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Expert Q&A
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| By Allison Gamble Nutritionist/Diet Technician Highland Park Hospital, Illinois | ||
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I know it's not okay to drink alcohol while you are pregnant, but can I use alcohol to cook with?
While I believe cooking with alcohol poses very little risk for harming your baby, I have heard conflicting answers. I have read that all the alcohol evaporates off due to the heat, leaving the chemicals that produce the flavor of alcohol. I have also read the opposite, that not all the alcohol evaporates off, leaving as much as 50% of the alcohol.
My conclusion: I still don't think the amount of alcohol used in cooking is going to be harmful, especially since much of the alcohol is cooked off. Also, since you are unlikely to be consuming the entire portion cooked, the amount of alcohol in the portion you eat will be low. However, to be on the safe side, you may want to cut down the amount you normally cook with. If you are still not sure, follow your instincts and don't cook with alcohol until after you have given birth."
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