Bringing a new life into the world is a wonderful time and brings about huge changes in your body.
Creating new life brings about a wealth of demands, and what you eat plays an important part in you and your baby’s health.
With an estimated 50–90% of women experiencing food cravings during pregnancy according to clinical studies, it’s not surprising many expectant mothers might feel the urge for a luxurious brunch. But can you eat eggs benedict when pregnant?
In our helpful article, we will give you the real answer!
Let’s start with the quick answer first before we dive into more details!
All the elements in eggs benedict are safe to eat when pregnant as long as the egg is pasteurized with a thoroughly cooked yoke. There should be no raw eggs in the hollandaise as this could cause salmonella food poisoning. It’s better to choose a wholemeal English muffin or toast to increase fiber.
Ok so with the short answer in the bag, so you can understand a little more easily whether you can eat eggs benedict when pregnant, let’s discover exactly what it is.
What is eggs benedict?
Many of us treat ourselves to a leisurely brunch of this luxurious treat. It’s perfect for a celebration with a sparkling glass of champagne. It originated in New York City and has become popular in many hotels and restaurants across the globe.
But what exactly is in it other than eggs? Let’s go through those in more detail.
English muffin or sourdough toast
Eggs benedict is usually a combination of poached eggs on an English muffin or another kind of base, with sourdough bread becoming more popular.
Canadian bacon or ham
Eggs benedict is usually also enhanced by a layer of Canadian bacon or ham. Eggs Benedict also has a few variations.
Eggs Royale is similar to eggs benedict which still contains the eggs, muffin, and hollandaise sauce. But the bacon or ham is replaced by a layer of lox (smoked salmon).
Poached eggs
The combination of a poached egg, the crispness of the base, and the silky smooth hollandaise are some of the reasons we all love eggs benedict! Eggs Benedict typically poached eggs but sometimes other types of ways of cooking them can be enjoyed.
Hollandaise sauce
The unctuous sauce which is one of the main things which makes this special brunch so appealing is a velvety hollandaise sauce.
So for anyone wondering whether you can eat eggs benedict when pregnant, we will look at the ingredients in each ingredient of eggs benedict and find out if they are on your pregnancy food tick list!
Let’s start first with the base. This would be an English muffin or toasted bread of your choice.
“We will look at each ingredient in eggs benedict to
find out if they are on your pregnancy food tick list!”
Can I eat muffins or toast when pregnant?
Making sure you get enough fiber is really important to keep your system working perfectly.
The digestive system can become a little sluggish during pregnancy, so fiber-rich foods are a perfect addition to your diet during all three trimesters of pregnancy.
So although it’s ok to eat the English muffin in eggs benedict when you are pregnant, choosing a better quality and more complex carbohydrate will be more beneficial to you and your growing baby.
Eat fiber-rich carbs
This is due to pregnancy hormones which alter the usual way your body functions while creating new life!
According to the American Pregnancy Association, 24 to 30 grams will help combat constipation which can lead to hemorrhoids.
So the base of eggs benedict, the muffin or toast is safe to eat when pregnant. If you choose wholemeal bread and muffins, types with more whole grains are a good way towards increasing your fiber intake.
So what’s next on the comforting and oh so delicious eggs benedict? It’s the eggs themselves.
Let’s discover a little more about eating eggs when pregnant and if it’s ok.
“So the base of eggs benedict, the muffin
or toast is safe to eat when pregnant”
Can I eat eggs when I’m pregnant?
We all know that eggs are little protein power punches and are almost a perfectly balanced food option. I mean, what are they but a mini foody chicken baby machine!
Historically, the fact that eggs can cause salmonella and allergy in pregnancy was the reason that health specialists advised against eating them during pregnancy.
However, this advice has now been revised based on clinical evidence.
It’s also worth noting for any U.K. readers, eggs with the lion stamp are ok to eat soft or runny as they have been pasteurized.
At the time of writing, there are no such recommendations for the US, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
“It’s also worth noting for any U.K. readers, eggs with the lion stamp
are ok to eat soft or runny as they have been pasteurized.”
Eggs can help prevent pregnancy-related diabetes
The egg in your eggs benedict is mainly protein and fat, with very little carbohydrate. For this reason, eggs are perfect to help keep sugar levels stable and can also lower risks of pregnancy-related diabetes, which your doctor will refer to as ‘gestational diabetes. This diabetes is specific as it only appears in pregnancy.
Eggs are also high in vitamin D and a wealth of other nutrients such as vitamin B12, which helps support a healthy pregnancy.
Vitamin D is super important during pregnancy as they help to keep your teeth, muscles, and bones strong and healthy.
Eggs should be cooked and pasteurized during pregnancy
It’s also important that eggs are pasteurized and cooked if consumed during pregnancy.
The general consensus is that uncooked or unpasteurized eggs can contribute to salmonella (such as those picked up fresh from the farm).
Eggs sold in the commercial food industry are washed and pasteurized as part of the process. This is a requirement from the United States Department of Agriculture.
So in general terms the key as to whether you can enjoy eggs when pregnant, such as in eggs benedict does depend on whether they are cooked or pasteurized.
“Eggs are perfect to help keep sugar levels stable and can also
lower risks of pregnancy-related diabetes, known as gestational diabetes.”
How do I cook eggs if I’m pregnant?
So far we’ve found out that the first two elements of your favorite brunch item are ok to eat when pregnant, and there are safe ways to enjoy eggs.
Poached eggs
So putting your fork into a gently poached egg is one of the blissful moments of an egg benedict! But is it ok to eat when you’re pregnant?
A poached egg is generally much healthier to eat than a fried egg or other ways of serving them ( such as scrambled). This is because no fat is used in the preparation.
If you are eating a poached egg when pregnant, make sure the egg yolk is cooked until it doesn’t run. Yes, we know a runny yolk is almost the point of a poached egg! But by cooking it this way, you will still be able to enjoy one when pregnant or as part of a ‘pregnancy safe’ eggs benedict.
So what about that beautiful soft buttery sauce they gently anoint your poached egg on an eggs benedict. Is this safe to eat while you are pregnant? Read on to discover more.
Can I eat hollandaise sauce when pregnant?
It’s this smooth rich sauce that makes eggs benedict taste so luxurious, but it’s important to know how it’s made before you can decide if it’s safe to eat when pregnant.
Hollandaise sauce is a lot like mayonnaise in texture and sometimes it is made the same way with raw eggs.
As we’ve found out above, raw eggs aren’t safe to eat when pregnant.
One of the other important reasons not to eat raw eggs when pregnant is because in some cases it can cause uterine cramping, although this is extremely rare.
So if you are eating hollandaise sauce when pregnant make sure there are no raw eggs in it.
Canadian bacon or ham
Generally, most ham and bacon are safe to eat while pregnant. So you can enjoy this as part of an eggs benedict.
Can I eat cold-smoked fish in an egg royal?
However, this only applies to an eggs benedict rather than an egg royal as this contains cold smoked fish, which is deemed unsafe to eat when pregnant.
You can however eat hot smoked fish as long as it’s cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
And finally…
So we hope that’s given you the definitive answer as to whether it’s safe to eat eggs benedict! The best option is to make the hollandaise sauce yourself so you can be sure there are no raw eggs and steer clear from an egg royal unless you use hot smoked fish.