Avoid certain foods during pregnancy

You want what’s best for your child. So you can include cut fruits in your breakfast cereal, eat chickpeas with salad or eat almonds. But do you know which foods you should not eat during pregnancy? Here are some basic facts about diet during pregnancy. Avoid eating seafood that contains a lot of mercury. Seafood is a very good source of protein. Plus, the omega-3 fatty acids found in many fish may help your baby’s brain and eye development. However, some seafood contains harmful levels of mercury. Too much mercury can have negative effects on your baby’s developing nervous system. 

The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it will contain. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends not consuming the following during pregnancy: Tuna bg. 

King Mackerel. 

Merlin. Peel oranges. 

Swordfish. 

Sharks. 

Tilefish.

Avoid eating raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood: 

To avoid harmful bacteria and viruses in seafood:

Avoid eating raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood: 

Avoid eating raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood. Examples of notable foods include sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and raw. Oysters, scallops, clams. Do not eat raw seafood kept in the refrigerator. Examples include seafood labeled nova-style, lox, kippered, smoked, or jerky. It’s OK to eat smoked seafood in casseroles and other prepared foods. Canned and shelf-stable versions are also safe. 

Be aware of local fish advisories:

If you’re eating fish from local waters, check fish advisories to find out how often it’s safe to eat fish. Do this if you are concerned about water pollution. Do not eat any more fish during the week until you are sure that the fish you have already eaten is safe.

Cook the seafood thoroughly:

Cook until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 F (63 C). The fish is cooked when it flakes with a fork and becomes completely mushy. Cook the shrimp, lobster and scallops until soft. Cook clams, mussels and oysters until the shells open. Throw away anything that won’t open. Do not eat undercooked meat, poultry or eggs. The risk of food poisoning caused by bacteria increases during pregnancy. This is called food poisoning. Your body’s reaction to food poisoning during pregnancy may be worse than if you were not pregnant. Although rare, food poisoning can affect your baby. To prevent food poisoning: 

Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly before eating. Check with a meat thermometer. 

Cook hot dogs and lunchmeat until very hot. Or don’t eat it at all. Although rare, it can cause serious food poisoning called listeriosis. 

Don’t eat refrigerated patties or meat spreads. Canned and shelf-stable versions work well. 

Fry eggs until the yolks and whites are set. Raw eggs may contain harmful bacteria. Avoid foods containing raw or half-boiled eggs. Examples include homemade eggnog, raw batter and dough, tiramisu, fresh made or homemade hollandaise sauce, homemade Caesar salad dressing, and homemade ice cream. 

Don’t eat cooked meat or seafood salads. These include ham salad, tuna salad and chicken salad.

Do not eat pasteurized foods:

Many low-fat dairy products can be used as part of a healthy diet. These include skim milk, mozzarella and cheese. However, avoid eating or drinking anything containing milk that has not gone through a process called pasteurization. Pasteurized dairy products can cause food poisoning. 

Avoid soft cheeses like brie, feta and blue cheeses unless the label says they are pasteurized or made with pasteurized milk. Do not drink pasteurized juice or cider. 

Do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables:

Wash all raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove harmful bacteria. Do not eat raw sprouts of alfalfa, clover, radish, greens, etc. Harmful bacteria may be present. Make sure to boil the bean sprouts thoroughly. Don’t consume too much caffeine. Children can consume caffeine, but its effects on children are unknown. To be safe, your health care professional may instruct you not to consume caffeine during pregnancy. Alternatively, you may be asked to limit caffeine to less than 200 milligrams (mg) per day. 

An 8-ounce (240 milliliter, or mL) cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine. An 8 ounce (240 ml) infusion contains approximately 47 mg. Additionally, 12 ounces (360 mL) of cola contains approximately milligrams of caffeine. 

Don’t drink herbal tea:

Not much is known about the effects of some herbs on the fetus. Therefore, do not drink herbal teas unless directed by a medical professional. These include various herbal teas made for pregnancy.

Don’t drink alcohol:

No amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy. For your safety please do not drink alcohol. 

Consider the risks. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Drinking alcohol can also cause fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome can cause facial deformities and decreased intelligence. 

If you are concerned that you drank alcohol before getting pregnant, or if you feel you need help to stop drinking, talk to a health professional.

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