Can you eat Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets when pregnant?
In this article we are going to answer can you eat Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets when pregnant, what is McDonald’s, are McDonald’s chicken nuggets healthy to eat when pregnant, what happens if you overeat McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and is there a healthier option to eat at McDonald’s when pregnant.
Can you eat Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets when pregnant?
Yes, you can eat Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets. Breaded chicken nuggets are safe to eat and dipping sauces are generally safe to eat when pregnant. The recommendation for the NHS is to avoid fast food and junk food when pregnant to prevent rapid weight gain and health problems.
Even if it is safe to eat Mcdonald’s when pregnant it is not healthy for you.
What is McDonald’s?
Mcdonald’s is a fast-food multinational American corporation. It started back in 1940 in San Bernardino California. They started as a hamburger stand and then turned the company into a franchise. The headquarters of McDonald’s is in Chicago.
Mcdonald’s is known as the world’s largest chain restaurant by revenue and sales. It is known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and french fries. They also sell breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, wraps, and desserts.
Consumer tastes have changed with time and they are more aware of health problems from fast food. Since then, Mcdonald’s has added to their menu vegetarian options, salads, fish, smoothies, and fruit.
They remove the high-fructose syrup from hamburger buns and artificial preservatives from Chicken McNuggets replacing chicken skin, safflower oil, and citric acid with pea starch, rice starch, and powdered lemon juice.
They also have different menus depending on the country they are in to fulfill customers’ needs. For example, in Germany they sell beer and in Greece, the signature hamburger, Big Mac, is changed by adding tzatziki sauce and packed in pita bread.
Are McDonald’s chicken nuggets healthy to eat when pregnant?
Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets are sold in boxes of 6, 9, or 20 pieces. 6 McNuggets contain 261 calories, 13 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrate, 15 grams of protein, and 0.57 grams of salt.
According to the official page of Mcdonald’s, their chicken nuggets are made with 100% chicken breast meat.
They are not the healthiest option for you to eat but if you are at McDonald’s and 6 or 9 nuggets are enough, go for it. As long as they are not part of your diet every day, McDonald’s chicken nuggets won’t do any harm.
What happens if you overeat McDonald’s chicken nuggets?
Fast food like Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets can lead to rapid weight gain because of its calorie, fat, and sodium content. The consumption of more junk fast 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 to eat at McDonald’s when pregnant?
Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets are one of the healthiest options to eat in McDonald’s. Even if you eat 9 nuggets, calories do not go top up. Another good option is the Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken salad with 320 calories or the classic burger with 250 calories.
The hard part is that if you want to cut down on sodium, carbs, and calories you need to skip the fries. If you need more nutritional information from Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets follow this link.
Other FAQs about Chicken that you may be interested in.
Can you cook chicken at 175 degrees?
Conclusion
This article answered Can you eat Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets when pregnant, what is McDonald’s, are McDonald’s chicken nuggets healthy to eat when pregnant, what happens if you overeat McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and is there a healthier option to eat at McDonald’s when pregnant.
Citation
https://foodsalternative.com/can-you-eat-mcdonald-when-pregnant/
