Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with a lot of food questions. Can you eat sushi? What about deli meat? Is soft cheese safe? It can feel overwhelming at first, especially when advice online seems different from one place to another.

This guide covers common foods to avoid during pregnancy, along with safer choices and simple food safety habits to help you feel more confident.

1. Raw or Undercooked Seafood

Raw seafood can carry bacteria or parasites that may make you sick during pregnancy. ACOG advises avoiding raw fish and shellfish, including sushi, and Mayo Clinic lists sushi, sashimi, ceviche, raw oysters, raw scallops, and raw clams as examples of raw or undercooked seafood to avoid.

Cooked seafood can still be part of a healthy pregnancy diet when prepared safely and chosen with mercury levels in mind.

2. High Mercury Fish

Some fish are higher in mercury and should be avoided during pregnancy. FDA guidance recommends choosing fish lower in mercury, and ACOG specifically notes avoiding bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and tilefish.

If you are unsure about a specific fish, ask your healthcare provider.

3. Raw or Undercooked Meat and Poultry

Raw or undercooked meat and poultry can increase the risk of foodborne illness. CDC lists raw or undercooked poultry and meat as riskier choices for pregnant women.

Choose fully cooked chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, and veal. If you are eating out, make sure meat is cooked thoroughly.

4. Raw or Undercooked Eggs

Raw or undercooked eggs may carry bacteria. During pregnancy, it is safest to choose eggs that are fully cooked and avoid foods made with raw eggs unless they are prepared with pasteurized eggs.

This may include some homemade Caesar dressings, cookie dough, homemade mayonnaise, mousse, or certain sauces.

5. Unpasteurized Milk, Cheese, and Juice

Unpasteurized dairy and juice can carry harmful bacteria. CDC recommends avoiding unpasteurized milk and products made from it during pregnancy, and ACOG also advises avoiding unpasteurized milk and foods made with it.

Check labels for the word “pasteurized,” especially with soft cheeses, juices, and dairy products.

6. Cold Deli Meat, Hot Dogs, and Refrigerated Meat Spreads

CDC lists unheated deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, fermented or dry sausages, refrigerated pâté, and refrigerated meat spreads as riskier choices during pregnancy.

If you choose deli meats or hot dogs, ask your healthcare provider about safe preparation. Many food safety guidelines recommend heating them until steaming hot.

7. Refrigerated Smoked Seafood

Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding refrigerated smoked seafood labeled nova style, lox, kippered, smoked, or jerky unless it is cooked in a dish. Canned or shelf stable smoked seafood is generally considered safer.

8. Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are important during pregnancy, but they should be washed well before eating. CDC reminds pregnant women to follow food safety steps to help prevent food poisoning.

Wash produce under running water, keep raw foods separate from ready to eat foods, and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Simple Food Safety Habits During Pregnancy

  • Wash hands before preparing food
  • Wash fruits and vegetables well
  • Cook meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs thoroughly
  • Keep raw foods separate from ready to eat foods
  • Choose pasteurized dairy and juice
  • Refrigerate leftovers promptly
  • Ask your provider when you are unsure

Track Food Questions and Cravings

Pregnancy food rules can feel like a lot to remember. Writing down cravings, aversions, questions, and symptoms can help you feel more organized before appointments.

The Bump to Birth Pregnancy Journal gives expecting moms a beautiful place to record cravings, symptoms, provider questions, appointments, baby name ideas, and letters to baby.

A Thoughtful Gift for Expecting Moms

If you are shopping for a first time mom, newly pregnant friend, or baby shower gift, the Pregnancy Journal Gift Set helps turn the pregnancy journey into a meaningful keepsake experience.

Use the Momentiqa App Alongside Your Journal

The Momentiqa App is designed to work alongside your Momentiqa books. It helps you follow your pregnancy timeline, organize memories, and use guided tools as you prepare for baby.

After Baby Arrives

Pregnancy food notes are only one part of your family’s story. After birth, you may want to remember first smiles, first steps, first words, birthdays, holidays, and everyday memories.

The Birth to Age 5 Baby Memory Book helps parents preserve the first years in one organized keepsake. For a premium newborn or baby shower gift, the Baby Memory Book Gift Set is a beautiful choice.

Final Thoughts

Knowing which foods to avoid during pregnancy can help you feel more confident, but you do not need to feel afraid of every meal. Focus on the big safety basics: avoid raw or undercooked foods, choose low mercury fish, use pasteurized products, heat risky ready to eat meats, and ask your healthcare provider when you are unsure.

Pregnancy is a learning season. Take it one meal, one question, and one small step at a time.
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