Can pregnant women eat lunch meat? Women have to be mindful of what they eat when they are pregnant and most don't give a second thought about lunch meat. The USDA warns that pregnant women should not eat any kind of lunch meat unless it is heated thoroughly. The reason being that lunch meat is at risk for being contaminated with bacteria. Many women, myself included, eat lunch meat during
. pregnancy with no harmful effects, but that does not mean that the risk is not there. For more information about why not to eat lunch meat, visit http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/pregnancy/exjf20.htm.