Nutritious foods during pregnancy benefit your unborn baby by supplying her with the vitamins and minerals she needs to grow and develop. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods are nutritious choices. Lean protein sources are also essential because protein supports proper fetal growth. Mussels are a healthy example of lean protein, and you can include them in your pregnancy diet if you cook them properly and consult with your doctor first.
Mussels are a lean source of protein that contain 3.81 grams of fat in a 3-ounce serving. A serving of mussels contains 20.23 grams of protein, a nutrient that is crucial for the cell, muscle and tissue development of your unborn baby. The same serving supplies 5.71 milligrams of iron. You need 27 milligrams of iron each day during your pregnancy to support your increasing blood volume and to help prevent fatigue. Plenty of zinc during pregnancy promotes insulin and enzyme production. A serving of mussels contains 2.72 of the 11 to 12 milligrams you need on a daily basis. Mussels also contain small amounts of calcium, potassium and vitamin C.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection that causes nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, dark urine and yellowed skin, which is called jaundice. The virus is the most common cause of jaundice in pregnancy, the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists notes. If you have the infection, there is a small risk of passing it to your baby during delivery, which can cause an infection in her liver. Hepatitis A doesn't cause birth defects but can increase your risk of premature delivery. Undercooked mussels can harbor hepatitis A, a 2006 study published in the "Journal of Food Protection" reports. Steaming is one of the most common preparation methods for mussels, but it doesn't destroy the virus that causes hepatitis A. The hepatitis A virus is destroyed when mussels are cooked in boiling water for at least three minutes.
Fish and shellfish are nutritious, but certain varieties run the risk of being contaminated with mercury. High mercury exposure can damage your unborn baby's nervous system and complicate the development of his brain. Mussels are filter-feeders, which means that they are exposed to contaminants, including mercury. A 2001 report conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Surface reports that mussels living in the ocean contain low amounts of mercury, and fresh-water mussels don't contain measurable mercury. One to two servings a week of low-mercury seafood is considered safe during pregnancy.
Boil mussels for the full three minutes, even if the shells have opened, to destroy the hepatitis A virus. Throw away any mussels that don't open because they might harbor the hepatitis A virus. Include other lean sources of protein in your diet in addition to mussels. Lean beef and white meat chicken each contain a healthy dose of protein. Alternatively, eat clams, crabs or oysters, which are low in mercury and are safe if cooked properly. You can safely eat 12 ounces of these types of shellfish each week.
Articles For Your Diet
- American Pregnancy Association: Essential Nutrients and Vitamins for Pregnancy
- American Pregnancy Association: Mercury Levels in Fish
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Total Mercury and Methyl Mercury in Freshwater Mussels (Elliptio Complanata) From the Sudbury River Watershed, Massachusetts
- Organization of Teratology Information Specialists: Hepatitis A and the Vaccine during Pregnancy
- American Pregnancy Association: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- United States Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- Journal of Food Protection: Effect of Heat Treatment on Hepatitis A Virus and Norovirus in New Zealand Greenshell Mussels (Perna Canaliculus) by Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR and Cell Culture
- Pot of Mussels image by Joseph Borg from Fotolia.com