How do you wash your fruit and veg?

[AOMum14]

Hello,

To pre-warn everyone, I have terrible health anxiety (a lot of help in place to support this).

I am 22 weeks pregnant and I try my best with food. I come from a family that has never washed fruit or veg and so my knowledge of how to do this is less than effective. I have always just rinsed my fruit under water. Literally, hold a pear and splash it under the tap until all wet and then tuck in.

My method with vegetables is slightly different as I will use my fingers and hands (clean hands of course) to really rub away any soil, peel if necessary and cook. I rarely eat raw veg unless a cucumber or pepper.

I am so so worried I have toxomoplasmis and that I will lose the baby (I know this is worst cade scenario). When I've googled, people are washing their fruit and veg WAY more.

I just need some logical reassurence I guess!

Many thanks

During pregnancy I only ate things that could be peeled (oranges, potatoes, onions etc) or prepared stuff like tinned tomatoes. I was also very worried. But I was probably over-cautious!

You're way over thinking this - rinsing under running water is just fine

I just rinse the fruit like you do, scrub anything that grows in the soil or dirty, and soak salad leaves/more soiled items in a bowl of water.

When I had vegetables from the allotment, I soaked them in salty water to make sure any little insects/Slugs are washed away.

I think it is very unlikely to get toxo from store bought vegetables/fruits because of the way they are produced and packed

I just rinse them under cold water!x

Rinse under cold water and dry with kitchen roll

I have severe ocd and googled fruit and veg washing a while ago.
There is advice from reputable sources to wash in water with a spoonful of baking soda or white vinegar.
I think if you are cooking the fruit or veg that would likely kill anything off too.

Soaking in water with either white vinegar or bicarbonate of soda. Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse. For anything where the skin will be eaten wet and rub with bicarbonate of soda and then rinse.

To offer another view....
I've never washed fruit or veg. I'm the type to just brush soil off potatoes/mushrooms and assume cooking them will kill any bacteria.
I asked my midwife if I should be washing fruit and veg and she said if I didn't worry about it before being pregnant, not to worry about it now.

So if you have always rinsed fruit and washed veg and not caught toxoplasmosis in all the years you've been alive, you shouldn't need to start worrying about it now!

You're really over thinking this. Have you ever caught toxoplasmosis before over the entire life course of you eating fruit and veg? I'd hazard a guess not. It's really not something to use energy on - just rinse them under the tap if you can be bothered.

Thank you everyone! Typically today, my daughter put her hands which had touched soil directly into my mouth so I don't know why I worried about a tiny little pear 🤣😂

Trying not to worry, but have spent some time crying about it. Worry in pregnancy is no fun

It’s not just toxoplasmosis though - listeria is commonly found in soil and pregnant women are ten times more likely to catch listeria than the general population (according to RCOG , the UK Royal college of obs & gynae)
So it is worth taking extra care. Cooking fruit and veg will kill both toxo and listeria

Never wash my fruit or veg. My now 10 month old arrived over 9lb and absolutely healthy.

I’m almost 20 weeks and until now, I have forgotten to wash any fruit or veg. Ooppps!

Washing with hot water and scrubbing them by hand

I put mine in a salad spinner fill with water and a tablespoon of bicarb. Spin it all and drain and rinse. Washes perfectly