During pregnancy, the body needs more care and attention than usual because it undergoes daily transformations and requires proper support for the baby's growth without complications. It's therefore essential to pay close attention to the foods chosen during these 9 months and to ask all possible questions about whether they might be unsuitable or even inadvisable. Today, we address a very common question: can you eat Parmesan cheese during pregnancy? Here's the answer and all the relevant reasons.
Can you eat Parmigiano Reggiano during pregnancy?
The answer is, without a doubt, yes. But let's look more specifically at why this cheese falls into the category of foods that are absolutely not harmful, and sometimes even beneficial, for pregnant women, provided, of course, that it is consumed in the recommended quantities and frequency (link to article on daily dose).
- During pregnancy, all fresh, soft, raw-milk, and bloomy-rind cheeses are discouraged. Parmigiano Reggiano does not possess any of these characteristics. Or rather, it is made with unpasteurized raw milk but undergoes a maturation period of over 12 months, which makes it absolutely safe for expectant mothers.
- Parmigiano Reggiano provides the body with a good amount of calcium. This makes it a beneficial food for both the pregnant mother and the baby she is carrying. A 50g serving of Parmesan provides the body with 580mg of calcium, which is more than half of the daily requirement.
- Normally, cheese rind is not recommended during pregnancy because it could be potentially dangerous for the body. However, this is not the case with Parmigiano Reggiano: Parmesan rind is not treated with waxes, lacquers, or anti-mold products, and consequently, it is edible without any exception. The advice is to wash it thoroughly under hot water before consuming it.
In addition to being a good food during pregnancy, Parmigiano Reggiano is also excellent for the breastfeeding period. Parmigiano, in fact, loses all its lactose during maturation, thus becoming highly digestible and losing the contraindication for lactose that cheeses usually have during breastfeeding.
If you want to know if Parmesan is a suitable food in the diet of newborns, you can click here and read our dedicated article.
