Food in Tenerife

[SallyMischievo]

I'm 17 weeks pregnant and DP and I have booked a last-minute holiday to Tenerife, staying half board in a hotel. Am now panicking about silly food-related things - like is the milk and cheese over there pasteurised and how can I request meat and fish that is thoroughly cooked?! Anxious re prospect of having to point to my bump and say "STEAK WELL DONE" like an idiot. Any tips gratefully received.

nhs book says you can have steak as rare as you like as long as its sealed. milk should be pasturised surely? avoid the cheese if you are unsure. most will understand if you mimick giant belly/tell them you are pregnant if you are very worried?

Thanks, Penguins, I'm sure I am being unnecessarily anxious and it will be fine. Have just read on another thread that I need flight socks which I didn't realise and I'm now also wondering whether it's safe to apply sun lotion to my belly! I can't believe what a worrier I have become!

In Tenerefe I found the milk was UHT (yuk but even more germ free than pasteurised) because of the heat!! Also they do lots of well-done grilled meat dishes if you want to avoid rare. The cheese was just cheese: hard cheese is fine to eat anyway according to the NHS.
I would just make sure you go to 'nicer' cafes/bars when out and about (i.e. food safety rating on the wall, looking nice and clean) as in any holiday resorts there will be some grubby ones (but you can usually tell them a mile off!).
Some people choose (so it's not official) to not eat restaurant salad in places you have to drink bottled water, as it's been washed in tap water but personally I would be OK with eating them.

...sun lotion is fine, if worried buy some designed for kiddies and babies! :)

have you considered working out how to say those things in spanish?

It's a first world country, the food will be fine. Milk is pasteurised or uht. I personally drink the tap water there too.

Most people in the hospitality industry in the tourist areas in Tenerife will speak English. I went at 13 weeks last year and, to be honest, didn't even consider the things you've mentioned. if you're really worried, why not find out the Spanish words for things like "pregnant" and "well done" etc. Pregnant is "embarazada". pronounce the "z" like "th"

Z isn't pronounced th in the Canary Islands. The accent there is very close to South American Spanish where they don't lisp.

Ask for your steak "bien hecho" if you want well done. (hecho pronounced etcho.)

You'll be absolutely fine anyway, if you're in a tourist area everyone will speak English and the menus will also be in English, and I can't think of anything you would need to avoid eating. I think my NHS leaflet said to avoid cured meats like serrano ham, uncooked chorizo etc, but I eat that stuff and know lots of others who do and nobody has had a problem. Try to find places to eat where locals are also eating, not just tourists - the food will be better.

I went last year at about 12 weeks and it was absolutely fine. I just went inside for a sleep on an afternoon.

Thanks all! Feeling MUCH happier now. Advice noted and am definitely going to indulge in some siestas in the comfort of our air-conditioned hotel room during the midday sun