cheese or eggs.
Double checking which ingredients are used in the dumplings. Avoid eggs made with soft cheese, and make sure the eggs used as binders are pasteurized.
How To Tell if a Lobster is Cooked Properly?
- If the lobster is served whole or still with its tail or claws, these should be completely red all the way around.
- The meat/flesh, whether still in or out of the shell, should be a solid creamy white color throughout with no translucent areas.
- Some chefs say that if you can easily pull out an antenna from a whole lobster, it’s cooked. This isn’t a fail-safe method, though.
- To be 100% sure (and if you’re cooking the lobster yourself), the internal temperature should be 140F.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Red Lobster?
Yes, pregnant women can eat red lobster! When you order at Red Lobster, the usual seafood rules apply – choose low-mercury seafood, and make sure it’s cooked. If you want to order lobster at Red Lobster, go for it!
Final Thoughts
It is safe to eat lobster during pregnancy. There are many concerns about avoiding high-mercury fish, but that concern doesn’t apply to lobster. So, as long as it’s fully cooked, there are great benefits to consuming this delicious shellfish during pregnancy, but the risks are minimal. If you have any questions or concerns about eating lobster during pregnancy, be sure to consult a healthcare provider.