Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Eating the right foods is one of the best ways to support your baby’s growth and keep yourself healthy.

Some foods can carry harmful bacteria or chemicals that might affect your baby’s development.

Here’s what you need to know about what to avoid and what to eat instead.

Poultry & Meat

Meat and poultry provide protein and essential nutrients, but they must be cooked properly to prevent infections like Listeria, Salmonella, and Toxoplasmosis.

🚫 Avoid:

• Raw or undercooked poultry, like rare chicken or turkey.
• Unheated deli meats, hot dogs, and dry sausages, which can carry Listeria.
• Rare or undercooked beef and pork, which may have bacteria or parasites.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Fully cooked poultry (chicken, turkey) should reach 165°F internally.
• Whole-cut meats (steak, pork chops) should be cooked to at least 145°F.
• Ground meats (beef, pork, turkey, chicken) should be cooked thoroughly to 160°F.
• Deli meats, hot dogs, and dry sausages should be heated until steaming hot before eating.

Seafood

Fish and seafood are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain development.

However, some seafood contains high levels of mercury, which can harm your baby’s nervous system.

🚫 Avoid:

• Raw or undercooked fish (sushi, sashimi, ceviche) due to possible bacteria or parasites.
• Refrigerated smoked seafood (like lox) unless it’s cooked into a dish.
• High-mercury fish, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Fully cooked fish (145°F or until flesh is white and flaky).
• Canned seafood (tuna, salmon, sardines).
• Low-mercury fish, like shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish, and tilapia.
• Smoked fish that has been cooked into a steaming hot dish.

Cheese & Dairy

Dairy products are great for calcium, which helps your baby’s bones grow strong.

However, unpasteurized dairy products can carry harmful bacteria.

🚫 Avoid:

• Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized (raw) milk, like brie, feta, queso fresco, blue cheese, and camembert.
• Unheated deli cheeses, which could carry Listeria.
• Raw milk and dairy products made from raw milk.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Hard cheeses, such as cheddar, Swiss, and parmesan.
• Pasteurized soft cheeses, including cottage cheese, cream cheese, and string cheese.
• Soft cheeses and deli cheeses that have been heated to 165°F.
• Pasteurized milk and dairy products.

Eggs

Eggs provide protein and essential nutrients, but they need to be fully cooked to reduce the risk of Salmonella.

🚫 Avoid:

• Raw or undercooked eggs (runny yolks, soft-boiled eggs).
• Foods that contain raw eggs, like homemade Caesar salad dressing, raw cookie dough, homemade eggnog, and hollandaise sauce.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Fully cooked eggs with firm yolks and whites.
• Egg dishes (like quiche or frittatas) cooked to 165°F.
• Pasteurized eggs in foods that require raw eggs (such as mousse or dressing).

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and fiber, but they need to be washed properly to remove pesticides and bacteria.

🚫 Avoid:

• Raw sprouts (like alfalfa, mung bean, or clover sprouts), which can carry E. coli and Salmonella.
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables, which may contain bacteria or pesticides.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Cooked sprouts, which kill bacteria.
• Washed fruits and vegetables (scrub them under running water before eating).
• Freshly cut melon, but store it in the fridge and eat within a few hours.

Dairy & Juice

Unpasteurized dairy and juice can carry bacteria like Listeria and E. coli, which can be harmful during pregnancy.

🚫 Avoid:

• Unpasteurized milk and cheese (can contain harmful bacteria).
• Unpasteurized juice (may carry bacteria).

✅ Safe Choices:

• Pasteurized milk and dairy products.
• Pasteurized juices (store-bought juices labeled “pasteurized” are safe).

Deli Salads & Premade Foods

Deli salads and premade foods can carry bacteria if they aren’t stored or prepared properly.

🚫 Avoid:

• Premade salads from the grocery store or deli, like potato salad, coleslaw, and chicken salad.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Homemade salads made with fresh, washed ingredients.

Flour & Raw Dough

Raw flour can carry bacteria like E. coli, and eating raw dough or batter can be risky.

🚫 Avoid:

• Raw cookie dough, cake batter, or homemade doughs made with uncooked flour and eggs.

✅ Safe Choices:

• Fully cooked baked goods.
• Dough and batter made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs.
• Products labeled “safe to eat raw”.

Final Tips for Safe Eating During Pregnancy

• Cook all meats, eggs, and seafood properly—use a food thermometer if needed.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Check food labels for the word “pasteurized” on dairy and juice products.
• Avoid raw or undercooked foods that may carry bacteria.
• When in doubt, ask your doctor or midwife!

Making smart food choices during pregnancy will help keep both you and your baby healthy.

Enjoy a balanced, nutritious diet and stay mindful of food safety!

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