Traditional meals and beverages from all around the world are typically provided throughout the holiday season. There’s Italian panettone, German Stollen, and Greek baklava, for example. A classic Christmas supper in the United Kingdom consists of a large turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing, , and all the fixings.
In Australia, cooking seafood over the Barbecue is a popular Christmas lunch option. Eggnog is a classic Christmas drink in the United States and Canada . Eggnog is a dairy beverage composed with milk, sugar, cream, raw beaten eggs, and occasionally distilled spirits like brandy, rum, or bourbon.
Eggnog Alternatives
While some drink spiked eggnog, it’s nice to know that there are a variety of different holiday drinks to choose from.
Hot chocolate is often a good choice for something steaming and filling.
Hot tea can heat your insides while also providing numerous health advantages. Or, for a fruity twist, try a warm cup of non-alcoholic cider topped with cranberries.
Take your hand at making a mocktail for a refreshing drink. Use ginger ale, flavored seltzers, and juices from fruits like cranberry, pomegranate, or grapefruit to be creative. Serve with citrus rinds, cherries, or a nutmeg sprinkling as garnish.
Pregnancy-Friendly Eggnog
Use cooked, pasteurized eggs to ensure the safety of your homemade eggnog. Many recipes (including this one) include instructions for boiling egg whites in a pan before adding additional delicious ingredients such as sugar, cream, and nutmeg.
Use a thermometer to ensure that your egg solution reaches 160°F (71°C), which is the right internal temperature for eggs.
Is It Safe To Take Eggnog While Pregnant?
Yes, eggnog is safe to drink during pregnancy if it meets all three of the following criteria:
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Pasteurized Eggs Are Used
The majority of eggnogs are produced with raw, unpasteurized eggs. These eggs are contaminated with harmful germs, including the Salmonella bacterium. Food poisoning is caused by this bacteria, and if it accesses your body, you will experience diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach illness. Diarrhea causes dehydration, and the illness might result in a high fever. All of these are things you must avoid when pregnant. In fact, when these symptoms are present together, they might lead to preterm labor and, in rare circumstances, miscarriage.
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Eggnog Is Alcohol-Free
While you may be confident of the alcohol content in both homemade and store-bought eggnog, it’s harder to tell if the eggnog served at a party isn’t spiked. As a result, it’s best to skip the drink completely because (a) alcohol is bad for your baby, and even worse, you don’t know what amount of alcohol is in your drink, and (b) you don’t know how eggnog is created.
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Properly Cooked
Milk and eggs are used to make eggnogs, and both of these ingredients must be pasteurized. If you’re creating homemade eggnogs, you should bring everything to a boil and then keep it warm until it reaches at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. All disease-causing germs, such as Salmonella, will be eliminated as a result. You can also buy pasteurized eggs (eggs that have been heated before being sold) from the market to make eggnog. Because store-bought eggnogs are manufactured with pasteurized milk and eggs, you can use them.
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Watch out For The Brand
Another aspect pregnant women should consider is investigating the brand of eggnog if they want to consume it responsibly. Although some eggnogs are created by firms that make alcoholic beverages, this does not always imply that their eggnog contains alcohol.
Southern Comfort is a fantastic illustration of this. Southern Comfort produces a variety of alcoholic drinks, but they also produce two types of eggnog that are alcohol-free.
Benefits Of Eggnog In Pregnancy
Many of us associate eggnog with the holiday season. If a holiday period comes while you’re pregnant, you will be exposed to many eggnogs and may be tempted to drink one yourself. It’s fine to have it; in fact, having it is beneficial for the following few reasons:
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Rich In Antioxidants
Vitamin A is abundant in eggnog. Vitamin A, on the other hand, is high in antioxidants. This says that if you drink eggnog, your complexion will be soft, your eyesight will improve, and damaged skin cells will be revived.
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Placenta Development
Vitamin C is abundant in eggnog, and it is believed to aid with placenta formation.
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Detoxification
Eggnog assists in the removal of free reactionaries from the body, which detoxifies the system, thanks to its high antioxidant content.
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Prevention From Anemia
The Vit C in eggnog not only aids placental growth but also aids iron absorption, lowering the risk of anemia in expecting mothers.
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Baby’s Bone And Brain Development
The drink is high in minerals like potassium and calcium and thanks to egg and milk in it. Calcium aids in the development of healthy bones in both you and your unborn child.
Proteins can be found in eggnog. These proteins provide the amino acids that make up your child’s brain.
Other Foods To Avoid
There are other things too aside from eggnog that you’ll have to avoid during the holidays while you’re pregnant. All other alcoholic beverages will have to wait till after you’ve finished breastfeeding. Mixed cocktails, liquor, and wine are all off-limits.
Also, watch out for overdosing on eggnog lattes. The (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women consume no over 200 mg of caffeine per day.
Also, keep an eye out for unpasteurized cheeses and deli meats in your holiday buffet. When you’re pregnant, you’re more likely to get listeriosis, an infection caused by the Listeria monocytogenes found in certain foods.
The Bottomline
As a result, the verdict appears to be clear. There’s no need to avoid eggnog while you’re expecting. However, you must make sure that the eggnog is properly cooked, using pasteurized eggs and no liquor. There are also substitutes on the marketplace, such as soy nog, which has neither milk nor egg and is thus a healthier option.
So, if you’re craving eggnog throughout your pregnancy, go ahead and indulge. The only stipulation is that you adhere to the safety standards.
