Pregnant women can eat many types of sandwiches at Subway IF they're heated up until hot, not just warm. Heating up sandwich fillings like deli meat and/or salad kills listeria if the temperature goes above 165F, or 75C.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises that pregnant women "avoid eating hot dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (such as bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving."
Ham and cured meats
It is safe to eat cold, pre-packed meats such as ham and corned beef. Although the risk is low, you may also prefer to avoid raw cured meat, such as parma ham, chorizo, pepperoni and salami.
The safest course of action to protect your baby is to avoid deli meats until after pregnancy. If you plan to eat deli meats anyway, we highly suggest cooking them until they are steaming. If the meat is heated to steaming, any present Listeria bacteria should no longer be alive.
Restaurants such as Subway recommends that pregnant women eat the following non-luncheon meat items such as meatball, steak and cheese, roasted chicken, and tuna (limit 2 servings a week). Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads.
All of the meats at Subway are precooked. All we do is just reheat the meat (if you want it heated).
The cheese is processed and therefore safe in pregnancy. Big Macs, Artisan Sandwiches, Deluxe versions, all the McChicken sandwiches and any 'Feasts' are all variations of regular burgers or chicken sandwiches but they contain lettuce. Ask for your burger or sandwich without lettuce.
But doctors caution pregnant people against eating lunch meat and a few other foods because there's a slight risk of Listeria infection. Listeria is a rare but harmful bacteria that can cause a serious food-borne illness. Listeria can live in water, soil, or animal manure, which farmers use as fertilizer.
In any case, if you experience any of the above symptoms, see your doctor or healthcare provider immediately. Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults. An estimated 1/6 of all Listeria cases occur in pregnant women.
Fatigue kicks in for many moms-to-be around week 9 of pregnancy. The (very important) reason? Your body is working overtime in the first trimester to develop the placenta, the lifeline between your baby and your own blood supply.
FSANZ recommends that pregnant women avoid cold, cooked, ready-to-eat meats, including barbecued chicken. The problem with cold meats (even if previously cooked) is that unborn babies are at an increased risk of listeriosis which is an illness caused by the listeria bacteria.
Why can't pregnant women eat deli meat? It's best not to eat deli or lunch meats while you're pregnant, unless the food has been heated until steaming (165 degrees F) right before serving. These meats can harbor bacteria, which can continue to grow even when refrigerated.
Firstly, it's important to note that McDonald's food is processed and high in calories, fat, and sodium. Therefore, it should be consumed in moderation during pregnancy. However, there are no specific ingredients in McDonald's food that are considered unsafe to eat during pregnancy.
You should avoid all raw or undercooked fish when you're pregnant, though many types of fish are safe to eat when fully cooked. Raw fish, including sushi and sashimi, are more likely to contain parasites or bacteria than fully cooked fish.
The good news is that listeriosis in pregnant women is very rare in Australia and New Zealand. If you avoid soils and foods at risk of being contaminated it's very unlikely that you will be infected. It is also important to follow safe hygiene habits when preparing and cooking foods.
Listeriosis is detectable with a blood test, and treatable with antibiotics. Early treatment can help prevent infection or complications for your baby.
Pregnant women in their third trimester are most vulnerable to contracting the illness, but it's possible to get infected at any point during pregnancy. If you begin experiencing these symptoms, contact your doctor and inform them of any food you recently ate. A blood test can confirm a diagnosis of listeriosis.
Soft ice cream and processed products should be fine as they are made with pasteurised milk and eggs. This means that any risk of salmonella food poisoning has been eliminated. If it's homemade ice cream you're after then make sure you use a pasteurised egg substitute or follow an egg-free recipe.
It's generally recommended that pregnant women avoid consuming fast food, including KFC, on a regular basis. While KFC can be a convenient and tasty option for a meal, it is typically high in calories, fat, and sodium, and may not provide the balanced nutrition needed during pregnancy.
There are no ingredients in McDonald's fries considered unsafe to eat during pregnancy. For a healthier option, though, you could ask for them to be cooked fresh, and with less salt.
What is this? First, many Subway sandwiches contain deli meat, which has to be heated up until hot to eliminate any potential for listeria contamination (for more on specific deli meats, what the risks are and what to do with them at home too, check out my guide to deli meat in pregnancy).
At Subway, many of the meats that are available are not processed, meaning that they are made from whole cuts of meat rather than being chemically treated or preserved. For example, the turkey breast, roast beef, ham, and steak are all made from whole cuts of meat that are cooked and sliced for use in sandwiches.
Then there's the meat. It's a processed concoction of actual meat and lots of water that's held together by things like modified food starch and soy protein concentrate, and then goosed with artificial flavorings.