Hi! Tired of hearing about all the foods and drinks that are tabled for two when you’re pregnant? Here’s some good news from the expectant eating front, for a change. You won’t have to take a pregnant pass on most salad dressings, especially commercially prepared ones (including, most likely, the one in the bottle you were scanning).
The risk you’ve probably heard about is from salad dressings (and other sauces, like hollandaise, béarnaise, or homemade mayo) that are made with raw eggs. But commercially prepared dressings are usually made with pasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process kills off bacteria (like salmonella) that raw eggs can harbor — which means they can’t bug you or your baby. So go ahead, seize that bottle of commercially prepared Caesar and get busy. Just make sure you follow the label instructions about refrigeration.
What about restaurant-prepared dressings? Some kitchens use pasteurized eggs in their recipes, others don’t — so ask, and if you’re still uncertain, take that pass after all. Vinaigrettes are a safe bet, as are creamy dressings made without eggs (say, a ranch made with commercially prepared mayo).
Feeling blue cheese (or roquefort), but worried that the soft cheese it contains might be contaminated with listeria? Once again, you can stop stressing and start shaking, since commercially produced prepared dressings are almost always made with pasteurized cheese (and it will likely be specified on the list of ingredients). In restaurants, check in before digging into blue cheese dressing, or those tempting crumbles. Chances are they’re made with pasteurized dairy, but confirmation will allow you to rest (and eat) better.
Making your own? Just use pasteurized eggs (or commercially prepared mayonnaise) and pasteurized soft cheese to blend up the dressing of your dreams. A trick I use at home: Substitute mayo for those raw eggs plus oil to make your Caesar praise-worthy but pregnancy-safe. (Not that I’m pregnant at the moment, but it’s really that good — especially with extra parmesan and extra anchovies.)
More About What to Eat During Pregnancy
Taking a peek ahead to your postpartum salad days, and all dressings will be back on the menu — even that table-side Caesar made with raw eggs (that is, once you’re able to score your first meal out). And, yes, that's the case even if you’re breastfeeding your little sprout (raw sprouts will be back on the menu, too, in case you’re interested!).
Big hugs,
Heidi
Help Me, Heidi! is a weekly advice column in which What to Expect creator Heidi Murkoff answers your most pressing pregnancy and parenting questions. She’s tackling the stuff you are desperate to know right now — so if you have a question, ask Heidi here or on Facebook and she might answer in an upcoming column. (Not sure if Heidi's answered one of your questions? Check out the rest of the columns here.)
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