Fried rice is cooked rice stir-fried over high heat with egg, vegetables and often chicken, prawns or pork. It is safe in pregnancy when freshly made and hot; the one thing to get right is how the rice was stored before it hit the wok.
Why it's good in pregnancy
Egg stirred through rice adds protein and choline, a nutrient that supports your baby's brain development, and a handful of peas, carrots and spring onions brings colour and vitamins to an otherwise plain grain. It is also the natural home for leftover vegetables and cooked meat, making a quick, balanced bowl on a tired evening.
Key nutrients
ProteinEgg plus any chicken, prawns or tofu lifts a rice dish into a proper protein serving for your baby's growth.
CholineScrambled egg is one of the best food sources of choline, which supports your baby's brain and spinal cord development.
B VitaminsRice and egg supply thiamin, riboflavin and B12, which help your body release energy and build red blood cells.
Serving ideas
Egg fried rice with peas, sweetcorn and spring onion
Chicken fried rice with ginger and garlic
Prawn fried rice with the prawns cooked through
Brown rice fried with cabbage, carrot and sesame
Tofu fried rice with a splash of low-salt soy
Safety
Safe when freshly cooked and served hot, with the egg scrambled through until set.Cool cooked rice within an hour and keep it no more than a day before frying.Reheat leftover fried rice once, until steaming.
Fried rice is best made with rice cooked earlier and chilled, but cooked rice must be cooled within an hour, stored in the fridge for no more than 24 hours and used once; rice left warm can let Bacillus cereus spores produce a toxin that reheating does not destroy. Stir-fry over high heat until everything is steaming and the egg is fully set, with no glossy, wet patches. Make sure chicken and prawns are cooked through before they go in, and go easy on soy sauce, which brings most of the dish's salt. From a takeaway, eat it straight away rather than hours later, and do not reheat it a second time.
Common questions
Can I eat fried rice while pregnant?Yes, freshly cooked, hot fried rice with the egg scrambled until set is safe; the key is that the rice was chilled promptly and not left sitting at room temperature.
Is takeaway egg fried rice safe during pregnancy?Yes, when eaten hot soon after it is cooked; avoid eating it cold the next day or reheating it more than once.
Why is reheated rice a food poisoning risk?Cooked rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores that multiply if the rice is left warm, producing a toxin that survives reheating; cooling rice within an hour and using it within a day prevents this.
Did you know?
Fried rice began as a way to use up day-old rice, which fries better than fresh rice because it has dried out slightly.
A single egg stirred through a serving of fried rice provides around a quarter of the choline recommended in pregnancy.
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