When it comes to being packed full of pregnancy supporting macronutrients and mineral, eggs are an excellent food choice, but can pregnant women eat eggs?
Most people will be aware there are certain risks that come with eating eggs, namely salmonella and it’s this risk that leads many women to wonder if they can be eaten during pregnancy.
In this post, we take a look at if they’re safe to eat, what to watch out for and suggest some of the tastiest ways you might want to consider eating them.
Let’s get started.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Eggs?
Can pregnant women eat eggs? So long as they are fully cooked to remove any risk of salmonella, eggs are safe to eat during pregnancy. That said, there are some styles such as soft boiled that should be avoided.
Are Eggs Nutritionally Good for Pregnant Women?
Eggs are a great choice to eat during pregnancy. A single egg contains just 77 calories but is packed with 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats.
In fact, according to a recent Healthline article, eggs contain:
- Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA
- Folate: 5% of the RDA
- Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA
- Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA
- Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA
- Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA
- Selenium: 22% of the RDA
On top of this, eggs contain vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc which are all beneficial during pregnancy.
UK Eggs: The Lion Mark
For those readers from the UK, there is some good news – all eggs that contain the Lion Mark are safe to eat even soft boiled or sunny-side-up.
This is because the British Government found that eggs marked with the British Lion Mark (https://acmsf.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2016/15348/acmsf-egg-report-published)[carried such little risk of containing salmonella] that they are safe to eat for those most vulnerable members of society.
One thing to keep in mind however is that this only applies to hens eggs that are stamped with the lion mark and no others.
A Guide to Cooked Egg Dishes if You're Pregnant
Below, I’ve pulled together a quick guide on how to cook eggs during your pregnancy. Remember, this is just a guide and you should always make sure the egg is perfectly cooked through so they’re no longer runny.
Fried Eggs
While delicious, sunny-side-up eggs where the yoke is still runny aren’t safe for pregnancy. To cook pregnancy safe fried eggs make sure the yoke is solid and cooked right the way through.
Omelettes
Omelettes are normally a pretty safe bet as most people cook them right the way through, however, it’s worth double checking it’s properly cooked when pregnant especially if you’ve added a lot of ingredients.
Boiled Eggs
Like fried eggs, boiled eggs often come in two different styles – hard and soft boiled. During pregnancy, only hard boiled eggs are safe to eat.
Scrambled Eggs
Generally speaking, so long as the egg itself isn’t runny, scrambled eggs are safe to eat. One thing to keep in mind is they can produce a ‘false-positive’ as when scrambled egg is overcooked they start to produce liquid which leads some people to believe they aren’t cooked enough.
Egg Based Foods That Are Unsafe For Pregnancy
Eggs are one of those ingredients that form the base of many different dishes and while they’re perfectly safe to eat when fully cooked, such as in cakes, there are some dishes that are unsafe to eat due to the egg content.
These include:
- Mayonnaise
- Certain Cheesecakes
- Homemade frozen custard and ice cream.
A Final Word on Eggs During Pregnancy
So there you can it, you should hopefully have a much better about can pregnant women eat eggs during their pregnancy, know what to watch out for plus have some tasty choices for how to eat them.
Ellen Fetters
Ellen Fetters, is a former Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice with an BSc from the University of Sunderland. After completing her SCPHN - HV she then worked as a Health Visitor within the local community.
In 2017 Ellen left nursing to launch Parenting Click, an online parenting resource aimed at creating happier families through better parenting.
She lives with her husband, beautiful baby girl, and two darling dogs. She spends her free time writing, running and learning how to become a better parent.