Eggs are the most significant source of energy but is it so in all conditions? For example, can you eat runny or over easy eggs while pregnant without harming the baby or mother’s health?

Key Takeaways
  • You should avoid eating runny, over easy, half-boiled, or sunny eggs during pregnancy.
  • Undercooked eggs might be hardly digestible for pregnant ladies and harmful to the baby.
  • Salmonella bacterium is found in egg yolks and can transfer to the mother’s intestine when eating runny or easy eggs. With this, the baby might catch salmonella-borne diseases.

Getting pregnant is the most special period in the life of women but the most precautionary one too. A mother should be sure of what to eat and what not to because now another life is blooming inside her.

For your information, eggs are full of proteins and nutrients, and you can surely eat them when expecting, but some measures are a must to take.

Here we are catering to all the questions occurring in your mind regarding are over-easy or runny eggs safe to eat while pregnant.

Given below is everything you need to know:

Can You Eat Runny Eggs While Pregnant?

FSA (food standard agency) approves eating runny eggs while pregnant only manufactured under the code and standards of British Lion Eggs. So if you can get British lion eggs, the answer is yes, you can eat runny eggs of any kind when pregnant.

“Around 90% of eggs in the UK are approved and have British Lion Code. Moreover, eggs from the USA are banned in the UK and all other countries under European Union.”

What are Runny Eggs?

All those eggs with runny, watery, and liquidized yolk are runny. Most women don’t like fully cooked eggs and prefer eating undercooked ones.

Undercooked eggs mean the yolk is still raw or slightly cooked. When folk or spoon is touched to the yolk the juicy liquid pops from it that can contain harmful bacteria and so shouldn’t be eaten while pregnant.

Can You Eat Poached Eggs While Pregnant?

Breaking an eggshell and putting it in the hot boiling water makes a half-cooked poached egg. In this, egg white is fully cooked while the yolk touches the heat slightly and remains undone.

Related: Can You Eat Hot Cheetos While Pregnant?

Can You Eat Sunny-Side up Runny Eggs While Pregnant?

Sunny-side-up eggs are half-fried in which egg yolk remains raw because heated slightly. The egg is not flipped during frying.

However, this is an easy egg because the yolk remains undercooked. So, if you ask:

“Are runny eggs safe when cooked with the sunny-side-up recipe, the answer is no!”

Can You Eat Half Boiled Runny Eggs While Pregnant?

Half-boiled eggs are put in the bowls of hot water for less than 5 minutes. The white part gets hard during this process while the egg-yellow remains raw.

Can You Eat Over Easy Eggs While Pregnant?

What is the difference when it comes to over easy eggs vs sunny side up eggs?

The over-easy egg is also cooked like a sunny-side-up egg; however, in this, eggs are flipped and both sides are cooked slightly on low heat; still, the yolk remains undone.

You are advised to avoid raw or over easy eggs while pregnant. So, all undercooked eggs with runny yolk should be avoided if you’re expecting a baby.

Why Should Runny or Over Easy Eggs be Avoided While Pregnant?

There are many reasons why expecting mothers cannot eat runny or over-easy eggs.

1.    Risk of Food Poisoning

When pregnant, women are not eating just for themselves but for the baby as well. Undercooked eggs might be hardly digestible for pregnant ladies and so can be harmful to the baby too.

These can cause food poisoning in the mothers and pass them to babies and lead to further infections and pregnancy complications.

2.    Salmonella Bacterial Attack

Salmonella is a bacterium found in the food items like an egg. It is a small parasite that develops and grows in the human body.

It is usually found in the egg yolks ad can transfer to the mother’s intestine when eating runny or easy eggs, so there is a probability that the baby might catch salmonella-borne diseases.

Hence, the answer for can you eat runny eggs while pregnant usually remains no.

3.    Hard To Digest

Moreover, during pregnancy, the immune system of women is already weak. Therefore, half runny eggs might be hard to digest for them.

Besides, they will not have immunity to fight bacteria found in the undercooked food item. Therefore, you cannot eat over easy or runny eggs while pregnant.

4.    Smell

The smell is another factor why mothers cannot eat easy or undercooked eggs while pregnant.

During pregnancy, puking is common, and mothers can feel nauseous or queasy when with the smell of uncooked egg yolk.

How can you eat over easy eggs while pregnant?

How can you eat over easy eggs while pregnant? There are three options:

  1. The Eggs come with a code of British Lion Eggs
  2. The Eggs are fully pasteurized
  3. Dried Whole Eggs

Eggs in the stores and markets are usually pasteurized. You can eat them raw, runny, or easy. However, make sure to inquire with the store dealer to confirm if the eggs are pasteurized or not.

Can You Eat Egg Salad While Pregnant?

Yes! But makes sure that the salad is made with fully cooked eggs and the runny or easy ones. Salads are healthy options to be eaten by pregnant ladies who want to stay fit and smart without starving or making the baby suffer.

However, be mindful when choosing other vegetables and not add them to the plate that can be harmful to you or the baby.

Different Country Rules/Law Regarding Can You Eat Runny or Over Easy Eggs While Pregnant

In different countries, there are different rules regarding eating raw, over easy, or runny eggs during pregnancy. We shall discuss some of those laws below:

Eat Runny or Over Easy Eggs While Pregnant in the USA?

Eating runny eggs or over easy eggs is not approved by the USA and food and drug administration.

In the USA, expecting mothers are always encouraged to eat fully cooked eggs even if they come under the code of British Lion Eggs.

Because they consider during transportation and other activities, eggs can be contaminated with germs. Besides, they do not consider pasteurized eggs to be safe either.

Hence, they disapprove of eating eggs with undercooked yolks for the safety of mothers and children.

Eat Runny or Over Easy Eggs While Pregnant in the UK?

Can you eat over easy or runny eggs under British laws? UK Department of Health also encourages women to eat fully cooked eggs.

However, in the UK eggs made under the code of British Lion eggs are approved for mothers to eat, raw, undercooked, runny, or over easy.

This is the only exception in the laws of the UK and USA.

Bottom Line

This was all about can women eat runny eggs or over easy eggs when pregnant. We hope you must have gathered enough information on this topic.

If you have any more questions, let us know in the comments below.

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Last Updated on November 18, 2022