It used to be a staple in your diet, perhaps eaten with cereal in the morning or enjoyed as a snack, but is yogurt recommended during pregnancy?
After all, so many foods are not recommended for expectant mothers , especially certain dairy products. Things that were previously consumed with the utmost ease—various cheeses, sour cream , crème fraîche , ricotta , mozzarella, goat cheese , Camembert , Gorgonzola , etc.—are now being carefully examined.
But can yogurt contain listeria? Are there yogurt varieties made from raw milk? What about fruit yogurt? Is it okay to eat yogurt during pregnancy?
Are there any health benefits to eating yogurt?
In this article you will find the answers.
Can you eat yogurt during pregnancy and how much is recommended?
You can safely enjoy yogurt during pregnancy if it’s made from pasteurized milk. As you probably already know, you should avoid raw milk and raw milk products during pregnancy.
Unlike pasteurized products, these are not heat-treated, i.e., not heated to high temperatures, and can therefore contain listeriosis pathogens, which are dangerous for your unborn baby.
However, if the yogurt is made from pasteurized milk, you can enjoy it several times a day. Three to four servings of dairy products per day are even recommended to ensure adequate calcium intake. One serving of yogurt is around 150 grams.
However, you should be careful with fruit yogurts and avoid mixing them with plain yogurt. Fruit yogurts usually contain a lot of sugar and are very high in calories.
Which yogurt should you eat during pregnancy? – Different types of yogurt have different fat contents.
Many yogurts found in supermarkets have a fat content between 0.5 and 10%. Cream yogurt, for example, has at least 10% or 20% fat.
Natural yogurt or Greek yogurt during pregnancy – Since frequent consumption of high-sugar fruit yogurt quickly shows up on the scales and some products also contain colorings, flavorings, preservatives, and flavor enhancers, you should opt for low-fat natural yogurt or rich Greek yogurt.
This way, you’ll not only protect your hips from excess fat, but also your health, as a mindful diet will help prevent gestational diabetes. And if you ever get tired of it during pregnancy, you can always reach for coconut milk .
What should you pay attention to when eating yogurt during pregnancy?
Actually, you shouldn’t worry too much, because almost all yogurts that you can find in stores are pasteurized, meaning they are safe for you as a pregnant woman and your unborn child.
Yogurt products made from raw milk are very rarely found in our supermarkets.
Things are different if you are in the habit of buying from farmers or retailers; then you should keep both eyes open and look for the label “made with raw milk”.
Other statements that indicate that it is a raw milk product are “not heat-treated”, “made from fresh milk” or “made from untreated milk”.
After all, it is legally required that such products must be marked accordingly.
On the other hand, pasteurized products don’t have to be labeled, so don’t worry if you don’t see any information about it on your yogurt. This means it wasn’t made with raw milk.
However, if you are unsure, it is better to take a look at the manufacturer’s website and the information about the product.
It’s also a good idea to ask your midwife which types of yogurt are particularly recommended. (This isn’t the only reason why it makes sense to start looking for a midwife early on …)
How healthy is yogurt for pregnant women?
The right yogurt is a great source of nutrients for both you and your unborn child, especially calcium, protein and vitamin B2.
On average, yogurt contains about 120 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams, which is high and therefore beneficial for you and your baby.
To meet your daily calcium requirement of 1,000 milligrams per day during pregnancy, several servings of yogurt can help you.
Calcium is important not only for the development of bones but also of muscles, and if you do not meet your daily requirements sufficiently, your body will draw on your reserves to provide for your baby.
Of course, this is not good, so your conscious and balanced diet should always be rich in calcium.
In addition, yogurt, as a sour milk product, is rich in lactic acid bacteria, which have a positive effect on the intestines by supporting the digestive system and also stimulating the immune system.
