Cheese During Pregnancy: What To Eat, What To Avoid

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Cheese can make any dish more intriguing, delicious, and enticing. However, it is often debatable whether or not you can eat cheese during pregnancy. It is recommended that you eat a range of foods, including cheese, when pregnant.

Read this post to know about the safety of eating cheese during pregnancy, what kind of cheese you can eat, and how much of it you can consume while pregnant if you have a cheese craving.

Are You Craving For Cheese?

You have cravings for a reason. It can be a way for your body to tell you to have certain nutrients (1). A strong craving for cheese could indicate that your body needs more protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals.

Some old wives tales say that a strong urge to eat cheese indicates the sex of the baby. But they are just tales and have no scientific backing.

Is It Safe To Eat Cheese When Pregnant?

Yes, it is safe to have hard cheeses during pregnancy (2) as they contain listeria bacteria in negligible amounts.

However, you need to stay away from soft cheeses, especially the mold-ripened and soft blue-veined varieties as the concentration of listeria is high in them.

Listeria leads to listeriosis, and pregnant women are more vulnerable than normal individuals due to their weak immunity. Go for pasteurized varieties of cheeses as the process removes listeria.

So, before you relish cheeses, you need to know about the types that are safe to eat, and the ones to avoid during pregnancy.

Safe And Unsafe Cheeses During Pregnancy

The below table lists the safe cheeses you can consume during pregnancy.

Safe Cheeses

1. Hard cheese

It has a firm texture and long maturation period. It is prepared from pasteurized milk or is cooked at high temperature; therefore, the presence of listeria is almost nil.

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Examples	Origin	Texture/flavor
1. Cheddar	Made from cow’s milk, it is a hard and natural cheese.	The fresh form has a smooth texture, and it crumbles as it ages.
2. Emmental	Originated in Switzerland, it is made from cow’s milk.	An unpasteurized hard cheese with walnut-sized holes in it.
3. Halloumi	Made from goat and sheep milk. It originated in Cyprus.	Semi-hard cheese with a springy texture. Typically eaten during warmer months because of its refreshing nature.
4. Havarti	Made from highly pasteurized cow’s milk. It is a widely used cheese product in Denmark.	Has buttery aroma and is slightly acidic. It is aged for around three months. As it ages it becomes saltier and tastes like hazelnut.
5. Jarlsberg	Made of cow’s milk. Named after the place Jarlsberg in Norway.	Has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.
6. Manchego	Made from unpasteurized milk produced by the sheep breed manchega, in the La Mancha region of Spain.	Has a fruity, grass and slightly tangy flavor. It is aged for around three months.
7. Paneer	The un-aged curd cheese is prepared by curdling the milk. It is commonly found in South Asia.	Crumbly and moist in texture. It is mildly flavored.
8. Orkney	A form of cheddar produced in the Orkney Scottish Island.	Firm, smooth, and soft texture.
9. Parmesan	Made from the milk of cows that graze on fresh grass and hay.	Has hard, gritty texture and a fruity flavor.
10. Pecorino	Made from 100% cow milk in the US and sheep milk in Italy.	Feels hard and has a strong taste. It is aged for up to 12 months.
11. Provolone	Made from full-fat cow’s milk and originated in Italy.	Semi-hard and firm texture with a mild, smoky flavor.
12. Stilton	An English cheese made from cow milk. Available in two varieties, blue and white.	Semi-soft, crumbly, and creamier with a strong smell and taste.
13. Edam	Named after a town in North Holland, it is low in fat content compared to other cheese varieties.	Is semi-hard and creamy. Its fresh form tastes salty and nutty and is odorless. Attains a sharper flavor on maturation.

