• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking with Lane
  • Home
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Lao Recipes
  • Thai Recipes
  • About Lane
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Thai Recipes
  • Lao Recipes
  • Meet Lane
  • Shop Ingredients
  • Shop Cooking Tools
  • FREE Resource Library
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Can you eat tom yum soup during pregnancy?

    Can you eat tom yum soup during pregnancy?

    Last Updated Date: Dec 13, 2020 | Published: Feb 22, 2020 by Lane Souvannalith

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Table of Contents

    • Are you pregnant and wondering whether you can eat tom yum soup during the pregnancy? I'm going to help you answer this exact question and what the specific ingredients that people are concerned about!
    • Ingredients to Avoid in Tom Yum Soup During Pregnancy
    • Is tom yum soup safe to eat during pregnancy?
    • Myths About Tom Yum Soup During Pregnancy

    Are you pregnant and wondering whether you can eat tom yum soup during the pregnancy? I'm going to help you answer this exact question and what the specific ingredients that people are concerned about!

    If you are pregnant, chances are you are watching what you eat if you are expecting a little one and trying to understand the ingredients that make up some of your favorite foods, like tom yum soup.

    tom yum soup during pregnancy

    Tom yum soup is a delicious, authentic Thai spicy soup that is generally made up of the following ingredients:

    • lemongrass
    • kaffir leaves
    • galangal
    • Thai birds-eye chili
    • sugar
    • salt
    • shrimp paste
    • unfiltered fish sauce
    • onion
    • cilantro

    Ingredients to Avoid in Tom Yum Soup During Pregnancy

    tom yum soup during pregnancy

    The three common ingredients that tom yum soup includes that causes concern for expecting mothers is lemongrass, shrimp paste, and unfiltered fish sauce.

    Tom Yum Soup - Lemongrass During Pregnancy

    The biggest concern from all of these ingredients is lemongrass.

    tom yum soup during pregnancy

    Lemongrass (citronella) is used as an herb in cooking a lot of Southeast Asian dishes, like tom yum soup. Often, the leaves and oil of lemon grass are used to make medicine because of its antibacterial properties and its power as an astringent. It is also used in a lot of cosmetic skincare products.

    Lemongrass should not be consumed during pregnancy as the compounds citral and myrcene can have adverse effects on pregnancy (see details here).

    If you are modifying a lemongrass recipe, you could double up the kaffir lime leaves in order to get the aroma up.

    Tom Yum Soup - Shrimp Paste During Pregnancy

    The concern with shrimp paste is listeria, a foodborne infection that would be bad for the fetus. As long as the shrimp paste isn't fermented, and it the can is sealed, it is considered safe because the canning process usually involved heating to a high temperature so there isn't a listeria risk.

    Tom Yum Soup - Unfiltered Fish Sauce During Pregnancy

    Unfiltered fish sauce (also known as padaek) is a fish fermented to the point that it turns into a homogeneous fluid. Fish sauce in its raw, unfiltered form should not be ingested by mothers and mothers-to-be. In addition, fish sauce has a high salt content and may continue water retention during pregnancy.

    Unfiltered fish sauce should not be confused with Vietnamese nuoc mam or Thai nam pla, which is filtered fish sauce.

    Is tom yum soup safe to eat during pregnancy?

    Some professionals say that tom yum soup is absolutely safe in moderation.

    However, more rigorous recommendations say that tom yum soup should be avoided during pregnancy as some common recipes include lemongrass and unfiltered fish sauce, which is not recommended for consumption for expecting mothers.

    Generally, the heightened concern is regarding lemongrass as an herb and ensuring that it is not consumed in large quantities and doses. Lemongrass teas and medicinal form specifically should be avoided.

    Health Risks Due to Eating Tom Yum Soup During Pregnancy

    It is important and highly recommended that you consult with your own physician who can advise on whether you can consume lemongrass, shrimp paste, and unfiltered fish sauce during your pregnancy.

    Myths About Tom Yum Soup During Pregnancy

    Like all spicy dishes, tom yum soup has the myth of being able to induce labor. However, there's only ONE study that has a connection between eating spicy food and going into labor.

    There is also the myth that spicy dishes may cause a miscarriage, but there is no scientific evidence to back this up either.

    In general, due to lemongrass and unfiltered fish sauce, it is not recommended to eat tom yum soup unless you make a few substitutes for these specific ingredients. Read this recipe and check out the substitutions that you can make for tum yum soup!

    Tom yum soup during pregnancy



    Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CookingwithLane.com receives a small comission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. CookingwithLane.com is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


    Are you too intimidated by your local Asian grocery store?

    Let me help you out!  I'll send you a free shopping list to your email inbox that will help you navigate your next visit. 

    Sign up now to open up a whole new world of flavor!

    « Difference Between Jasmine Rice and Sticky Rice (Glutinous)
    Tom Yum with Shrimp & Chicken - Easy Thai Soup Under 30 Minutes! »

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Lane

    lane souvannalith
    Hi, I'm Lane! I love sharing my love of authentic Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai food! I moved into the states in the 1980s. During my life change, I brought along with my delicious recipes from Vietnam (my descent), Laos (where I was born), and Thailand (where I was a refugee during the war). I'm passionate about showing how anyone can make these delicious cuisines and how you can make it right at home! Learn more ...

    Recipe Search

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Lane
    • Web Stories
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Me

    Recipe Index

    • Asian Desserts
    • Asian Noodles
    • Asian Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Asian Food Comparisons
    • Asian Soups
    • Southeast Asian Rice

    Asian Ingredients

    • Coconut Cream
    • Fish Sauce
    • Kaffir Lemon Leaves
    • Palm Sugar
    • Shallots
    • Sticky Rice

    Copyright © 2021 Cooking with Lane, Sengerson LLC

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print