Laughing Cow products are popular and easy to recognize with their famous red cow logo. Here’s what you need to know about consuming their products during pregnancy.
Laughing Cow wedges, spread, and other products are safe to eat during pregnancy. According to the company, all their cheeses are pasteurized. Pasteurized cheeses are safe for pregnant women to eat.
What are the benefits of these cheeses, and is there anything to worry about? We explain the answers below!
Are Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges Safe for Pregnancy?
Laughing Cow wedge cheese is a processed cheese made with cheddar, semi-soft cheese, and pasteurized Swiss cheese (source: The Laughing Cow).
Both cheddar and Swiss cheese are hard cheeses, which makes them a safe choice for pregnant women. The reason this is the case is that hard cheeses have little to no moisture for harmful bacteria to survive and multiply.
Semi-soft cheese has a moisture content of more than 39% (source: Cheese). But this shouldn’t be a concern because Laughing Cow cheese wedges are also pasteurized.
According to their website, one wedge (21g) has 4g of fat, 2g of protein, 150mg of calcium, and 180mg of sodium. The fat and sodium content is pretty low compared to other cheeses.
A high-fat diet is not advised during pregnancy as it has been shown to affect fetal development, increase the risk of too much leptin and cholesterol in the blood, and contribute to unhealthy weight gain.
A high-fat pregnancy diet could also affect the baby’s cognitive function and behavior (source: Nutrition Reviews).
Moreover, children whose mothers have high cholesterol during pregnancy are more likely to have the same issue later in life (source: Journal of Clinical Lipidology).
Protein is essential during pregnancy because it helps your body adjust to the growing fetus. Blood volume increases as the fetus also grows and develops. Therefore, protein needs are increased (source: Nutrition During Pregnancy).
Laughing Cow cheese wedges also contain a significant amount of calcium, which is important in pregnancy. As the baby develops inside the womb, calcium aids his or her growth through cell signaling and the formation of tissues (source: Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research).
Can Pregnant Women Eat Laughing Cow Spread?
Laughing Cow also produces Laughing Cow Creamy Spreadable Cheese. It is made from the same ingredients but sold as a spread instead of wedges, so the safety and nutrition considerations are the same as they are for Laughing Cow wedges.
The company also offers snacks called the Laughing Cow & Go. Included in the convenient snack pack are breadsticks and a spread.
The nutritional value of this product is doubled, except for calcium. This means that a serving also has double the amount of sodium now, at 320mg. We recommend you eat this item in moderation so you don’t exceed your allowance of 2,300 mg of sodium per day (source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans).
Are Laughing Cow Cheeses Pasteurized?
According to their website, all Laughing Cow products are made with 100% cow’s milk. Their cheeses are pasteurized and comply with pasteurization requirements from the FDA and USDA (source: The Laughing Cow).
The company adds that this makes all their cheeses safe for pregnant women (source: The Laughing Cow).
Laughing Cow cheeses are a nutritious snack that you can enjoy during your pregnancy. We hope this article helped answer your questions about these popular products!
| This article has been reviewed and approved for publication in line with our editorial policy. |