Though you have to eat a wide range of foods during pregnancy, there are some foods that you need to limit or completely avoid during pregnancy. Every pregnant woman should take extra care to ensure safety eating with good pregnancy foods.
The performance of the immune system will become less effective during pregnancy, so you are vulnerable to stomach upsets and bugs, which will affect your baby. So every woman should take the extra care in order to ensure the baby’s safety.
Here are the foods to avoid during pregnancy:
Fish
A pregnant woman should not consume:
- Undercooked or raw or shellfish, for example, clams and oysters
- Fish that contain higher mercury levels, such as tilefish, shark, marlin, king mackerel, and swordfish as they can damage baby’s nervous system
- Unpasteurized pickled or refrigerated fish
- More than 1 serving a day
- More than 2 portions of oily fish in a week
- Sushi fish unless it has been deep frozen before use
Peanuts
Still, it is very much confusing for pregnant women to consume or not to consume peanuts during pregnancy. If you or your family has a history of allergy, asthma, eczema or hay fever, it is better to avoid peanuts and the products containing peanuts during pregnancy or breast feeding.
Raw & Deli meat
Avoid eating uncooked or under cooked poultry or beef as it increases the risk of contamination with toxoplasmosis, salmonella and coliform bacteria. Whereas deli meat contaminated with listeria will increase the risk of miscarriage. Listeria may enter into the placenta and cause infection or blood poisoning, which can be life-threatening.
Raw eggs
Avoid eating raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs because of the possible exposure to salmonella. Custards, homemade ice creams, mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauces, and Caesar dressings are prepared with raw eggs. So, be careful when you eat foods that are prepared with these items.
Unwashed vegetables
It is very important to consume fresh vegetables and fruits as much as possible. But make sure that they are washed neatly to avoid the possible exposure to toxoplasmosis.
Cheese
Don’t eat unpasteurized soft cheese such as, Camembert, feta, Brie, queso blanco, queso fresco queso panela and blue-veined cheese.
Liver and liver products
Avoid eating liver or liver based products such as sausage or liver pate. Foods rich in liver contain high doses of vitamin A. Also avoid consuming fish, vegetables or meat unless they marked as pasteurized.
Some other foods to avoid during pregnancy include:
- Salads those are prepared from the deli, particularly if they contain chicken, seafood, ham or eggs.
- Raw sprouts, unwashed produce or particularly cabbage and lettuce
