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Parentpedia
Ground Beef
You can eat a hamburger while you're pregnant, but make sure it's well done. On the happy meal side, ground beef is rich in protein and some vitamins and can be a part of a healthy diet (though probably not if it's a Happy Meal).
The big "but" is that raw or undercooked ground beef also can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria that can cause listeriosis, e.coli, Campylobacter infections, salmonellosis, and toxoplasmosis. For some women, these multisyllabic illnesses merely cause discomfort, but for others they can be life-threatening.
Here's how to keep yourself and your growing baby safe.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked ground beef. Use a meat thermometer and cook ground beef to 160 degrees. No pink should be visible.
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat.
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water after they come in contact with raw meat.
- Separate raw meat from other foods in your shopping cart. Consider placing them in a plastic bag in your shopping cart to keep the juices contained. To prevent juices from dripping onto other foods in the refrigerator, keep the ground beef in a sealed plastic bag or container.
- Your refrigerator should register at 40 degrees F or lower and the freezer at 0 degrees F or lower.
Never eat cooked food that has been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
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