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Original poster

Too early to tell friends - dinner party menu minefield

29 replies

jasmine51 · 23/10/2010 14:06

Hi
I've got a big celebration meal coming up. It is too soon to be telling our friends about our pg but obviously I need to be careful what I eat. How have others negotiated this problem? The menu includes smoked salmon mousse, haggis (think this contains liver), blue cheese souffle...all lovely but not for me at the moment. Anyone got any clever suggestions how I can manage this? Oh and I've already used the 'cant make it I've got a stomach bug' line once!

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Pootletrinket · 23/10/2010 14:23

Wow, that's quite a menu! I've not found a whole menu that I can't pick something from yet. Smoked salmon is OK, pate not - no idea about mousse! Yes, haggis will contain liver and I think (think!) that blue/goats cheese is OK as long as cooked thoroughly.....but are there choices on the menu at all?! Good luck!

chimchARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH · 23/10/2010 14:27

Congratulations! To be honest, if it were me, I would eat it all anyway.

Food is usually to be avoided in case of salmonella. If you are eating at a reputable place, I'm sure it will be fine. Liver is not good to eat in large quantities due to the large amounts of vitamin a in it I believe. I'm sure if there is liver in the haggis, it probably won't be much.

Of course you must do what you feel is right though.

bessie26 · 23/10/2010 14:42

Congratulations!
I'm veggie, so can only offer suggestions on how to get out of eating the cheese, which I do by claiming to be on a diet! (then, as you've "saved" all those calories, you may as well have pudding!)
How about just saying that you're just not very hungry, or that it's a bit rich for you? Or, claim to be hideously hungover from a drinking session the night before? Grin
Whatever you do, avoid drawing attention to yourself & only offer excuses if questioned! The chances are, people will be too busy doing their own thing to notice you hiding haggis under your napkin!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 23/10/2010 14:49

Smoked salmon is perfectly fine to eat in pregnancy so you are fine there.

The blue cheese souffle should be alright too because the cheese is cooked - it is only 'raw' blue and unpasturised cheese that is a problem.

Enjoy :)

Applemuncher · 23/10/2010 15:06

I wouldn't eat the cheese or liver. I think I would fake a bad tum and ask for something bland.

Goats/blue cheese isn't okay to eat (it's one of the things I miss most) - I'm not entirely sure that being in a souffle negates this.

They couldn't have picked a worse menu really... Sad

EauRouge · 23/10/2010 15:15

You can eat the souffle if the cheese is well cooked- FSA.

Not sure on the haggis, liver is advised against because of the high vitamin A content I think so maybe a tiny amount would be OK.

I'd avoid the mousse though if it is homemade, raw eggs are a no-no.

PipPipPip · 23/10/2010 18:32

To be honest, once you start carefully researching all the food restrictions you realise you actually CAN eat most things.

Raw eggs are only a no-no if they're imported - all UK hens are vaccinated against salmonella. All eggs in UK supermarkets have to be from vaccinated hens, so only imported eggs (which you might see in a corner store) are a worry. Even then, the risk is miniscule.

Surely being in a souffle means the blue cheese has been cooked and therefore sterilised?

Haggis should be fine - it is cooked/sterile, plus you're only having a small amount so the vitamin A thing wouldn't matter

I would just relax and eat what you fancy!

Please note The above is based on my research and opinions. Feel free to ignore :)

EauRouge · 23/10/2010 18:40

I didn't know that about UK hens! Are they all vaccinated? I get my eggs from a farm up the road, I may have to check with the farmer.

bessie26 · 25/10/2010 14:27

ooooh - I can eat blue cheese if it's cooked?! - yay! As a veggie, that opens up alot more menu options to me Grin

mind you.. I do keep thinking I'm going to vomit when I get in close proximity to or think about strong cheese, so perhaps I won't try it just yet....

colditz · 25/10/2010 14:29

Small amounts of liver are genuinely not harmful. they banned liver after some twat mainlined liver smoothies. Avoid pate by saying you aren't keen. Smoked salmon fine, as is cooked blue cheese.

ShowOfBloodyStumps · 25/10/2010 14:31

Well I wouldn't eat any of those things because they're horrid abominations against food. Can you say you don't like them? I think they're foods that are commonly disliked so you should get away with it. Unless you're famous locally for being a haggis eating champion of course.

Loopymumsy · 25/10/2010 14:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

clarabellarocks · 25/10/2010 16:43

Gosh - a menu that is a pregnant woman's worst nightmare! No doubt served with lashings of wine. How well do they know you? Can you tell them you don't like any of these foods? I could tell them this honestly pregnant or not.

