Can You Eat Crayfish While Pregnant?

So, what do you think? Can you eat crawfish while pregnant? If you life seafood, then you surely are interested in finding out the answer to this question.

About Crayfish

Crayfish is known under many other names. No matter if you heard about crawfish, mountain lobsters, crawdads, mudbugs, yabbies or freshwater lobsters, these members of the Astacoidea and Parastaoidea families are all fresh water crustaceans that resemble small lobsters. They breathe through gills, which are similar to feathers. Some species can be found in streams or brooks where there`s fresh water running, while other ones can be found in paddy fields, swamps or ditches.

Crayfish usually feed on plants and small animals, either decomposing or living. They also can`t tolerate polluted water.

Crayfish as Food

These small lobsters are eater throughout the world. Like other eatable crustaceans, only a rather small part of the crawfish`s body is edible. In most dishes that are prepared, like bisques, étouffées or soups, only the tail part is consumed. When it comes to crawfish boil or other types of meals where the whole crawfish`s body is presented, other parts, like the claw meat, might be edible.

Claws of larger boiled crawfish are frequently pulled apart for the meat inside to be consumed. Another favorite way to consume the specimens is to suck the crayfish`s head, as flavor and seasoning will collect in the boiled interior`s fat.

Like most crustaceans, crayfish aren`t kosher because they represent aquatic specimens which don`t have both scales and fins. Thus, they aren`t consumed by observant Jews. A long time ago in Scandinavia, crawfish were seen as insects, and a kind of animal that no one would want to put in their mouth.

Nutritional Value of Crayfish

There are lots of useful components of crayfish that can be found valuable when consumed. Crawfish is very low in saturated fat. It`s a great source of niacin, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin E, selenium, copper, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.

The bad thing is that crawfish is quite high when it comes to cholesterol.

• Calories – 65.4 cal.
• Carbohydrates – 0 g.
• Proteins – 13.6 g.
• Fat – 0.8 g.
• Vitamin A – 45 IU.
• Vitamin C – 1 mg.
• Vitamin E – 2.4 mg.
• Vitamin K – 0.1 mcg.
• Thiamin – 0.1 mg.
• Riboflavin – 0 mg.
• Niacin – 1.9 mg.
• Vitamin B6 – 0.1 mg.
• Folate – 31.5 mcg.
• Pantothenic acid – 0.5 mg.
• Choline – 68.8 mg.
• Calcium – 23 mg.
• Iron – 0.7 mg.
• Magnesium – 23 mg.
• Phosphorus – 218 mg.
• Potassium – 257 mg.
• Sodium – 49.3 mg.
• Zinc – 1.1 mg.
• Copper – 0.4 mg.
• Manganese – 0.2 mg.
• Selenium – 26.9 mcg.

Note: Amounts per 85 g.

Can You Eat Crayfish while Pregnant?

You are in luck! Crayfish can be consumed safely while pregnant. And it`s the same thing when it comes to other kinds of shellfish, if they are properly cooked. Actually, fish contain healthy proteins and fats that are very good for both a pregnant woman and her baby. This is also the reason for which expecting mother need to aim for 8 – 12 ounces of fish every week (around 2 – 3 servings).

Because of the usual worries involving mercury, most future mothers cut out fish during their 9 months of pregnancy, which is completely understandable.  However, FDA advises expecting mothers simply to only keep away of 3 types of fish because of their high content of mercury: king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish and shark. Otherwise, you should feel free to consume crayfish as well as any other types of seafood, if you know you are getting nutritional value for both you and your baby.

Can You Eat a Raw Crawfish?

There are certain types of seafood that should never be eaten uncooked – crawfish is one of these foods. Unlike oysters, which lots of people eat them raw, crawfish may lead to serious results if eaten raw.

Paragonimiasis is the name given by the specialists at Washington University to the medical condition caused by consuming raw crawfish. This condition is caused by a particular parasite that is carried by crayfish, and when it`s ingested by people lead to acute chest pain and high fever. There`ve even been some cases where people have ingested several of these parasites. When this takes place, it isn`t unusual for these particular parasites to reproduce in the lungs of the person. More serious problems have occurred when these parasites found their way into the brain, heart or even led to blindness for a temporary period of time. – Read this!

The good news is that once it`s detected, this illness is treatable. The treatment involves a 2-day series of an anti-parasite medication. Nonetheless, it can be noted that even with no treatment, the parasite will still eventually die, although that might take up to 5 years.

So, you should save yourself the trauma and pain of this possible illness and find some great methods of preparing cooked crayfish.