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Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy
Avoid seafood high in mercury
Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood
Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs
Avoid unpasteurized foods
Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables
Avoid excess caffeine
Avoid herbal tea
Avoid alcohol
Content
Don't eat seafood high in mercury
Don't eat raw, undercooked or tainted seafood
Don't eat undercooked meat, poultry or eggs
Don't eat unpasteurized foods
Don't eat unwashed fruits and vegetables
Don't have too much caffeine
Don't drink herbal tea
Don't drink alcohol
Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood
Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs
Avoid unpasteurized foods
Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables
Avoid excess caffeine
Avoid herbal tea
Avoid alcohol
Content
Don't eat seafood high in mercury
Don't eat raw, undercooked or tainted seafood
Don't eat undercooked meat, poultry or eggs
Don't eat unpasteurized foods
Don't eat unwashed fruits and vegetables
Don't have too much caffeine
Don't drink herbal tea
Don't drink alcohol
Don't eat seafood high in mercury
Seafood can be a great source of protein. And the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can help your baby's brain and eye development. But some fish and shellfish have levels of mercury that could be harmful. Too much mercury could damage your baby's growing nervous system.
The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it's likely to contain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says not to eat the following while pregnant:
- Bigeye tuna.
- King mackerel.
- Marlin.
- Orange roughy.
- Swordfish.
- Shark.
- Tilefish.
So what's safe? Some types of seafood have little mercury. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises pregnant people to eat 8 to 12 ounces (224 to 336 grams) of seafood a week. That's 2 to 3 servings. Here are some options:
- Anchovies.
- Black sea bass.
- Catfish.
- Cod.
- Freshwater trout.
- Herring.
- Light canned tuna.
- Oysters.
- Pollock.
- Salmon.
- Sardines.
- Shad.
- Shrimp.
- Sole.
- Tilapia.
- Whitefish.