2. Soft processed cheese

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Soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk are safe to eat during pregnancy. This cheese has a soft texture and can sometimes be watery and runny. While buying them, read the label to make sure it is pasteurized. Soft cheeses include:

Cottage cheese
Garlic and herb roulade
Goat cheese without white rind
Cream cheese
Mozzarella
Mascarpone
Quark
Ricotta

Autumn Bates, an expecting mom and clinical nutritionist, shares how she included cottage cheese in her pregnancy diet. She says, “For my first meal, I am going to make a cottage cheese pancake. I’ve been enjoying it since it’s high in protein. My midwife wants me to consume around 80 to 100 grams of protein from complete sources, and I’m already meeting that requirement quite easily (i).”

3. Processed cheese

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Made from modified natural cheeses, it has a homogeneous and flexible texture. The heating process makes processed cheese safe for pregnant women. However, it contains salt emulsifiers, stabilizers, and other additives; therefore limit them to small quantities. Processed cheese includes:

American cheese
Velveeta
Cheese whiz

As mentioned above, these cheese varieties are considered safe due to the absence of listeria.

Quick fact

Gruyere, cheese spreads, goats’ cheese without a white coating on the outside (rind), and steaming hot and cooked soft and blue cheese are safe options during pregnancy (2).

Unsafe Cheeses

You need to avoid cheeses, which increase the risk of listeriosis during pregnancy.

1. Mold-ripened soft cheese

Consumption of mold-ripened soft cheese during pregnancy

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These cheeses are more likely to contain listeria:

Brie
Blue brie
Cambozola
Camembert
Chèvre

2. Blue-veined cheese

Consumption of blue-veined cheese during pregnancy

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The cheese is soft and filled with moisture, providing an ideal environment for bacterial growth. The varieties include:

Bergader
Bleu d’Auvergne
Blue Wensleydale
Shropshire blue
Danish blue
Dolcelatte
Gorgonzola
Roncal
Roquefort
Tome

3. Soft, unpasteurized cheese

Consumption of soft, unpasteurized cheese during pregnancy

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Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk should be avoided. Some unpasteurized types include:

Chabichou
Feta (goat cheese)
Pyramide
Torta del cesar cheeses

Cheese is mostly made from cow milk, but it is also made from other sources such as goat milk. Let’s see if it is safe to consume such varieties.

Be watchful

Avoid eating Roquefort cheese during pregnancy unless you are sure that it is made with pasteurized milk (8).

Is It Safe To Eat Goat Cheese While Pregnant?

Goat cheese is safe if the milk is pasteurized or the cheese is hard. However, there are some cheeses you must avoid. One such cheese is chevre, which is often served in restaurants and is widely used in cheese salads.

The soft, mold-ripened cheese creates a ground for bacterial proliferation. It carries the bacteria called listeria monocytogenes (2).

Why should a pregnant woman be so careful about avoiding cheese that has the risk of carrying listeria?

Listeriosis Risk

Eating contaminated or unpasteurized cheese could lead to listeriosis. You need to be careful while selecting the cheese because it is difficult to identify infected cheese as it lacks any distinct taste or smell.

Pregnant women are ten times more likely to get infected by listeria than the non-pregnant population. The condition is caused by the listeria bacterium and results in mild, flu-like symptoms in adults but is more likely to harm the unborn baby (3).

Listeriosis can put a pregnant woman at risk of miscarriage, severe illness, stillbirth, premature birth, or can lead to the death of the fetus (4). However, early detection and treatment of listeriosis using antibiotics may help prevent serious complications in the baby.

Tips To Prevent Listeriosis

It is true that cooking helps kill the listeria bacterium, but these bacteria are resilient. They can grow and survive in the refrigerator or freezer. Here are some tips to avoid getting listeriosis during pregnancy:

According to the CDC guidelines, pregnant women should avoid consuming certain cheeses, including feta, camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheeses like queso blanco, queso fresco, and panela. Expecting women should also avoid brie cheese during pregnancy. These cheeses may pose a risk to maternal health due to potential bacterial contamination.

In case you wish to eat soft cheese, then cook it till it starts bubbling and eat it immediately. Avoid consuming it later or storing it in the refrigerator. Since listeria is susceptible to heat, cooking it at 160oF will kill the bacteria (5).

