Paneer During Pregnancy: Benefits And Side Effects

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Paneer or cottage cheese is a popular soft cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or curd. It’s one of the most common ingredients in dishes that you may crave when pregnant (1). But can you eat paneer during pregnancy? Knowing this is essential as milk products made with unpasteurized milk can causefoodborne infectionsⁱXInfections caused due to consumption of food contaminated with harmful microbes or toxins.

Read on as we tell you more about the safety of paneer for pregnant women, how it differs from cheese, its maternal health benefits, and some pregnancy-friendly paneer recipes you can try at home.

Difference Between Cheese And Paneer

Comparatives	Cheese	Paneer
What are they	It is a dairy food made of ripened or compressed milk separated from they whey. It is one of the milk products obtained through acidification.	It is a fresh cheese made by churning milk using some acids through a process of acidification. Souring agent is used to coagulate the milk protein while it is fresh.
How are they made	Milk is coagulated at room temperature byusing yogurt(along with rennet) and a live culture. The live culture turns lactose to lactic acid thereby altering the milk’s pH, whereas therennetiXSet of enzymes that play a role in the process of coagulation of milkcoagulates the milk to turn it into cheese (2).	Milk is boiled to 200°F. Some acids are added to the milk for coagulation. Thenlemon juiceor vinegar is added to the coagulated milk to turn into paneer (3).
Usage	Can be eaten raw; used in cooking; top cheeses include white cheese, cream cheese, American cheese, brie.	Used as a side dish or to make a curry.
Calories per ounce	High caloric food (105)	Low caloric food (80)

Paneer is quite simple and easy to cook. Moreover, it has fewer calories than cheese.

Is Paneer Safe During Pregnancy?

Yes, paneer made from pasteurized milk is safe to eat during pregnancy. But, you must have it in moderate amounts. Also, you need to be careful if you arelactose intolerantⁱXA person who cannot digest lactose, a sugar component found in dairy products, due to lack of lactase enzyme.Paneer is a rich source of calcium, and including it in yourpregnancy dietadds to your daily recommended intake of calcium.

How Paneer Can Help During Pregnancy

Here is how the nutrients in paneer can be useful in your pregnancy:

1. Calcium

Paneer contains calcium and phosphorus which are essential for the development of bones and teeth and overall fetal growth. It also helps in preventing thedemineralizationⁱXLoss of minerals ions from bones resulting in reduced bone integrityof bones in pregnant women.

2. Protein

Protein is essential for proper fetal development, especially for the growth of the tissues and muscles of your unborn baby (4).

3. Calories

Around 100g of paneer provides 265 kcal of energy, thus adding to your daily calorific count.

4. Omega-3s

Paneer containsomega-3 fatty acidsthat are essential for your body.

Even as it has some uses, paneer comes with some side effects too if you are over-consuming it or eating a stale or poor quality panner.

Side Effects Of Overeating Paneer During Pregnancy

Any food can cause side effects if taken in excess.Paneer also has certain harmful effects if you over-consume it.

• Excess consumption can cause digestive issues.

• The excess sodium in paneer can add to your daily intake of sodium and might increase the levels.

• Leads toweight gain.

Eat paneer in the recommended quantities and follow certain precautions, so that you can make the most of this cheese.

Precautions When You Eat Paneer During Pregnancy

Follow these measures when you add paneer to your pregnancy diet:

• Make sure the paneer you choose is made from pasteurized milk.

• Before you buy paneer, check the labels for freshness and ensure that it is made with high-quality ingredients.

• Do not refrigerate beyond one week. Eat it fresh.

• Do not buy the variety that is discolored, cracked, or dried.

• Always make sure to check with your OBS/GYN before including paneer in your diet.

The next section tells you how you can consume paneer.

Can You Eat Raw Paneer During Pregnancy?

Do not eat raw or uncooked paneer during pregnancy even if it were made from pasteurized milk. Always cook it before you eat to remove any harmful bacteria present in it.

The safest paneer to eat is the one that is made at home.

How To Make Paneer At Home?

Here is how you can make paneer at home:

You will need:

• Milk
• Souring agent (lemon or vinegar)

How to:

• Boil milk over medium to high flame.
• Add one to two teaspoons of the souring agent diluted with some water and stir the mixture.
• Wait until it coagulates (you will see paneer and water separating). Leave it for a while until it settles.
• Transfer the content into a muslin cloth and leave aside until the water is strained completely.
• The fresh and homemade paneer is ready for making a dish of your choice.
• Now that the paneer is ready, let’s take a look at a few dishes you can make with it.

Easy Pregnancy-Friendly Paneer Recipes

1. Palak paneer

You will need:

• 150g paneer cubes
• 100g palak
• 2-3 green chilies, deseeded
• ¾ cup onions, finely chopped or paste
• ½ cup tomatoes, deseeded and pureed
• ¼tsp kasuri methi
• ¼tsp cumin powder
• ½tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp ginger garlic paste
• A pinch of garam masala
• 1in cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• A pinch of cumin seeds
• 10 cashews/ 2 to 4tbsp fresh cream
• Oil or butter as required
• Salt as required

How to:

1. Fry paneer in a non-stick pan with one tablespoon oil over medium flame. Fry them shallow until their sides turn light brown. Transfer them to a plate, or drop them in water to keep them soft. Leave for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add spinach, green chilies, and fry for about two to three minutes over a medium flame. Let the spinach wilt off completely and keep it aside to cool. Make a smooth puree of spinach and green chilies.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon cloves, cardamom, and cumin. Once they start to splutter, add onions and fry until they become golden.
4. 加入生姜大蒜酱炒,直到原始aroma goes away.
5. Add tomatoes and salt, and fry until they become soft.
6. Now add coriander powder, cumin powder, kasuri methi, and garam masala. Sauté them thoroughly.
7. Add half a cup of water and stir continuously until the mixture develops a thick consistency.
8. Simmer on a low flame and add spinach puree. Cook for a while until you see bubbles forming up.
9. Add fried paneer and stir.
10. If you are using cream, you can add it now. You may also use cashews as a substitute. Soak them in warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes and blend for a milky, cream consistency.
11. You can eat palak paneer with rice, roti or naan.

Preparation time:35min
份:3

2. Paneer tikka

You will need:

• 250g paneer, square-shaped cubes
• 3 bell peppers – one each of green, red and yellow, chopped into square shape
• 1 onion, medium size
• 200g Hung curd or Greek yogurt
• 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1tsp carom seeds
• 1 to 2tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1tsp cumin powder
• ½tsp turmeric powder
• ½tsp garam masala
• 1tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp chat masala
• 1tsp dry mango powder
• ½茶匙黑胡椒粉
• ½tbsp lemon juice
• ½tsp black salt
• 1tbsp oil
• Salt as required

How to:

• Take curd in a large bowl and whisk it until it turns smooth.
• Add ginger garlic paste, all the above spice powders, carom seeds, and black salt.
• You can also add some oil and mix all of them thoroughly.
• Now add paneer cubes and chopped veggies to the marinade.
• Marinate for two hours, or you can also refrigerate it.
• Bring the marinated paneer to room temperature.
• Arrange them on skewers or wooden toothpicks.
• Heat non-stick tawa or griddle, apply oil on it.
• Once the tawa is hot, arrange the skewers, and shallow fry them over medium heat.
• Rotate the skewers so that all the sides of paneer and veggies turn light brown. Each side takes about three to four minutes.
• Transfer to a serving plate, and sprinkle some lemon juice and chat masala on them.
• You can eat it with mint chutney and sliced onions.

References: