Can You Eat Jersey Mike's When Pregnant?

In this article we are going to answer can you eat Jersey Mike’s when pregnant, what is jersey mike’s, what is the risk of eating Jersey Mike’s, and is Jersey Mike’s healthy to eat when pregnant.

Can you eat Jersey Mike’s when pregnant?

Yes, you can eat Jersey Mike’s when pregnant but you need to eat it in moderation. According to Eat This, Not that, Jersey Mike’s subways are unhealthier than Subways. They have more calories, fat, and sodium overall.

The American Pregnancy Association recommends avoiding all deli meat sandwiches to prevent food poisoning when pregnant but in the UK the guidelines are less restrictive. If you are going to eat deli meat, it needs to be fully cooked.

What is Jersey Mike’s?

Jersey Mike’s is a franchise that started back in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Peter Cancro bought the first restaurant in 1977. Nowadays he is the CEO of Jersey Mike’s Franchise System INC. There are more than 2,000 locations open and under development.

Everything that served as Jersey Mike’s is high quality. They serve high-quality MSA grade beef, meat and cheese are quality premium brands, bread is fresh-baked each day and everything is prepared right in front of you. Their menu includes

Breakfast subs

12 colds subs

12 hot subs

Kids meals

What is the risk of eating Jersey Mike’s?

Although nowadays it’s very difficult to catch an infection, you should avoid eating undercooked deli meat when pregnant. Subs from Jersey Mike’s can have undercooked meat and even if it has been cooked, it needs to be reheated before you eat it.

The three main diseases you can contract if you eat uncooked deli meat are toxoplasmosis, salmonella, and listeriosis.

Listeriosis

Listeria Monocytogenes is the main bacteria that can be found in undercooked ham. It causes listeriosis. If you let the bacteria go too far, it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and other health problems.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 2,5000 people will get infected with listeria every year. It means that it’s very rare to get infected but pregnant women are in a more delicate condition and need to be a little more careful because it could lead to fatal health conditions.

Pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get seriously ill.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma Gondii is the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. For a normal, healthy person, it usually doesn’t cause any symptoms but for pregnant women, it’s too risky, it can cause serious health problems. One important thing to add is that once you contract toxoplasmosis you can’t contract it again.

Salmonella

Is a bacteria that can be very dangerous in pregnant women. It also causes digestive symptoms like the other pathogens listed above.

Symptoms appear between one hour to 6 hours after you have eaten the contaminated food, they are usually mild. One important thing about salmonella is that it can cause bacteremia, a condition where there is bacteria in the blood and can be fatal to pregnant women.

So why are pregnant women more likely to get infected? Because their immune system is compromised and does not work as well as for a healthy person. Also, remember that while the baby is not fully developed, the baby it’s at risk too.

Symptoms of food poisoning include

Nausea

Vomiting

Chills and fevers

Muscle pain

In pregnant women, it may cause flu-like symptoms with fever and chills

Is Jersey Mike’s healthy to eat when pregnant?

No, Jersey Mike’s is not healthy to eat when pregnant. It is considered fast food, high-calorie, high fat, and high sodium food.

The lowest calorie sub-available at Jersey Mike’s are Mike’s Chicken Philly and BBQ Beef, both have 670 calories. While the least healthy according to calories is the Club Supreme with 1130 calories or Grilled Italian with 1080 calories, half the calories of a normal diet of 2,000 calories per day.

The sub with the least sodium is Roast Beef and Provolone with 1112 mg of sodium, which is too high. While the sub with more sodium is the Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak with 3513 mg of sodium. The recommendation for pregnant women is no more than 2,5000 mg of sodium per day.

So bottom line, Jersey Mike’s contains a lot of calories and sodium. Sodium is a mineral that in high quantities can be very dangerous because it can worsen blood pressure.

If you have preeclampsia, high blood pressure, problems with weight gain, or gestational diabetes you need to avoid all Jersey Mike’s sandwiches.

If you are still craving Jersey Mike’s, here is a copycat recipe for Jersey mike’s Club Sub Recipe.