As a matter of fact, pregnant women go through bodily cravings all through the pregnancy period.
However, different women crave different foods during this period. Those who crave for junk foods frequently ask whether this is normal at this particular stage.
Here, you will get ideas about why such cravings happen and how much these kinds of foods are healthy during pregnancy.
So, to get an answer “Can you eat hot Cheetos while pregnant?” Continue reading this in-depth research article.
Table of Content
Why pregnant women experience cravings
Craving for certain foods may be an indicator of a deficiency or of certain nutrients’ absence in the body.
For instance, if a person doesn’t have the required sodium amounts in the body, there may be the possibility to crave for either pickles or Cheetos to cover up the deficiency.
A pregnant woman can crave so many things due to lack of certain minerals in the body that might be essential to her body and the development of the fetus in general.
There is a change that might happen to pregnant women’s preference for food consumption. For instance, there are those who enjoy cheese, yet all of a sudden, they begin to hate eating it while pregnant. This kind of food aversion might be linked to nausea which pregnant women may experience it after consuming certain foods. They try everything which they come across, despite the fact that they have never tried it before.
But then, is it health wise to take in whatever the body needs while pregnant? Read on to get an idea on this issue.
Flamin hot Cheetos during pregnancy
Maintaining a healthy diet is essential during pregnancy. Since the unborn child consumes what the mother consumes. For this reason, it makes perfect sense for pregnant mothers to adhere to more wholesome and nutritious meals throughout the pregnancy period.
However, most women find it difficult to adhere to these experts’ recommendations. There are a lot of cravings pregnant women get into at this time. Someone might crave less healthy foods and the general desire can be difficult to avoid. So, is it healthy in eating hot Cheetos while pregnant?
Experts state that it’s not an ideal meal to consume during this period of life but then consuming it with moderation is fine. Devouring such snacks more than a bag can cause a lot of problems while pregnant and even after birth.
Additionally, gaining excess weight is the last thing pregnant women should try to avoid. This will not only harm the unborn baby but also the expectant mother. When you think about the unhealthy ingredients contained in this kind of food you crave for such as the amount of sodium content and calories it has, all of which aren’t healthier for women who are pregnant at all.
The contents of a bag of Flamin Hot Cheetos
You might blow off this kind of food if you get a look of all its contents before consuming it. Flamin hot Cheetos contains enriched cornmeal, artificial color, vegetable oil, citric acid, MSG, and seasoning. In the list, you can see there are so many nasty ingredients like onion powder, yeast extract, garlic powder, and buttermilk.
Moreover, the product contains some artificial components at large. For this reason, flaming hot Cheetos is the worst meal to consider while pregnant.
However, due to the craving, women can go through eating this snack in moderation. Avoiding it can be a bit tricky, but it takes commitment and discipline in practicing good eating habits during and after pregnancy. As a mother, don’t just think about your craving but concern how it will impact the body and the unborn baby.
The Reason Eating Cheetos During pregnancy is Harmful
Experts have sent pregnant mothers warning about eating this kind of food for a number of reasons. Below, there are some reasons based on their claim.
Ready-made Cheetos contain 30% of natural ingredients with the rest being starch and synthetic additives used as a preservative and flavor enhancers. All these additives are not very healthy for not only the unborn baby but also the mother too.
Cheetos are prepared in large quantities. The preparation methods of these foods are also different and not conducive for pregnant women to consume. You will find them deep-fried under high temperatures using the same oil. And in this way, all the available nutrients are removed letting only the unhealthy ingredients remain.
Excessive consumption of these foods is also a point to talk about. Vegetable oil is an ingredient to prepare them, which leads to the accumulation of fats which may affect the heart. In addition, it increases cholesterol levels in the body and may lead to further weight gain.
Traces of carcinogenic substances will also remain behind. This can directly reach the DNA and destroy its structure.
Packed Cheetos food undergoes different preparation and processing cycles at large. Different saturated salts, additives, and flavors are added in the process. Consumption of salty Cheetos acts on the regulated levels of minerals and water in the body. This will lead to not only increased blood pressure in the body but also swelling of legs of pregnant women.
Cheetos also leads to unwanted gastric activities such heartburn, and gastric bloating which can cause havoc in the bodies of most pregnant women.
Reducing the workload on body organs is important in general during pregnancy. Extra amounts of fat from Cheetos add places extra stress on these organs that are already working extra to provide full support to the unborn child.
Cheetos are classified among junk food groups, and researchers have proved it that junk food leads to most childhood mental disorders in society. Normally, giving up this habit during pregnancy isn’t an easy task but it may need to be done, as research shows, mothers who are fond of consuming Cheetos are more likely to have kids with different mental disorders.
These are some health risks that can rise eating Cheetos too. Now, the pregnant mothers have the idea of what amount of Cheetos they can take, it’s also important to learn whether the unborn baby can be affected by it.
How consuming Cheetos during pregnancy affects the unborn child’s health
Excessive consumption of Cheetos during pregnancy affects the unborn child in different ways. Cheetos contain acrylamide traces which are potent carcinogens.
The existing DNA formation is disrupted by acrylamide that eventually leads to delivering of children with the abnormal head size or an underweight infant.
This is not all, it can further affect in behavioral conditions, delays in the development of the baby, and birth defects as well.
It’s hard to resist Cheetos especially to women who go through intense cravings. However, the baby’s health should be a top priority for all mothers.
Consuming these foods during the first trimester should be a big No-No and it can be better if avoided even after birth as you breastfeed the kid. Once the baby stops breastfeeding you can embark on your Cheetos but also in moderation for the safety of your health too.
Pro Tips: Is it safe to eat sour cream during pregnancy?
The FAQs About Hot Cheetos While Pregnant
Q. Is eating hot chips safe for pregnant women?
Answer: Before providing solutions to this, ask yourself whether it’s safe to consume spicy foods during pregnancy. These foods are safe for the unborn child but they might make the mother uncomfortable especially if she never used to consume them in the past. Heartburns are usually agitated by spicy foods like Cheetos and therefore they are not recommended to pregnant women.
Q. Is it safe for pregnant women to consume Cheetos?
Answer: Cheetos are the least healthy snacks to consider during pregnancy due to many reasons, but they can cause harm to the unborn child. If the mother takes a balanced diet regularly, it is perfectly acceptable indulging Cheetos in the diet but occasionally.
Q. What does hot Cheetos do to your stomach?
Answer: It has been discovered that consumption of so many spicy foods irritate the stomach lining due to high levels of acids. Cheetos have high acid levels and consumption of these foods can lead to upper abdominal pain rising into the chest, and also increased gastritis. Other people can also experience vomiting and nausea.
Q. Why do I crave for hot Cheetos when pregnant?
Answer: Studies show that women consuming too much sugary and fatty food, make their children too crave for such foods since they, over time, form an emotional attachment to what the mother consumes. So, if by chance Cheetos were favorites during pregnancy, children born will also have a build tolerance to those foods.
Conclusion
Pregnant women need to develop good eating habits during and after the pregnancy period. This way, they will be nurturing their kids’ health. But if they don’t consider that fact, they might impact their unborn kids adversely.
For this reason, if you are craving for some foods like Cheetos, it’s important to develop a habit of limiting them through the pregnancy. Once this is done, supply the body with all nutrients to ensure the proper development of the kid.
