While there are amazingfoods you should include during pregnancy, there’s the opposite end of the spectrum too—foods that should be avoided. To best cut through all the varied information out there, we tapped a slew of registered dietitians across the country for their picks. They shared the foods to steer clear of and provided some stellar reasoning behind their suggestions and some excellent swaps to choose from. Read on to learn the foods pregnant people should avoid.
Top 10 Pregnancy Superfoods, According to Dietitians
High-Mercury Seafood
Raw or Runny Eggs
“When you eat eggs during pregnancy, the USDA recommends cooking eggs until the yolk and whites are firm. This is because pregnant women are vulnerable to foodborne illnesses that may arise from eating uncooked eggs,” Gorin shares. However, fully cooked eggs are a great addition to the pregnancy diet. Gorin loves them hard-boiled, inomeletsor in quiches. “When it comes to pregnancy foods, eggs are one of the top foods to embrace!” she says. “For one, they’re a good source of high-quality protein. Plus, they are one of the few foods rich in choline. Higher choline intake during pregnancy can have lasting beneficial effects on brain health and development for babies into their school-age years”. Gorin notes that, unfortunately, 90% of pregnant people don’t get enough choline. In fact, according to a 2019 article published inNutrients, less than 10% of pregnant people achieve the recommended intake, which is 450 milligrams of choline per day. However, consuming just two eggs daily provides over the recommended intake for pregnant people and can help them meet their needs. “Also, eggs are recommended for healthy adults as part of a heart-healthy diet according to the American Heart Association,” Gorin states.
Unpasteurized Cheese
Say it ain’t so! According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, eating soft cheese during pregnancy puts you at risk forListeriainfection, which can be deadly, especially to newborn babies. Gorin expands on this, adding that in the United States, manyListeriaoutbreaks have been linked to eating unpasteurized cheese such as queso fresco, Camembert, Brie or feta. She suggested picking a firmer cheese, such as Cheddar or Swiss. “You have so many cheese options at your fingertips that you can use this time during pregnancy to try new varieties of cheese! When shopping for cheese, just check that the label says, ‘made with pasteurized milk,'” Gorin explains.
Alcohol
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Kombucha
According toKimberley Wiemann, M.S., RDN, a registered dietitian based in Long Island, anotherno-no is kombucha. “People often enjoy the digestive benefits of kombucha,” she says. However, she says pregnant people should avoid kombucha because it is often not pasteurized, which means it may contain harmful bacteria. Additionally, Wiemann notes that some kombucha might contain alcohol. “Although the alcohol content is typically low, it is suggested to avoid all alcohol consumption during pregnancy,” Wiemann says. She shares that a great alternative would be either pasteurized kefir or yogurt.
Poppy Seeds (right before birth)
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Bagged Salads
Deli Meat
Another popular item that should be limited during pregnancy is deli meat. According to Lebovitz, “If you find yourself craving an Italian sub sandwich during pregnancy, you may consider waiting until after you have delivered to satisfy that desire. Not only are deli meats a risk forListeria, they also contain nitrates. Nitrates are added to deli meat to preserve freshness and retain their color.” According to a 2016 article published in theAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, prenatal exposure to animal-based nitrates may increase the risk of preterm birth." An alternative she recommends? “Try an oyster po’boy.Oystersare low in mercury, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and packed with essential nutrients during pregnancy like iron, zinc and B12,” she shares.
Sprouts
“Sprouts grow best in warm, humid environments—making them an ideal breeding ground for foodborne germs likeListeria,SalmonellaandE. coli,” says Kim Yawitz, RD, a registered dietitian in St. Louis, Missouri. “Sprouts have been linked to dozens of foodborne illness outbreaks. While most healthy adults can avoid getting sick with a few simple precautions, pregnant women are much more vulnerable to bacteria that commonly grow on sprouts. For example, moms-to-be are 10 times more likely to contractListeria, which increases the risk of miscarriage and fetal death,” Yawitz warns. A way to get around this issue is to thoroughly cook the sprouts until they’re brown and crispy, which can help kill off the most dangerous bacteria during pregnancy. Yawitz adds, “Julienned sugar snap peas are a nice alternative if you’re craving some crunch, but sprouts feel too risky.”
Raw Meat
According to theWorld Health Organization, raw meat is one of the main food sources ofE. colioutbreaks. Even less severeE. coliinfections can lead to fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea—certainly not ideal during pregnancy! Yawitz mentions that there’s alsosome evidencethat more severe cases increase the likelihood of preterm labor and low birth weight in babies, and possibly blood infections in pregnant people. Even though rare steak is off the table during pregnancy, there’s no need to avoid cooked meats. “Heating ground meat to an internal temperature of 160°F (and whole cuts of meat to 145°F) can bring the risk of eating meat down to an acceptable level,” Yawitz explains.
Raw Fish
The Bottom Line
The quality of your diet is essential during pregnancy, not only the foods you include but also the ones you should limit. Please talk to your health care professional before making any dietary decisions during pregnancy.
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