Bananas Foster is a dessert made with bananas and vanilla ice cream submerged in a sweet sauce of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur. The syrupy dessert is set on fire before serving, making it a flambe. Bananas Foster originated in New Orleans but has become a dessert eaten all over the world. If you are pregnant, you should be able to eat bananas Foster without a problem, taking into consideration a few factors. But be sure to consult your doctor before eating this dessert.
Bananas Foster includes two types of alcohol -- rum and banana liqueur. The alcohol gives the dessert its flame when it's set on fire before serving. The flambe effect enhances the presentation in serving, and some say it adds a distinctive flavor. The alcohol-induced flames quickly go out, so you can eat your bananas Foster without worry. The fire consumes about 25 percent of the original alcohol content, according to the "Daily Herald."
Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise pregnant women not to consume alcoholic beverages, because ethanol can affect your baby's brain development and lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. The CDC clarifies that alcohol means one alcoholic drink, which has considerably more alcohol content than food cooked with alcohol. Bananas Foster contains such a small amount of alcohol that it's impossible to get drunk or experience adverse effects from a typical serving.
Alcohol Content
One serving of bananas Foster includes about two tablespoons -- or 6 teaspoons -- of rum and 1.5 teaspoons of of banana liqueur. One shot of alcohol is equivalent to about 9 teaspoons, so the amount of alcohol in a serving of bananas Foster is less than one shot of alcohol. In addition, its alcohol content is reduced when the alcohol is ignited. So the rum, which is normally about 35 percent alcohol, is reduced to about 26 percent alcohol and the banana liqueur, which is normally about 25 percent alcohol, is reduced to about 19 percent alcohol.
Considerations
A serving of bananas Foster shouldn't hurt you or your baby, but if you eat several servings, you would be consuming a lot more alcohol, possibly enough to cause adverse effects. If you are particularly sensitive to alcohol, or if your doctor has advised you not to consume alcohol in any form, do not eat bananas Foster. Although a serving of bananas Foster should not negatively affect most pregnant women, check with your doctor first, and heed her advice.