Agree smoked salmon fine though but wouldn't eat blue cheese or liver. found this on the government's eat well website about blue cheese when cooked:

Can I eat Brie and blue cheese when I'm pregnant if it's cooked?
Pregnant women are advised against eating these types of cheese because of the risk of listeria. However, thorough cooking should kill any listeria, so it should be safe to eat food containing, these and other cheeses such as Camembert or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), that have a similar rind, provided it has been properly cooked and is steaming hot all the way through

vmcd28 · 25/10/2010 18:51

Salmon is fine, mousse is fine, liver is FINE as an occasional thing. Plus, actually, there isnt a huge amount of liver in haggis anyway. So a spoonful of haggis is actually probably less than a teaspoonful of liver.

Original poster
jasmine51 · 25/10/2010 18:51

Thanks all. On this occasion there are no menu choices so I wont be able to get around it that way. I'm still not sure about salmon mousse - the recipes I have seen seem to involve raw egg white and they own their own chickens so I doubt they are salmonella safe. Might have to size up the pot plants or practise swift manoeuvres to DHs plates
Showofbloodystumps - being a haggis eating champion has given me an idea of post pg career! No, its not for everyone but unfortunately I am very known for loving a bit o the wee beastie. They dont contain huge amounts of liver so picking delicately is feasible....but a real test of self control.
Blue cheese souffle could be avoided by claiming I am full I guess.
Maybe by this stage the rest of the room will be too bladdered to notice? I'm feeling so weird I'll probably fall off my chair anyway so I'll fit in nicely.

Good grief this pg game is a strange one!

OP posts:
wigglesrock · 25/10/2010 19:11

I have double/triple checked etc with my midwife re goats cheese and got the ok!! I eat brie if its cooked. Don't tell anyone one but I eat bagged salad and have been known to hoover up deli style meats if left anywhere near me Wink

ProfessorLaytonIsMyZombieSlave · 25/10/2010 19:13

Smoked salmon is OK, although if the mousse involves raw egg then you might be wise to avoid. Blue cheese souffle is OK if the cheese is thoroughly cooked. There is very little liver in haggis so I really, really wouldn't worry about that.

BertieBasset · 25/10/2010 19:16

Claim IBS?

mazzystartled · 25/10/2010 19:19

oh just tell them!

; )

ime good friends guess anyway, even if you go to elaborate lengths to appear that all is normal

vmcd28 · 25/10/2010 21:52

Nip to the loo before dinner, and corner one of the head waiters or managers to ask what the mousse is made from etc. Tell them to be discrete

MyThumbsHaveGoneWeird · 25/10/2010 22:44

I've been eating raw/soft eggs as normal. I've never in my life caught salmonella from an egg and I don't know anyone who has. Its no more likely to happen when I am pregnant than in the rest of my life so far. Correct me if I am wrong someone, but I would have thought chickens in someones garden would be extra healthy and therefore very very unlikely to have salmonella.

Interesting about small amounts of liver being ok. That, along with soft cheese, is one of the few things I really have been avoiding (well, apart very small tastes from other peoples plates) Nice to hear I can stop feeling guilty about the small tastes! Smile

If you're anything like me in 1st trimester OP your main problem will be that your appetite will be really odd and you will only fancy the bread rolls anyway. That was so dull. If that happens maybe terrible pukey hangover is the best excuse?

vmcd28 · 26/10/2010 09:21

MyThumbs, I'm not sure whether home farmed eggs are better or not, but I do know that British eggs are of such low risk that I have no idea why we're told to avoid them.

It's a well documented fact that the biggest outbreak of food poisoning (listeria, i think) was due to bagged salad - not blue cheese or anything like that.

MoppingMummy · 26/10/2010 09:28

I would just tell them!!! Also would probably avoid all the food!

Original poster
jasmine51 · 26/10/2010 11:10

I appreciate that just telling them would be alot easier but believe me, with a few mcs behind me I wont be telling anyone for many many weeks yet! DH keeps coming up with new ruses...most involving him eating all my food and drinking all my wine...or telling everyone I've gone macrobiotic and only eating sprouting beans...v helpful

OP posts:
Muser · 26/10/2010 11:15

Just eat the food! The haggis really isn't a problem, you need to eat a lot of liver to cause problems, and cooked blue cheese is fine. I wouldn't worry about the eggs either. But if you want to worry about those, just skip the starter and eat everything else.

Eat the food. Enjoy the food. Have a glass of wine as well.