Many expecting moms want to know – can you eat egg drop soup while pregnant?
If you are wondering whether it is safe to eat or not, you are in the right place.
This tasty appetizer is surely a feast to the senses. But at the same time, you want to make sure there are no health risks involved with it.
So, let us dive deeper into this dish – what’s good about it, any health risks, and everything else you need to know. This way, you can be sure that it will not impact your health and your little one.
Nutrients in Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is also commonly referred to as the infamous “Egg Flower Soup.”
It is a well-loved appetizer of a Chinese origin.
Basically, you cook the egg by dropping it into a scorching hot broth. Then, you add in other ingredients such as the scallions, tofu, and other things to flavor it.
For the most part, it is a low-calorie soup. There is also some fat but not a huge amount of it.
In addition, there are vitamins and minerals in this soup.
Generally, a serving of this soup has about 892 mg of sodium. This is a bit too much, yet you can also reduce it by putting less salt.
Now, for the other nutrients, this soup has vitamin C. In fact, it has a good amount of this vitamin per serving. This is a great vitamin that can help you fight off infections.
Vitamin C also helps boost your immune system. This makes you less susceptible to diseases caused by viruses and bacteria.
Another good thing about this vitamin is that it is an antioxidant. In fact, it is what your cells need to get protection from free radicals. Vitamin C also allows your body to produce more collagen. Thus, your wounds should heal faster as your vitamin C intake increases.
How Egg Drop Soup Works
Now, let us look into how exactly this interesting soup works – what’s in it and how you cook it.
A better understanding of this dish will allow you to determine whether it is safe for you to eat or not.
Egg drop soup recipes usually vary when it comes to the preparation. Restaurant-quality egg drop soups are usually higher in flavoring. This is to cater to many customers who prefer highly flavorful soup.
When it comes to homemade egg drop soup, it is usually much easier and simpler to make.
In fact, you can refer to the standard recipe to make your own. This means that you only need the eggs, the boiling stock, and it is good to go.
To prepare this soup, you only need to cook the eggs in a matter of minutes by placing it into the boiling stock or broth. By dropping the egg, this gives it a ribbon-like texture and appearance.
Once you see it floating on your broth, it means the egg is cooked well. Thus, it is safe for pregnant women.
However, you should be sure that the egg drop soup you buy at a restaurant is also cooked well. The soup must be hot to make sure there is no raw on it. An alternative solution is by popping it into your microwave before you eat.
This will make sure that the eggs are indeed cooked and safe for you to consume.
Read More: Can I Eat Fresh Mozzarella While Pregnant? Surprising Facts You Must Know
Health Benefits of Egg Drop Soup
Tasty and nutritious, egg drop soup is a fine addition to your daily diet.
You will love the warming broth that makes it perfect particularly during those cold nights.
In addition, you will love the ease of making this dish. You can also throw in a bunch of vegetables to flavor it. Some spices will also make your soup even tastier and more nutritious.
For instance, some people put sliced ginger, greens, and other things to turn this soup into a complete, nutritious meal.
Spices make this soup tasty without the addition of those nasty additives.
In restaurants, they tend to add MSG and similar flavoring. While it enhances the flavor, it does not help at all in keeping the soup healthy.
This is why you may want to make your own, much healthier version of this soup.
Since egg drop soup is broth-based, this helps you to stay hydrated during your pregnancy. You will be able to increase your fluid intake, which is very important especially during the hot and humid weather.
Now, as for the different add-ons you can put to your egg drop soup, these are just some of the things you can use:
- Finely chopped onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Peas
- Sweetcorn
- Chopped water chestnuts
Do you want to boost the protein content of the soup? An egg is already high in protein but you can add more to it by putting pieces of chicken to the broth.
Just be sure that you cook the meat very well before you drop it into the broth. Saute or boil the meat first, then it should be good to go into your boiling stock.
As for the seasoning, you should go easy on it. In fact, you can stick to natural flavorings such as onion, ginger, and other herbs and spices.
You should avoid putting too much salt to maintain your sodium intake to a minimum. Too much sodium is not good for you as it can impact your blood pressure. Plus, it also makes you more dehydrated, which is never a good thing during your pregnancy.
Overall, egg drop soup is a healthy and tasty dish to enjoy during your pregnancy. Make it a point to follow these tips on how to prepare this dish to keep it safe for you to eat. You can also check out this video on how to make the best egg drop soup you will love:
