Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy | Safer Picks, Clear Reasons

You can eat a wide range of foods while pregnant. The tricky part is that a short list carries a bigger downside than it does at other times. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s stacking the odds in your favor with choices that lower the chance of foodborne illness and unwanted exposure.

This article walks through what to skip, what to limit, and what to swap in so meals still feel normal. You’ll also get shopping and kitchen checks that keep the “rules” from taking over your day.

Why Certain Foods Get Risky During Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes how your body handles germs and some contaminants. A bug that might cause a rough day for one person can hit harder in pregnancy. Some infections can also reach the baby.

Most “avoid” lists boil down to three themes:

• Higher germ load from foods that are raw, undercooked, or handled after cooking.
• Higher contamination odds from products tied to outbreaks or linked with Listeria.
• Higher toxin exposure from mercury in certain fish or excess vitamin A from liver.

If you want to see the official wording for safer food picks in one place, the CDC’s safer food choices for pregnant women page is a clean baseline.

Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy By Category

Raw Or Unpasteurized Dairy

Raw milk and foods made from raw milk can carry Listeria and other germs. That includes some soft cheeses and fresh cheeses when they’re made with unpasteurized milk.

What to skip:

• Raw (unpasteurized) milk
• Soft cheeses made from raw milk
• Unpasteurized yogurt or kefir

What usually works instead: pasteurized milk, pasteurized yogurt, and cheeses labeled “made with pasteurized milk.” For a short, pregnancy-specific Listeria list, see ACOG’s Listeria and pregnancy FAQ.

Undercooked Meat, Poultry, And Seafood

Undercooked animal foods can carry Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and parasites. The fix is simple: cook through and avoid tasting meat while it’s still raw.

What to skip:

• Rare or undercooked steak, burgers, lamb, pork
• Undercooked poultry
• Raw seafood (sushi with raw fish, oysters, raw scallops)

Swap that still feels good: fully cooked sushi (tempura rolls, cooked shrimp, or veggie rolls), well-done burgers, and seafood cooked until opaque and flaky.

Raw Eggs And Foods Made With Them

Raw egg can carry Salmonella. That risk shows up in some homemade foods where egg never gets heated.

What to skip:

• Runny or raw eggs
• Homemade Caesar dressing made with raw egg
• Homemade cookie dough or cake batter with raw egg
• Some fresh mousses or tiramisu made with raw egg

Easy swap: use pasteurized eggs for recipes that won’t be cooked, or choose store versions made with pasteurized egg products.

Deli Meats, Hot Dogs, And Refrigerated Pâtés

These foods aren’t “bad,” but they can pick up Listeria after cooking during slicing, packaging, or storage. Reheating until steaming hot lowers that risk.

What to skip or change:

• Cold deli meats unless reheated until steaming
• Cold hot dogs unless reheated until steaming
• Refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads

What tends to work: heat deli slices in a pan, microwave a hot dog until steaming, or choose shelf-stable spreads (still check the label and storage instructions).

Smoked Seafood In The Fridge Case

Refrigerated smoked fish (often sold as lox) can be a Listeria risk. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is handled differently and is often treated as lower risk when unopened and stored as directed.

What to skip:

• Refrigerated smoked salmon or trout unless it’s in a cooked dish (like a baked pasta) and heated through

What tends to work: canned salmon, canned sardines, or fully cooked salmon.

Unwashed Produce And Raw Sprouts

Fresh produce is worth eating, but it needs basic prep. Unwashed fruits and vegetables can carry germs from soil, water, or handling. Raw sprouts (alfalfa, clover, mung bean) are a repeat trouble spot because bacteria can grow during sprouting.

What to skip or change:

• Raw sprouts
• Pre-cut produce that’s been sitting warm or uncovered
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables

What tends to work: rinse produce under running water, scrub firm items, and cook sprouts if you want them.

High-Mercury Fish

Fish can be a great choice in pregnancy, but mercury varies by species. The move is to skip the highest-mercury fish and stick with choices that are lower in mercury.

The official U.S. list is easiest to follow through the FDA advice about eating fish page, which groups fish by mercury level.

Liver And Liver Products

Liver can contain a lot of preformed vitamin A (retinol). Too much retinol during pregnancy is linked with birth defect risk. That’s why many public health services advise skipping liver and liver pâté.

What to skip:

• Liver (any animal)
• Liver pâté and liver sausage

If you’re outside the U.S., the rules read similarly. The NHS foods to avoid in pregnancy page includes liver guidance, along with eggs, cheese, and meat notes used across the UK.

Alcohol

Alcohol isn’t recommended during pregnancy because it can affect fetal development. If you’re cutting it out and you miss the ritual, swap in sparkling water with citrus, alcohol-free beer that’s truly alcohol-free, or a mocktail made from juice and seltzer.

Caffeine That Creeps Too High

Many clinicians suggest keeping caffeine moderate during pregnancy. Caffeine adds up fast from coffee, energy drinks, cola, strong tea, and chocolate. If you’re tracking, check serving size and watch “large” café drinks that hold more than one shot.

Swap that still scratches the itch: half-caf coffee, decaf, rooibos tea, or sparkling water with a splash of juice.

Food Risk And Safer Swaps At A Glance

This table isn’t meant to scare you. It’s a fast scan you can use while shopping or ordering food.

