Last Updated on May 16, 2022 Show Chicken salad, whether in sandwiches, from a bistro, or in front of you when you’re eating out in a restaurant, needs a couple of checks before you can be sure it’s safe to eat when you’re pregnant. What’s especially important is where and how it was prepared. Can Pregnant Women Eat Chicken Salad? Chicken salad (fresh, canned or in sandwiches) is safe if it’s commercially made. Store-bought chicken salad may not be safe in pregnancy. Other chicken salads such as bistro or Caesar might need to be checked before you eat them. Chicken salad can mean several different dishes, from the mayo-heavy sandwich filling to a tossed leafy green version, so I’ve tried to cover them all here. You can safely enjoy it in pregnancy if you follow these general guidelines.
Bistro, Caesar or ‘Cold Chicken’ type SaladsFirst up, we’ll tackle the cold-cuts type of salad. This is a chicken salad that is usually cold, cooked chicken served with other leaves and veggies, such as a bistro or Caesar salad. If making this type of chicken salad at home:
If you’re eating this type of Chicken Salad in a restaurant:
Mayo or Dressing Based Chicken Salads (e.g. in a Chicken Salad Sandwich)This is the type of salad most commonly called “chicken salad”, particularly in the USA. In the UK it might come as a pre-packaged ‘sandwich filler’ or similar. These salads are usually made from cold, cooked chicken pieces in mayonnaise or dressing, sometimes with other ingredients (e.g. celery or apple). Whether this type of chicken salad is safe or not depends on where it’s from, and how it was prepared. I’ve listed the most common ones below:
Chicken Salad Brands: Are They Safe?The same stores, brands and chain restaurants come up frequently when it comes to asking about chicken salad safety. If you’re wondering about a particular brand or chain and their salad, here are some popular ones: Costco Chicken Salad: I contacted Costco and established that their salads are, in fact, made in-store. Unfortunately, this means that Costco’s chicken salad is not safe to eat if you’re pregnant. If you’re really going to miss it, there’s a recipe here for a “copycat” version that I’m told does a pretty good job of tasting like the original rotisserie salad. Potbelly’s Chicken Salad Sandwich: Potbelly’s salad isn’t suitable for pregnant women to eat (sadly), as it’s made in-store. There are lots of other options at Potbelly, though – read my guide to safe sandwich fillings in pregnancy if you want to see what other sandwiches you can eat safely. Panera Bread: I reached out to Panera about their salad(s) and they confirmed that they’re made fresh in the restaurant, so the leafy chicken salads are safe to have if you’re pregnant. As I’ve said a couple of times already, making chicken salad yourself is one of the safest ways to eat it when you’re pregnant since you control everything that goes into the salad, and you can easily make it pregnancy-safe (and healthier!). Is it OK to use canned chicken in a salad when you’re pregnant? Yes, you can have a canned chicken salad when you’re pregnant – in fact, canned chicken is always safe to eat (even if cold) straight out of the can, as it’s sterile and/or pasteurized first in the tin or can. Popular brands such as Bumblebee chicken, Hormel, Kirkland, Princes, Swanson and so on are all canned chicken types you can safely have in pregnancy. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of roasting or cooking your own chicken from scratch, then the canned chicken salad is a great (and safe) option for satisfying that chicken salad craving when you’re pregnant. Just make sure that the other chicken salad ingredients you’re mixing in are safe (like using mayonnaise made from pasteurized eggs), and you’re good to go. You can also put canned chicken straight onto a leafy salad that you’re making yourself, without having to heat the chicken up. Once opened, though, the canned chicken should be kept refrigerated and used up within a couple of days. Is Chicken Salad a Healthy Option for Pregnant Women?As with many foods in pregnancy, the answer to this one is ‘it depends’. To give you some examples:
Overall, chicken salad can be a safe, tasty option in pregnancy, if you know what to look for, and find out where and how the salad has been made. This article has been reviewed and approved for publication in line with our editorial policy. Can you eat cold chicken when pregnant?Well-cooked chicken and other poultry are safe to eat while you're pregnant, as long as they're still hot. But you should avoid cold cooked chicken and processed chicken meat from the deli. Chicken is a good source of protein during pregnancy.
Can I eat cold chicken in salad?Cold chicken works wonderfully in a salad. It's the perfect addition. It's easy, nutritious, and tastes great. Make up your salad using a good mix of salad leaves and other salad veggies.
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