Kebabs??

I have been craving kebabs and finally gave into it yesterday. But today am thinking I shouldn't have. How bad are they? Should I give them a miss?

Yeah they are a definite pregnancy no go. There is a high risk of listeria from the salad and there is a salmonella risk from the meat... not worth it if you ask me.
I used to make my own at home... It was a long and drawn out process (roasting the meat etc) but soooooo worth it in the end :)

kebabs are a definite no-no while you're pregnant. But definately take Lisa's advice and make your own if you're craving them :)

Just wondering how theres a risk of listeria with the salad since its the same as subway and subway is fine during pregnancy.

There actually isnt anything wrong with eating kebabs - the meat itself is not a risk factor any more than any other meat.
By law now, the meat must be carved from the spit and the fried up on the grill before it is served anyway, to ensure it is properly cooked. You can ask them to do this anyway, just let them know you are pregnant.
As far as the salad goes, again this is no riskier than buying a salad sandwich from a sandwich shop...You can mention that you are pregnant, ask them if they have washed all their salad vegetables, and even ask them to use the freshest product they have cut (even if it is not on display) iykwim.
Most places are very aware of these things, so long as you let them know you are pregnant, they should be happy to oblige you.

Antheia I thought subway was a no go because the salads just sit there and may not be fresh?

I had a Kabab for lunch today, it was great. he carved the meat and popped it on the grill. I have had them quite a few times this pregnancy and also last. Just check out how fresh stuff looks if you are worried.

Don't do it! You have no idea how old the meat is, and having worked in a kebab shop (and a major chain one at that) i know that they would take the meat on the stick at the end of the day, refrigerate it over night, then cook it again all the next day, then refrigerate it again the next night, cook it again the next day............... meat should not be cooled and re-heated more than once - even if its "fried" again before you get it, it is still not healthy.

I've been told numerous times that subway is fine, even by a midwife...

hmmmm subway! had that AGAIN today!!

Antheia - It depen on how strict you are being really I suppose. If you eat any food you dont prepare yourself, then it shouldnt amtter really.
If you visit a busy subway for example, their product turnover is such that it shouldnt be a problem, because the product they are using isnt old. Your local ma and pa milk bar that doesnt sell too many sndwiches may use older product.

So long as it is washed it doesnt really matter. It just comes down to personal choice I think about how padantic you are about it.

Oh, and meat can be cooled and reheated twice. (not including cooking)

mmmm kebab......
I guess it depends on the kebab place - if you go to one of the places that cooks the chunks on a skewer instead of carving it off the big rotating thingy the meat is probably safer.
If you go somewhere busy the salad will probably be fresher.
I ate oodles of kebab when I was pregnant.

I used to eat Kebabs all the time when I was pregnant! Now I know for next time...thanks ladies

I'm not normally once to say don't do something - but on the kebab subject whilst pregnant - don't do it!!!

I ate one from a food court when I was shopping at about 15 weeks pg - I have an iron guts anyway and was sooo hungry - the kebab was totally delicious - but I spent the next three days with cramps, vomiting and nausea! Bad...

I eat salad only subway rolls all the time though....

Probably just depends on the individual store than because i ate kebabs throughout both my pregnancies and nothing went wrong.

I wouldn't risk it. I believe the risk is mostly in the salad though. I haven't had salad from any fast food restaurant throughout this pregnancy as I'm just not willing to risk it. No lettuce, tomato etc on burgers. You have no way of knowing how long the salad ingredients have been sitting around for or if they have been washed thoroughly (this is the main risk due to listeria). Also there can be problems in the sauce they put on a kebab or burger, sandwich (say from Subway or Kfc etc) that could contain raw egg (also a listeria risk).

I read in a magazine recently that there had been (I think, preggy brain is hitting pretty hard today) 16 listeria cases so far this year in NSW alone - 4 of those people died two of which were babies.

The thing to remember is that listeria can live in your body for up to 70 days (this info was provided to me by my hospital) and you may not know you even have it as it can have no symptoms and if it does they are more like cold/flu symptoms so you wouldn't attribute it to something you ate. If you have it and it crosses the placenta it can do a lot of damage to bubs.

My rule throughout this pregnancy (having already had 3 unexplained losses) has been if I haven't seen the salad washed I don't eat it. I also do not eat cooked cold chicken unless I've cooked it myself and only within 24 hours (as directed by one of my doctors). so that means I say no to all chicken sandwiches outside of my home, and no deli meats unless they are piping hot like on a pizza and no white salad dressings.

Just a quick note on the "listeria" topic. I had my OB appointment last week and my OB was handing all ladies an information sheet on Listeria risks as there has been an increase in listeria cases this year. It outlined the risks and also listed the items to stay clear of, both of which pre-made salad and meat which you are not sure is fresh are on the list.
Just thought I'd mention it.

P.S. All this subway & kebab talk is not helping my will power!! 12 weeks until hubby brings me a chicken fillet sub!!

I have avoided all deli meats, salad bars etc and only make my own salads that i buy from the shops and do up myself.
I avoid subway & kebabs.

HOWEVER since finding out i've been pregnant i have had the biggest cravings for Red Rooster Chicken Rolls..... i've had two in the last 3 weeks..... are they okay? They are served hot when i eat it and i eat it straight away..... there's no salad on them.... just chicken and like that mayo sauce stuff.......
Should I be worried??? I don't want to worry unnecessarily cos' it only puts stress on ourselves and bub!

