Can you eat sorbet when pregnant?
Hannah Weiss
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Find out if it's safe to eat sorbet during pregnancy, including lemon sorbet. Plus, precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on eating sorbet in pregnancy
Good news! Sorbet is usually safe to eat while you're pregnant.
Sorbet is one of the oldest frozen desserts. The Romans used to make it with chopped fruit, fresh snow and honey! Sorbet is free from any dairy products – including cream, eggs and milk – and is made with just water, sugar and fresh fruit puree.
The NHS recommends eating lots of fruit and vegetables while you're pregnant. Getting enough fruit and veg will give you and your growing baby the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you both need to stay well.
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Sorbet and alcohol
It's worth noting that sorbet can sometimes contain alcohol, which should be avoided during pregnancy. Recipes for lemon sorbet often use vodka. If you're buying sorbet at the supermarket, always check the ingredients, and opt for an alcohol-free version. You can ask about this when having sorbet at a restaurant too.
Why can't I have alcohol in pregnancy?
The NHS recommends cutting out all alcohol when you're pregnant. Even a small amount can potentially harm your growing baby.
The Chief Medical Officers for the UK strongly advise avoiding alcohol completely while you're pregnant. This is because experts are unsure how much alcohol, if any, is safe to drink.
When you consume alcohol in food, it passes through the placenta to your baby. Your growing baby can't process the alcohol, because the liver is one of the last organs to develop, and won't mature until the later stages of your pregnancy.
This means that having any alcohol while you're pregnant can impact your baby's development. Drinking alcohol has been linked to a greater risk of low birthweight, miscarriage and premature birth. Research also suggests that drinking alcohol in pregnancy can lead to behavioural and learning difficulties in your child.
If you're worried about cutting out alcohol, talk to your midwife, who will be able to offer advice and support.
Delicious sorbet recipes
Love sorbet? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book: Count Down Your Pregnancy Day by Day by Dr Maggie Blott is packed full of advice from a team of experts to help guide you through your pregnancy from conception to birth. See more details here at Amazon.
Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.
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