If you’re craving chocolate mousse during your pregnancy, you might wonder if it’s safe to eat.
Not all chocolate mousse is safe during pregnancy. Some varieties contain raw or undercooked eggs, which carries a small risk of salmonella infection. Chocolate mousse may also contain caffeine.
Is there any way to make chocolate mousse safe to eat during pregnancy? Read on to find out!
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Is Chocolate Mousse Safe During Pregnancy?
Chocolate mousse, especially homemade or restaurant-made, often contains raw eggs, which is why you should be careful about eating it during pregnancy. Raw eggs may contain salmonella bacteria, which can lead to food poisoning.
Food poisoning during pregnancy can cause premature labor, dehydration, and even blood poisoning (source: Medical News Today). However, the risk is small and easily managed.
Fortunately, you can still enjoy chocolate mousse during pregnancy – as long as it is made with pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been treated to kill bacteria and viruses (source: International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science).
Another safety consideration is the chocolate used in making the mousse. Chocolate may contain caffeine, which can cause dehydration and may increase the risk of miscarriage (source: American Pregnancy Association).
The average chocolate mousse has about 5-10mg of caffeine per serving (source: Athletic-Minded Traveller). The American Pregnancy Association recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to 200mg daily (source: American Pregnancy Association).
Happily, having a serving of chocolate mousse should keep you well within that limit!
Store-Bought Chocolate Mousse
Store-bought chocolate mousse is safe to eat during pregnancy as long as it is made with pasteurized eggs. However, it is always best to check the label to make sure. Most commercially made brands of chocolate mousse that you see in stores are made with pasteurized eggs.
The brands below are examples of ones made with pasteurized eggs and safe to eat during pregnancy:
- Jell-O
- Hershey’s
- Happy Day
- Marie Morin
- Swiss Miss
Homemade Chocolate Mousse
If you can’t find store-bought chocolate mousse made with pasteurized eggs, you can always make your own at home with pasteurized eggs.
If you are living in the U.S., you can buy pasteurized eggs at the grocery store. If you live in the U.K., you can find them at most supermarkets. Lion Egg is one brand of pasteurized eggs that is available in the U.K. (source: Egg Info).
You can also use an egg alternative like aquafaba, which is the liquid produced when chickpeas are soaked or cooked. Aquafaba is a great egg alternative for making vegan chocolate mousse.
As for the chocolate, you can use any type that you want. Just make sure to choose a product that is low in caffeine – as a general rule, the darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it will contain.
What About Other Flavors of Mousse When Pregnant?
Fruit mousse such as strawberry, raspberry, or mango are a few other delicious mousse options.
Just like chocolate mousse, make sure fruit mousse is made with pasteurized eggs. If you have a sensitive stomach, it is probably best to avoid acidic fruits like pineapple and citrus fruits, which can cause digestive problems during pregnancy.
You can also make your mousse at home using fruit purees – it’s another way to boost your vitamin C intake during pregnancy. Bear in mind, though, that most mousses are high in fat and/or sugar, so should be a treat enjoyed in moderation during pregnancy.
To sum it up, chocolate mousse is usually safe to eat during pregnancy as long as it is made with pasteurized eggs. So go ahead and enjoy your favorite chocolate mousse!
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