Use only pasteurized dairy products. While buying hard cheese made from unpasteurized milk, make sure to check for the label marked as ‘aged 60 days’ or longer (6). Only such aged cheese is good for you.

Maintain hygiene while storing food in the refrigerator. Make sure to clean the refrigerator often and maintain the temperature at 40°F or below and freezer at 0°F. This temperature is ideal to slow down the growth of listeria (7).

Be careful about cheese consumption during pregnancy. You can have only cheese in limited quantities if it is pasteurized and/ or hard. Do not take a risk by eating soft cheese when pregnant, as it can have an adverse effect on your infant. Wait for a few months until your pregnancy ends, and you can return to your cheese days.

Have you had a craving for cheese while pregnant? Share your experiences in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the nutritional benefits of eating cheese during pregnancy?

Cheese is a nutrient-rich dairy product and a good source of calcium, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B12, and vitamin A (9). These nutrients are important for a healthy pregnancy, supporting the mother’s well-being and the baby’s growth and development. (10).

2. How much cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy?

Pregnant women may take a total of three cups of dairy products daily. For cheese, one cup may equal two small slices of Swiss cheese or 1/3 cup of shredded cheese (11).

3. What are the effects of overeating cheese during pregnancy?

Eating too much cheese during pregnancy may increase your intake of saturated fats and sodium (9). This may contribute to excessive weight gain and increased blood pressure.

Infographic: Which Cheese Should You Eat And Avoid During Pregnancy?

Being skeptical about anything and everything you eat during pregnancy is typical. Cheese is one of the foods that require proper knowledge before consuming since not all cheeses are safe and may cause an infection. So stay aware of which ones to eat and avoid during pregnancy to prevent complications.

Key Pointers

Cheese is a good source of protein, calcium, and vitamins essential for the growth and development of the baby.
Pregnant women should be aware of their cheese choices since certain types of cheese may contain bacteria, such as Listeria.
Listeria can cause flu-like symptoms in pregnant women, which can affect fetal well-being.
Hard and pasteurized cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are safe during pregnancy.
Soft cheeses like feta, brie, and camembert should be avoided to prevent the risk of infection while pregnant.

Illustration: Cheese During Pregnancy: What To Eat What To Avoid

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Cheese is a delicious addition to any food, but is it safe for pregnant women? Find out more through this informative video!

Personal Experience: Source

MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.

i. Exactly what a nutritionist eats in a day while pregnant | second trimester.
https://youtu.be/-byvxGzZXog

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Food cravings during pregnancy
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/food-cravings-during-pregnancy
Foods to avoid in pregnancy
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/
Listeria and Pregnancy
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/listeria-and-pregnancy?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=otn
People at Risk: Pregnant Women
https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women
Listeria monocytogenes
https://www.meatpoultryfoundation.org/index.php
FEDERAL REGULATION OF RAW MILK CHEESE
https://www.cheesesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/PPT-Nsofor-Working-Proactively-to-Mitigate-Risk.pdf
Preventing Listeria Infections: What You Need to Know
https://www.fda.gov/media/72308/download
Foods to Avoid When Pregnant
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/foods-to-avoid-during-pregnancy/
Cheese.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cheese/
Nutrition During Pregnancy.
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy
Nutrition During Pregnancy.
https://www.waterburyhospital.org/all-services/womens-health-program/obstetrics-and-gynecology/patient-education-folder/nutrition-during-pregnancy/

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Claudia WilsonMS, RDN, CSSD, CSCS

Claudia Wilson is a registered dietitian/ nutritionist, a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition (CSSD), and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). With an experience of 12 years, she currently manages her private practice All of Nutrition and authored One-Two Punch.

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Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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Rebecca MalachiBSc

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

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Aneesha AmonzMSc

Aneesha holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from USTM, Meghalaya and Master’s degree in Applied Microbiology from VIT, Vellore. With two years of experience, she has worked on different research projects in the field of Food Sciences.

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