Articles
Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy
Content
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
Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs
During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. Your reaction might be more severe than if you weren't pregnant. Rarely, food poisoning affects the baby, too.
To prevent foodborne illness:
- Fully cook all meats and poultry before eating. Use a meat thermometer to make sure.
- Cook hot dogs and luncheon meats until they're steaming hot — or avoid them completely. They can be sources of a rare but potentially serious foodborne illness known as a listeria infection.
- Avoid refrigerated pates and meat spreads. Canned and shelf-stable versions, however, are OK.
- Cook eggs until the egg yolks and whites are firm. Raw eggs can be contaminated with harmful bacteria. Avoid foods made with raw or partially cooked eggs, such as eggnog, raw batter, and freshly made or homemade hollandaise sauce, and Caesar salad dressing.