Speaking of sour milk products: You can treat yourself
Of course, the same rule applies here as with other dairy products: As long as they do not contain raw milk, fermented milk products such as Greek yogurt, curds, frozen yogurt, sour cream, whey, ayran and skyr are permitted.
But you should stay away from kefir, even if this sour milk product is pasteurized, because it contains alcohol. And you don’t want to expose your baby to that.
Be careful with yogurt dressings
Yes, unfortunately you have to pay attention to that too.
Yogurt dressings contain not only yogurt, but also other ingredients, of which those containing raw eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise , are particularly problematic.
That’s why you should be especially careful when you eat out or are attracted by food at the deli counter, because just like tiramisu, remoulade or hollandaise sauce, a yogurt dressing in a restaurant can also contain raw eggs.
These treats should be avoided due to the risk of salmonella infection.
Yogurt dressing for pregnancy – The good news is that you can usually eat the dressings from the supermarket without any concerns even when you are pregnant, as they are usually made from pasteurized eggs or egg powder.
Attention genetic engineering!
Unfortunately, genetic engineering is still present in many industrially produced yogurt products. In the EU, many dairy cows are fed genetically modified feed.
This, of course, has a direct impact on the milk. The effects on the human body have not yet been researched.
However, since hardly anything good can come from this, the Federal Government passed the law on voluntary labelling “without genetic engineering” in 2008.
Manufacturers can attach this seal to their products if they comply with the legal requirements.
This labeling helps to avoid genetically modified foods beyond the organic sector.
Milk and dairy products bearing the “non-GMO” seal must not come from animals that have been fed genetically modified plants.
A cow must have been fed with genetically modified-free feed for at least three months in order for the seal to be used on the cow’s milk product.
Reminder: Why you should avoid raw animal products during pregnancy
Raw eggs, raw fish such as matjes and rollmops and raw meat such as minced meat, raw salami and tea sausage can be contaminated with pathogens, as can raw milk cheese.
Pathogens can lead to salmonella infection, listeriosis or toxoplasmosis.
While salmonella cannot cause direct harm to the unborn child, it does weaken the mother considerably, which of course also affects the baby in the womb.
However, Listeria and Toxoplasma can cause serious harm to the unborn child and, in the worst case, miscarriage. These are all reasons enough to warn pregnant women against consuming certain foods.
And when you’re standing in the supermarket for the umpteenth time, trying to remember whether that delicious soft cheese or cream cheese is okay for pregnant women or not, please try to look on the positive side: the more you learn about food, the better you can ensure a healthy diet.
Furthermore, not everything made from raw milk is prohibited. One exception is hard cheeses like Parmesan or Bergkäse , as germs and bacteria cannot survive the long maturation period.
Even though these cheeses have not been heated to high temperatures, their water content and pH value are so low that pathogens have no chance.
However, as with other types of cheese, you should be careful with the cheese rind and carefully cut it off and dispose of it before eating, as germs and bacteria can still settle on the rind.
Unfortunately, during pregnancy, you also have to say goodbye to otherwise great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as smoked salmon and sushi. However, you can get them from pollock, herring, and trout.
Final thoughts
Given the minerals and vitamins that yogurt offers, it’s good to know that yogurt is allowed during pregnancy. This applies in various forms, including tzatziki.
But this sour milk product is so firmly anchored in many people’s diets that it would certainly be difficult to do without it.
Yogurt protects bones, feeds muscles, supports gut health and the immune system, and can help keep calorie needs in check and reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.
Yogurt is recommended for pregnant women, especially because of its high calcium content.
You should choose low-fat yogurt products and make your own fruit yogurt with fresh fruit to avoid falling into the sugar trap.
In this article, I explained that most commercially available yogurt is made from pasteurized milk and is therefore safe for you and your baby. I also gave some tips on when caution is advised and why you should look for the “non-GMO” label on yogurts.
Finally, here is a little reminder why raw products of animal origin are unfortunately taboo during pregnancy, even if they are otherwise healthy and tasty.
