• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Pregnant Women Eating

10 Foods and Beverages to Avoid If You Are Pregnant

Jan 13, 2020 |
By Melissa Jordan, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Finding out you are going to be a mom will be one of the most exciting moments of your life. To ensure you have a healthy pregnancy and baby, it is very important to eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Maintain a healthy diet throughout pregnancy by eating grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and beans. Eat small frequent meals throughout the day and NEVER skip breakfast.

In addition to foods you should eat, there are a group of foods you should avoid while pregnant. Here are 10 food and beverages you should avoid during your pregnancy:

  1. Foods high in mercury such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna and tilefish. High levels of mercury can be toxic, and when consumed during pregnancy, it has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage. Canned tuna has less mercury levels than fresh tuna. Limit any canned tuna and salmon intake to once per week.
  2. Raw fish and shellfish such as sushi, oysters, clams and scallops. Under cooked or raw fish and shellfish can contain harmful viruses and bacteria like Norovirus, Vibrio, Salmonella, and Listeria. Some of these may only affect the mother and cause an upset stomach, diarrhea and dehydration, while others may affect the baby too and cause harmful, sometime fatal, consequences.
  3. Raw eggs. Raw eggs can contain Salmonella, so avoid anything that may contain them such as homemade Caesar dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custards and hollandaise sauce.
  4. Raw meat and pate. Raw meat and pate can contain harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites such as coliform bacteria, Toxoplasmosis and Salmonella. These can all cause mom to become very sick and can cause even more harmful consequences to an unborn baby including severe neurological disorders, intellectual disabilities, blindness and epilepsy. Always use a meat thermometer to make sure you are cooking all your meat to the proper temperature. 
  5.  Packaged meat like deli meats or hot dogs. These types of meat have been known to carry Listeria, which can cause a miscarriage. If you are craving deli meat during your pregnancy, you should reheat your deli meat until it is steaming.
  6. Soft unpasteurized cheese such as brie, Gouda, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, feta and Mexican-style cheese like Queso Fresco. These types of imported, soft cheeses may contain Listeria which can be harmful to mom and life threatening to an unborn baby. Pregnant women should only eat pasteurized cheese.
  7. Unwashed produce. Produce can contain a host of bacteria and parasites such as Toxoplasma, E. Coli, Salmonella and Listeria all of which can harm your unborn baby. Make sure you thoroughly wash all your produce or peel the skin prior to consuming.
  8. Unpasteurized milk and juice. Like soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk and juice can lead to food borne illnesses because they can contain Listeria. Make sure all milk and juice products you are consuming are pasteurized.
  9. Excess caffeine. Caffeine intake should be limited to 200 milligrams per day. One 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine is absorbed quickly, and it can pass through the placenta. High levels of caffeine have been shown to restrict fetal growth and increase the risk of low birth weight. Try to drink no more than 2 cups of coffee a day.
  10. Alcohol. Women who are pregnant should completely avoid alcohol during their pregnancy due to risks of miscarriages or still births. Large consumptions of alcohol can also lead to developmental issues in your baby’s brain, and it can cause fetal alcohol syndrome which can cause facial deformities, heart defects and intellectual disabilities.

Having good diet during your pregnancy is essential. To ensure you are avoiding any unnecessary risks, avoid all foods listed. Continue to consult your Ochsner OB/GYN on your diet throughout your pregnancy. Keep them up to date with any changes in your eating habits.

You may also be interested in:

Pregnant woman on computer virtual classes mom
Prevention & Wellness
Sep 17, 2020

Is Getting the Flu Shot While Pregnant Safe?

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to getting the flu shot while pregnant. Many pregnant women are concerned about the safety of the vaccine for their developing baby.
Pregnant women sleeping
Women's Health
Sep 27, 2019

Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy

Doctors have updated their advice on sleep positions for expecting mothers.
Getty Images 1091407098
Conditions & Treatment
Oct 27, 2020

7 Things That Make Pregnancy Easier

One way to make pregnancy easier is with Ochsner’s Connected MOM (that’s short for Connected Maternity Online Monitoring).

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide