What foods should you avoid during pregnancy, and why?
High-mercury fish, unpasteurized cheeses, undercooked meat: here are the foods to avoid and the exact reasons behind each recommendation.
Some fish — shark, swordfish, marlin, fresh or frozen tuna — contain high levels of mercury, a metal that can affect a baby's developing nervous system. Canned light tuna and salmon are generally considered safe in moderate amounts, around two to three servings a week.
Unpasteurized soft cheeses (brie, camembert, some goat cheeses) and cold deli meats can carry Listeria, a bacterium that's particularly dangerous during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta. Heating deli meats until steaming hot reduces this risk.
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Undercooked meat, poultry, and fish, as well as raw eggs (in some homemade mayonnaise or unbaked cookie dough), carry a risk of salmonella or toxoplasmosis. Cooking food thoroughly kills off these bacteria and parasites.
There's no known safe threshold for alcohol during pregnancy, and it should be avoided entirely, since it can affect a baby's development at any point in pregnancy. Caffeine is generally considered fine below 200 to 300 mg a day, roughly one to two cups of filtered coffee.
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This information is general and does not replace advice from your healthcare professional (doctor, midwife, nurse, pharmacist). Every situation is unique: always check with them before making a decision. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services.
