What happens if a pregnant woman eats peppers? Are bell peppers good for pregnancy?

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

The good news is that bell peppers are excellent to eat during pregnancy. They are packed with nutrients you and your baby need. Cooked bell peppers are healthy and raw bell peppers are even more so.

But that’s where the problem comes in. The bad news is that raw bell peppers can be risky to eat. Like all fresh fruits and vegetables, peppers can harbor listeria bacteria. This deadly microbe can cause stillbirth and miscarriage.

To avoid listeriosis and other foodborne illnesses during pregnancy, it’s best to cook bell peppers before eating them. Once they reach 165°F, the bad bacteria die.

On the other hand, if you wash peppers carefully before chopping them into your salad, you’ll probably be fine. Don’t be satisfied with a quick rinse. Use a fruit and vegetable cleanser, hypochlorous acid (HCOl), or give them a thorough scrubbing under running water.

Is raw green pepper good for pregnancy?

Are you craving bell peppers during pregnancy? They are a tasty, low-calorie snack with a significant amount of vitamin C (1).

Pat yourself on the back if you’ve been adding green peppers to salads.

Speaking of pasta salad, here’s a recipe that features raw green peppers:

Peppery Pasta Salad

It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare this tasty treat as a light lunch or dinner. It’s rich in vitamin C, iron, and fiber and should give you a boost of energy.

Feel free to substitute gluten-free pasta.

This recipe makes between 4 to 6 servings. Store leftovers in the fridge and eat them within a couple of days. They’ll be less soggy if you reserve the sauce and only add it when it’s time to eat.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 3 cups rotini or fusilli pasta, cooked
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 cup of feta cheese crumbles or cubes of mozzarella
• 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves
• 2/3 cup black olives, sliced
• ¼ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds

(You can also add pepperoni slices for extra yum factor. I’ve seen variations of this recipe with fresh basil and mint leaves, too).

Ingredients for the dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

Directions:

After preparing the pasta according to the directions, let it cool. (I boil pasta with bouillon cubes for flavor so I don’t rinse it afterward). It doesn’t need to be cold when combined with the other ingredients – lukewarm is fine.

While the pasta is cooling, chop the peppers, tomatoes, etc. Combine the dressing ingredients in a separate container.

If you plan to eat the salad all at once, toss it all together with the dressing. If not, divide the pasta and other ingredients into portions and season them appropriately with the dressing.

Green Bell Pepper

Invite the store to deliver fresh green bell peppers straight to your home.

Did you know that ½ cup of chopped green pepper has only 9 calories? It’s also virtually fat-free but packed with vitamins C and A plus potassium.

By the way, it turns out that bell peppers are actually fruits, not vegetables. And it’s certainly not one of the fruits to avoid during pregnancy. It’s a great idea to put bell peppers in your diet while you’re pregnant.

However, did you know that there are vegetables to avoid during pregnancy? It’s true, starting with anything that’s unwashed. Even if you purchase prewashed salad mixes, it’s smart to wash the salad yourself before eating it. (We’ve all heard about salad recalls because of contamination).

As for the things to not eat when you’re pregnant, stay away from raw sprouts like mung bean and alfalfa because no amount of washing can guarantee that they are bacteria-free. Also, it’s okay to feel wary about salad bars when you’re pregnant. If you want a nice salad, it’s better to enjoy it at home where you can keep things sanitary.

What’s the difference between red, yellow, and green bell peppers?

Are all peppers good for pregnancy? You betcha. They are high in vitamin C and packed with antioxidants like carotenoids.

Interestingly, red peppers have the highest amount of vitamin C as they are the most mature, ripe peppers. Green peppers are the least ripe. And yellow and orange peppers are right in the middle (1).

Fresh Brand – Stoplight Bell Peppers

Mix it up with an assortment of different colored peppers. These are tasty, sweet, and crunchy in salads, casseroles, fajitas, and so much more.´

They are greenhouse-grown and available year-round.

Fresh Brand – Diced Bell Peppers

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I just don’t feel like washing and chopping peppers. It’s too much effort to remove all the seeds without getting them everywhere. When I came across these pre-prepared diced peppers, I was thrilled. The price isn’t much different and the hard work is already done.

Now, if I were pregnant, I would never toss these into a salad raw. I’d only feel good about eating them if I cooked them first to make sure all the bad bacteria were dead.

(Moreover, if I had celiac disease or were allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, or other things, I’d also be a little concerned. The manufacturer says that they are prepared on shared equipment).

Are cooked bell peppers good for pregnancy?

When you cook peppers to 165° F , you kill the microbes that could make you sick. But the more you heat peppers, the more you risk losing out on vitamin C as it diminishes upon exposure to heat. Still, there’s a lot of nutritional value found in cooked bell peppers.

If you stir fry them, the peppers retain a lot of nutrients because it’s only quick contact with intense heat.

Or if you roast or bake them, peppers become especially delicious as they grow sweeter.

Three Pepper Blend, Organic 365 by Whole Foods Market

Don’t you hate throwing food away? Me, too. I always feel so guilty when my peppers go to mush in the crisper. The best solution I’ve found is purchasing frozen peppers like this. I can use as much as I need and keep the rest for later.

