On turkey day (as on every other day), it's important to be vigilant against germs and bacteria in the kitchen. Wash your hands frequently when preparing meals and be careful to clean any surface that has come in contact with raw meat or eggs before using it again. Use separate cutting boards for poultry and produce, and keep uncooked poultry and meat chilled in the refrigerator and separate from other food items.
Don't leave leftovers out for more than two hours, and store them in shallow containers so they'll cool quickly. Set your refrigerator between 35 and 40 degrees F and your freezer at or below zero to keep cold foods from going bad.
- Turkey and stuffing: Cook the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (use a meat thermometer to check it). If you're preparing stuffing (also known as dressing), cook it outside the turkey in a separate baking dish to 165 degrees F. The inside of a stuffed turkey's cavity doesn't get hot enough to kill off harmful bacteria.
- Unpasteurized juice and cider: If hot or cold apple or other fruit cider is served, make sure it's pasteurized. Unpasteurized juices, including cider, are unsafe during pregnancy because they can contain bacteria like E. coli. Almost all juice sold is pasteurized — and unpasteurized juice sold in containers is required to carry a warning label.
- Note: Year round, you'll want to avoid the juice served at juice bars, especially if it's "freshly squeezed," as there's a good chance it's not pasteurized
- Smoked meats and meat spreads: IIf you're serving meat spreads like pâté, or smoked fish such as smoked salmon or trout, make sure they're canned, not from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Refrigerated meat spreads and smoked meats, fish, and shellfish can contain listeria, so it's only safe to eat them if they're heated until steaming or part of a dish that has been cooked.
- Unpasteurized soft cheeses: Fruit and cheese platters are a party staple, and a relatively healthy way to fill up, but stay away from soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk. Unpasteurized or "raw milk" cheeses may contain listeria, which is killed during the pasteurization process.
- The FDA recommends checking the label of any soft cheese before eating, to make sure it says "made with pasteurized milk." If you can't check the label — for example, if you're at a party — avoid blue cheese and soft cheeses (including Brie, Camembert, goat cheese, feta, and Roquefort) and Mexican-style cheeses like queso fresco, queso blanco, and Panela. If you're not sure which cheeses are safe, stick with hard cheeses like cheddar and Swiss, and semi-soft cheeses like Monterey jack and mozzarella. Cream cheese and pasteurized processed cheeses like American are also safe.
- Sushi: Avoid sushi trays with raw fish, because it may contain parasites and bacteria. If you’re a sushi fan, opt instead for a California roll, made with avocado and cooked crab. Although raw fish poses little direct risk to your baby, if you get ill from sushi you'll likely suffer from vomiting and dehydration, which can affect your unborn baby.
- Carving stations: If your party features a carving station with roast beef or turkey, make sure the meat is cooked well-done and is still steaming hot. Unless you're sure they're well cooked, avoid sauces like bearnaise, hollandaise, and aioli, which can contain uncooked eggs.
- Eggnog: Homemade eggnog is generally off-limits, because it's usually made with raw, unpasteurized eggs — and alcohol. But you can make a virgin, pregnancy-safe version at home with a pasteurized egg product or an egg alternative like Egg Beaters. Or try store-bought eggnog — just check the label to make sure the eggs are pasteurized.
- You might also consider "soy nog," which doesn't contain eggs or any other dairy products. You can find it during the winter holidays in most large grocery stores and in natural food stores.
- You'll also want to avoid desserts that may contain raw or undercooked eggs, like some custards and mousse, and homemade ice cream.
- Fruitcake and other alcoholic food items: Fruitcake and other desserts that use alcohol as an ingredient are generally okay, because most of the alcohol burns off during cooking. If the fruitcake has been soaked in rum or other liquor after being baked, however, little of the alcohol will have evaporated, and you should probably steer clear.