Food Or Drink	Why It’s On The Avoid List	Safer Pick
Raw milk	Higher risk of Listeria and other germs	Pasteurized milk
Soft cheese made with raw milk	Listeria risk	Soft cheese labeled “pasteurized”
Runny eggs	Salmonella risk	Eggs cooked until firm
Cold deli meat	Can pick up Listeria after cooking	Reheat until steaming, then eat
Refrigerated pâté	Listeria risk	Cooked protein spreads made for shelf storage
Raw fish (sushi, sashimi)	Parasites and bacteria	Cooked seafood rolls or fully cooked fish
High-mercury fish	Mercury exposure	Lower-mercury choices (salmon, sardines)
Raw sprouts	Bacteria can grow during sprouting	Cooked sprouts or leafy greens
Liver and liver pâté	Too much retinol (preformed vitamin A)	Lean meats, beans, eggs (cooked)

Ordering Food Without Turning It Into A Math Problem

At A Deli Or Sandwich Shop

If you want a deli sandwich, ask for the meat heated until steaming, then assembled. A hot sandwich also avoids the sad “dry reheated slice” vibe.

At A Sushi Place

Look for rolls with cooked fillings: tempura shrimp, eel (unagi is cooked), crab (often cooked), or veggie rolls. If you’re unsure whether a fish is raw, ask the server for the cooked options list.

At A Steakhouse Or Burger Spot

Order steak well-done. For burgers, ask for well-done and skip pink in the middle. If you want a sauce like hollandaise or homemade mayo, check whether it’s made with pasteurized egg.

At A Breakfast Café

Ask for eggs cooked through. Choose pancakes, oats, or toast with nut butter if eggs feel risky on that menu. If smoked salmon is involved, pick a cooked fish option instead.

Fish During Pregnancy Without The Confusion

Many people hear “avoid fish” and miss the real message: eat fish that are lower in mercury, skip the high-mercury species, and keep portions steady.

The FDA advice groups fish into categories so you don’t have to guess. It also gives a weekly target range for seafood that’s lower in mercury. Use the FDA fish advice chart as your default reference when you’re unsure.

Common fish to skip due to mercury tends to include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, and tilefish. Many salmon, sardines, trout, and pollock options land in the lower-mercury zone.

Kitchen Habits That Do Most Of The Heavy Lifting

Refrigerator Timing

Perishable foods shouldn’t sit out long. Put leftovers in the fridge soon after eating. If a food has been on the counter for a while and you’re unsure how long, toss it. That call hurts less than a stomach bug.

Cross-Contamination Traps

Keep raw meat juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Use one cutting board for raw proteins and a separate board for produce and bread. Wash knives and boards with hot soapy water between tasks.

Heating “Ready-To-Eat” Foods

Some foods are cooked at the factory, yet can pick up germs after. That’s why reheating deli meats until steaming is a common pregnancy rule. The same thinking applies to leftovers: reheat until hot all the way through.

Washing Produce The Right Way

Rinse produce under running water. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables. Skip soap, bleach, or produce washes unless a public health agency has told you to use them for a specific reason.

Common Gray Areas People Ask About

Soft Cheeses

Soft cheese isn’t a blanket “no.” The label matters. Soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk are widely treated as safer. If the label doesn’t say pasteurized, treat it as a skip.

Eggs

Some countries sell eggs that are produced under programs that lower Salmonella risk. Even then, many pregnancy guidelines still steer you toward eggs cooked through. If you’re eating eggs often, keep them well cooked and store them cold.

Bagged Salads And Pre-Cut Fruit

These can be fine when kept cold and handled well. The risk rises when they sit warm or when the “use by” date is past. If you buy them, keep them cold, eat them soon, and toss packages that smell off or look slimy.

Herbal Teas And Herbal Products

Herbs can act like drugs in the body. Some herbs are fine as food seasoning, but concentrated forms (strong teas, extracts, pills) can be a different story. If you’re using an herbal product for a symptom, run it by the clinician managing your pregnancy.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks can pack caffeine and other stimulants in one can. If you’re tired, it’s safer to aim for sleep, food, hydration, and mild movement than to rely on high-stimulant drinks.

Quick Checks Before You Eat

Use this list as a final “sanity scan.” It’s meant to be fast, not stressful.

• Is the dairy pasteurized?
• Is the protein cooked through?
• Is the deli meat heated until steaming?
• Is the seafood from a lower-mercury list?
• Is the produce washed?
• Has the food been kept cold when it should be cold?

Do This In The Grocery Store In Two Minutes

Section	What To Skip	What To Grab
Dairy case	Raw milk, unlabeled soft cheese	Pasteurized milk, labeled pasteurized cheeses
Deli counter	Cold sliced meats eaten without reheating	Hot deli sandwiches or meats you’ll reheat
Seafood	High-mercury fish	Salmon, sardines, trout, pollock
Produce	Raw sprouts	Leafy greens, berries, citrus (washed)
Prepared foods	Cold pâté, raw seafood packs	Hot, freshly cooked meals
Pantry	Unclear herbal concentrates	Plain foods, standard seasonings

One Last Note On Staying Relaxed About Food

Food rules can get loud during pregnancy. A calmer way to run it is to lock in the biggest wins: pasteurized dairy, cooked proteins, washed produce, and lower-mercury seafood. After that, you’re mostly choosing between “good” options.

If you’ve eaten a food on the avoid list, don’t spiral. Most exposures don’t lead to illness. If you feel sick, have a fever, or notice symptoms that worry you, contact your maternity care team.