Although they aren’t great for salads because the texture isn’t crunchy when they defrost, they’re perfect for cooking. I love the peppers for homemade fajitas, burritos, soups, and casseroles.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole recipe (no oven needed)

If you’re having a good day, prep meals ahead of time to reheat later. This simple and tasty casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months or kept in the fridge for 3 days.

Here’s what you need to make it:

• 1 pound of ground meat
• 3 bell peppers (preferably one red, one yellow, and one green), diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 ounces tomato sauce (preferably without added salt)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed, with excess water removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups of water (can be partially replaced with the liquid from the frozen spinach)
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (preferentially fire roasted flavor)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (like a mix of cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey, or pepper jack)

You’ll also need a pot or skillet (with a lid) where you put the olive oil then brown the ground meat and cook the onion until the onion is tender.

Drop in the powdered seasonings (cumin, salt, pepper) and garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the spinach and stir. Then toss in the peppers, rice, tomato sauce, water, and Worcestershire sauce.

When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low or medium low until the mixture is gently simmering. Let it cook with the lid on for half an hour. Stir to make sure the rice hasn’t stuck to the bottom and simmer for another 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.

It should be thick and not too wet-looking. Sprinkle cheese over the top and pull the pan off the heat. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The cheese will melt and the rice will absorb the rest of the moisture. Enjoy!

Can you eat pepper during pregnancy’s first trimester?

Bell peppers are a great choice for eating during the first trimester of pregnancy because they are low-calorie and nutrient-rich. Peppers provide minerals and vitamins without adding fat and carbs to your diet. After all, you only start needing a significant amount of extra calories during the second and third trimesters.

If you eat bell peppers, remember that red peppers have double the vitamin C of green peppers. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, which is a building block of blood, to make sure the baby gets plenty of oxygen and vitamins (2).

What other foods besides bell peppers are good to eat during pregnancy?

Foods with lots of vitamin C like broccoli (who knew, right?), oranges, peppers, and strawberries are good to eat when you’re pregnant.

Make sure you get enough iron from spinach, beans, and green leafy vegetables, too. Then, there’s calcium from dairy products and almonds and omega-3 fatty acids from fish (3).

Salmon Stuffed Bell Pepper Bites

Here’s a high-protein snack for an appetizer or a pick-me-up in the afternoon.

You’ll need:

• 1 package of Chicken of the Sea wild-caught salmon or similar low-mercury fish
• Several bell peppers (you’ll be slicing them in half or into quarters)
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped red onion or Vidalia onion
• ½ lemon
• One large dill pickle, chopped
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (or you can use avocado oil or olive oil)
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Optional: fresh parsley or other herbs as a garnish

Here’s what to do:

Wash and cut the vegetables and lemon.

Juice the lemon into a cup or bowl.

Drain the salmon if it’s packed in liquid and put it in the bowl. Add the mayonnaise (or oil), celery, onion, and pickle, and stir.

Stuff the mixture into the halved or quartered peppers. Enjoy!

FYI: you can also roast the peppers to make them sweeter. Heat the oven to 450°F and bake them for about 20 minutes until the edges start to brown.

Who should not eat bell peppers?

Have you heard of capsicum? It’s a type of plant that includes bell peppers and chili peppers. Some people take capsicum extract as a supplement or treat their sore muscles and arthritis pains with a capsicum cream.

Pregnant women should not take capsicum extract unless it’s under a doctor’s orders. But eating peppers is not problematic because the capsicum in them isn’t so concentrated.

Also, it’s rare, but some people are allergic to bell peppers. Often, they are allergic to celery and birch trees, too.

They may experience tingling and itching in the mouth or skin and headaches. They may also have a runny nose and cold symptoms or breathing problems. If you experience an anaphylactic reaction to eating bell peppers, please get medical attention immediately.

But what if you don’t like peppers?

No worries, not everyone loves bell peppers. If the green ones are too bitter for you, you might like the red better. They tend to be sweeter.

Cooked peppers are also sweeter and more appealing.

Vegan Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

Cook up a big batch and freeze it in individual servings to reheat on a wintry day.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of chopped red peppers (how many peppers depends on their size)
• 1 cup of chopped carrots (use fine slices if you don’t like them crunchy)
• 1 cup of red lentils
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil on medium-high in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring.

Drop in the red peppers and a dash of black pepper. Keep stirring for another couple of minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, turn the heat down to medium-low and put on the lid. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.

If you like it chunky, leave it as is. Otherwise, for a creamy soup, blend the ingredients with a mixer.

Put the heat on medium and add the lentils and carrots while stirring. Let it simmer for 10 minutes without the lid, then add salt.

You’re done!

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you find answers about eating bell peppers during pregnancy. I wish you and your baby the best of health and happiness in the future!

Sources:

1. https://www.pregnancyfoodchecker.com/bell-peppers-capsicum-good-pregnancy-benefits-nutrition/ Are Bell Peppers (Capsicum) Good in Pregnancy? Benefits & Nutrition, by Gina Waggott, Medically Reviewed by Janet Gordon RD, MBDA, updated September 28, 2021

2. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/pregnancy-foods-10-foods-to-eat-during-each-trimester_n_2536877 Pregnancy Foods: 10 Foods To Eat During Each Trimester, by Arti Patel, published January 24, 2013, updated Nov 17, 2015

3. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/10-foods-to-eat-and-avoid-during-pregnancy/2019/09 10 foods to eat and avoid during pregnancy, published September 20, 2019