Can you eat Lunchables when pregnant?
In this article we are going to answer can you eat Lunchables when pregnant, what are Lunchables, is it healthy to eat Lunchables when pregnant, what is the risk of eating Lunchables when pregnant, and is there a healthier option than Lunchables to eat when pregnant.
Can you eat Lunchables when pregnant?
Yes, you can eat Lunchables when pregnant but in moderation. Lunchables are usually packed with pasteurized products such as cheese and ham. They are not the healthier option for a snack because they are processed food but if eaten in moderation they should not harm.
Lunchables are packed with ingredients that do not give any benefit to your health. They have artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. When pregnant, you need to eat as healthy and natural as you can to avoid unnecessary chemicals in your body.
What are Lunchables?
Lunchables is a brand that is manufactured by Kraft Heinz and marketed under the Oscar Mayer brand. They were introduced to the market in 1988 in Seattle and 1989 they were released nationally. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, they are sold under the name of Dairylea Lunchables.
Lunchables offers 30 different kinds of combinations which includes crackers, pizzas, nuggets, small hot dogs, small burgers, nachos, subs, and wraps. They are targeted at kids and have a version targeted at adults which increases the amount of food offered in the package.
Some of the variations they offer are:
Lunchable with a drink (Capri Sun)
- Mini hot dogs
- Extra Cheese Pizza
- Ham + American Cracker Stackers
- Nachos, Cheese dip + Salsa
- Pizza with Pepperoni
- Pizza and Treat
Lunchables without drink
- Pepperoni + Mozzarella with Crackers
- Ham + Cheddar with Crackers
- Ham + Swiss with Crackers
- Turkey + Cheddar with Crackers
- Pizza with Pepperoni
- Extra Cheesy pizza
- Nachos Cheese Dip + Salsa
- Light Bologna + American Cracker Stackers
- Ham + American Cracker Stackers
- Ham + Cheddar Cracker Stackers
- Chicken Pizza
Lunchables with 100% Juice
- Chicken Kabob Bles
Lunchables Snacks
- Cookie Dunk
- Dirt Cake
- S’mores Dippers
Lunchables Uploaded with drink
Packed with favorite 6-inch subs, deep-dish pizza plus pringles, fruit by the fruit, absopure spring water, and kool-aid.
Is it healthy to eat Lunchables when pregnant?
Lunchables are not healthy. They have healthier options than others but they are a high-process snack box. One of the best sellers of Lunchables is the Turkey and Cheddar cracker stackers.
1 package of turkey and cheddar cracker stacker contains 260 calories, 13 grams of fat of which 7 grams are from saturated fat, 670 mg of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates of which 6 grams are from fiber, and 12 grams of protein.
The ingredient list is long, but they contain ingredients like artificial flavor, sodium nitrite, smoked flavor, preservatives, and dextrose.
Sodium content is too high for a snack as well as fat and sugar. Even if it is packed with 12 grams of protein it is not healthy enough. If you add juice or sweets, they are unhealthier.
What is the risk of eating Lunchables when pregnant?
Lunchables are considered processed food in the category of junk food. Lunchables can lead to rapid weight gain because of their sugar, calorie, fat, and sodium content. The consumption of more junk food than healthy food can be fatal to pregnant women because it can interfere with proper fetal development.
If you gain too much weight during pregnancy there are several complications mom and baby can suffer.
- Gestational Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Complications during birth
- Baby health
Gestational Diabetes
You can develop gestational diabetes, a condition where glucose or sugar in the blood is way too high and insulin can’t work correctly. You may need to take medication and the mother can develop diabetes even after the baby is born.
High Blood pressure
You can develop eclampsia and preeclampsia. Both can lead to mother and baby complications and even death.
Complications during birth
If you gain too much weight it’s more likely that you end up in cesarean because vaginal birth tends to be more difficult with excess weight. Also, babies of mothers who gain too much weight are usually bigger. It can also lead to premature birth.
Baby health
Moms that gain too much weight tend to have babies with high birth weight and these babies have more risk of being obese and developing diabetes when older. The lack of nutrients in junk food can interfere with proper organ development.
Babies of moms that didn’t follow a healthy diet during pregnancy have more risk of behavior disorders like depression, attention deficit disorder, and poor learning. Also, a lack of nutrients in a mother’s diet has been connected with autism.
Is there a healthier option than Lunchables to eat when pregnant?
Lunchables are not a healthy option for you to eat when pregnant. Some Lunchables pack up to 750 mg of sodium per serving and others have almost half a day’s worth of saturated fat. The healthiest thing you can do is to choose healthy and natural food as snacks.
A healthy snack can look as simple as fresh fruit and greek yogurt. Follow this link for more ideas.
Conclusion
This article answered Can you eat Lunchables when pregnant, what are Lunchables, is it healthy to eat Lunchables when pregnant, what is the risk of eating Lunchables when pregnant, and is there a healthier option than Lunchables to eat when pregnant.
Citation
https://www.mashed.com/157874/the-untold-truth-of-lunchables/