ETA -- just googled red rooster in pregnancy and found old BB thread from 2006! all the girls in there said its fine ;) phheeeww!!!

I think it'd be fine Ren cause it's hot. I wouldn't eat it after it cooled down though.

:doh::redface: I ate a kebab for lunch yesterday. And omg, it was soo good. Just as well, since I'm now not going to have another UNTIL 2009! I did feel sick after it, but probably because I got a large, and not a small (yes, I am a pig!). It had lamb, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, so I was naughty on all fronts it appears, and did not get the people to cook it on the grill either.
I do feel better about the red rooster though, had that the other day. Oh, I eat so badly in this pg! Everything I want is take away. Friday I had a spring roll and hot chips, which somehow cut all the roof of my mouth. Serves me right I guess.
And subway?!? Now I don't get to have an italian whatever it is until 2009 either! (The one with ham, hot salami and some other meat in it). :(
The things we do for our children, ai?

I reckon as long as we all eat relatively healthy every day and allow ourselves some junk food once a week (or twice ;) ) then we're fine...... we can only do the best we can.... no point being worried all the time about what we put in our mouths as it will only stress us out.
For me, I will strongly avoid deli meats, sushi, soft cheeses, fresh seafood and anything that's been sitting out too long or not cooked hot enough :)

Tegan, thanks :)

I hate them with my last 2 pregnancies and never got sick. Subway i avoid simply because i dont like anything other then their cookies! Red Rooster...Renstar...you got me hooked at that now...!!

I think at the end of the day...if we followed all the dont eats...we wouldnt eat anything for 9 months!

But thats me, and if anything was to go wrong its no ones fault but my own. In saying that, i dont go out and eat everything you not ment to. I dont eat deli meats and most seafood. I do have maccas shakes, coffee etc, all in moderation however!

i had one for lunch today and didnt think twice LOL
i also had sushi rolls last week , i go by the fact that if doesnt look fresh i wont eat it , usually with shushi rolls i ask when they were made ...

while eating them i think ... what if its contamiated .... but that thought quickly fades when i know its fresh enough ... its my own cooking im more scared of !!

mmmm subway cookies

I was talking to the Man about this thread yesterday, and he mentioned another fast food that I didn't think of. McDonalds. ALL of their patties and chicken, etc, is cooked OFF-SITE, put into warmer trays, and transported to each restaurant in the warmers where they are kept hot until they 'make' your burger fresh (Pay attention in their ads, they say "make" not "cook"). So, if we shouldn't have kebabs, subway, and other foods that 'sit', we should avoid McDonalds too. He also said that Red Rooster is pre cooked before it gets to the store.

Just a quickie re salad sandwiches etc ....

in my last preg/angel - I had a salad wrap, made fresh, from a shop whose owner I know well. I did contract food posioning - more susceptible we are as well when pregnant - I was sick for 2 days with full on vomiting - that was at 9 weeks and bubs died at 11.

Whislt of course my carers would not say that was the reason, we have discussed that it was a high possibility.

So, pleeeease be careful - I know you say but I ate ABC last time and everything is fine - but seriously, if something happened - how would you live with it?

i suppose I feel much stronger about this after having a couple of losses and don't want to jeopardise anything willfully.

I have super cravings for slushies and there are two schools of thought I have learnt - YES because it is not dairy like soft serve and the concern there is the bacteria and NO because of the machines and they do not get completely empties and cleaned regularly. So, I have gone with the NO - just in case .....

Hope that helps someone :)

I would stay away from sushi, not only for the contamination with raw fish but cool or cold rice is a huge listeria risk, has been discussed in lots of threads before.

Stay away from red rooster as I used to love the rooster rolls and craved them heaps but found out they are made 3 days before hand with chicken and the refrigerated. and then microwaved!!!

Maccas do cook on site, i eat more maccas than any other takeaway as they have a much bigger turnover that others and throw thinsg out if not used in ceratin time frames.

I would be wary of anyone suggesting the McDonald's burgers are transported around the country warm...that I have a VERY hard time believing. cooked off site, defiantely possible, but getting HACCP approval for longhaul warm transport is highly unlikely.

Most people dont think about it but rice and pasta are actually very high risk foods, pregnant or not, due to the water content. Bacteria are present and grow where ever there is water, so be careful especially when reheating rice.

On the subject of kebabs, I am so craving them and almost gave in the other day but as to whether or not they are "safe" I can't comment. I do know, however, in WA the health department have started a name and shame list of food outlets who repeatedly breach and have been subsequently fined for health violations and subway is one of them. Especially one in a busy food court for having selling adulterated food (which I am assuming is mould?) Anyway here is the link and the one afterwards shows further food outlets of "interest"

Website to name and shame health-breach restaurants | PerthNow

Environmental Health Directorate

Also, I went out for my birthday to a very expensive, well respected restaurant and got the worst case of food poisoning I have ever had (I remember being in my bathroom thinking "now I know how people can die from food poisoning"). I basically spent the whole night in the bathroom and then laying down with gross spew hair because I just didn't care if I died right there and then. It was awful. I rang the health dept. the next day and got my money back but it just goes to show, it's not just dodgy kebab shops that can make you sick.