Foods You Can’t Eat While Pregnant | Safer Swaps, Big Flavor

Pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to eat bland food or live on crackers. It does mean your “is this safe?” filter needs to switch on more often. Your immune system changes, and some germs that might only ruin a weekend can cause bigger trouble in pregnancy. A few foods can also carry higher levels of contaminants like mercury, which can build up over time.

Why Some Foods Are Off Limits In Pregnancy

Most “don’t eat that” rules boil down to three issues: germs, toxins, and how food is handled.

• Germs that grow in the fridge. Listeria can grow at refrigerator temps, which is why some chilled ready-to-eat foods get extra caution.
• Undercooking. Raw or partly cooked meat, eggs, and seafood can carry Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, or parasites.
• Mercury and other contaminants. Some large fish sit higher on the food chain and collect more mercury.

One more thing: lots of foods are only “no” in certain forms. Cheese is a classic. Pasteurized, properly stored cheese can be fine; the same style made with raw milk may not be.

Foods You Can’t Eat While Pregnant And The Risks Behind Them

Below are the big categories that come up in real life: deli counters, brunch menus, sushi nights, and that tempting cheese board at a party.

Raw Or Undercooked Seafood

Skip raw fish and shellfish: sushi with raw fish, sashimi, raw oysters, and ceviche made with raw seafood. These can carry parasites or bacteria. Cooked sushi rolls, cooked shrimp, baked salmon, and tempura made with fully cooked seafood are usually fine choices.

High-Mercury Fish

You don’t have to swear off fish. You do want to avoid the highest-mercury options and choose lower-mercury picks more often. The FDA’s fish advice list groups fish by mercury level, which makes grocery shopping a lot easier.

Undercooked Meat And Poultry

That pink-in-the-middle burger, rare lamb, and undercooked chicken are out. Fully cooked meat and poultry are in. When you’re dining out, don’t feel weird asking for “well done.” It’s your meal, your rules.

Raw Or Runny Eggs

Runny yolks, homemade Caesar dressing with raw egg, raw cookie dough, and some tiramisu recipes can contain raw egg. If a recipe calls for raw eggs, look for pasteurized eggs or a version made without raw egg. At home, cook eggs until whites and yolks are firm.

Unpasteurized Milk And Foods Made From It

Unpasteurized milk can carry germs that pasteurization is meant to kill. The same goes for products made from raw milk. When buying dairy, check the label for “pasteurized,” even on fancy artisan items.

Soft Cheeses With Higher Listeria Concern

Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk are the big concern. Some fresh cheeses, even when made with pasteurized milk, have shown up in listeria warnings when they’re sold warm, handled a lot, or sliced at a deli. The CDC lists safer choices and the ones to skip for pregnancy on its Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women page.

Cold Deli Meats And Hot Dogs (When Not Heated)

Cold deli meats, hot dogs, pâté, and refrigerated meat spreads can be a listeria worry unless they’re heated until steaming. If you want a sandwich, heat the meat first, then build it. It’s a tiny step that changes the math.

Refrigerated Smoked Seafood (Unless Cooked)

Refrigerated smoked salmon and similar products can also carry listeria. If it’s in a cooked dish like a casserole, it’s a different story. Shelf-stable smoked seafood in a can or pouch is usually treated differently from refrigerated products, so read labels and store it right.

Raw Sprouts

Raw sprouts (alfalfa, bean, clover, radish) can grow bacteria on the seed before the sprout even forms. Cooking helps, so sprouts in a hot stir-fry are a better bet than sprouts piled on a cold sandwich.

Unpasteurized Juice Or Cider

Unpasteurized juice can carry bacteria. Choose pasteurized versions, especially from farm stands or fresh juice bars where labels may be easy to miss.

If you want a one-page view, this table pulls it together with swaps that still feel like normal food.

Food To Skip	Why It’s A Problem	Safer Swap
Raw fish or shellfish (sashimi, raw oysters)	Parasites or bacteria can survive without full cooking	Cooked rolls, baked fish, steamed shellfish
High-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, bigeye tuna)	Higher mercury can build up over time	Salmon, sardines, trout, shrimp, canned light tuna
Rare burgers or undercooked poultry	Higher chance of Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter	Well-cooked meat and poultry; order “well done”
Runny eggs and raw batter	Raw eggs can carry Salmonella	Firm-cooked eggs; pasteurized eggs in recipes
Unpasteurized milk and raw-milk cheeses	Can carry listeria and other germs	Pasteurized dairy; check labels
Cold deli meats, hot dogs, pâté (not heated)	Listeria can grow in chilled ready-to-eat foods	Heat until steaming; or choose freshly cooked meat
Refrigerated smoked seafood (not cooked)	Can be a listeria risk in chilled form	Use in a cooked dish; pick shelf-stable versions
Raw sprouts	Bacteria can grow during sprouting	Cooked sprouts or skip them
Unpasteurized juice or cider	May carry bacteria without pasteurization	Pasteurized juice or shelf-stable sealed options

Eating Out Without Stress

Restaurants can be tricky when you don’t know how food was stored, cut, or held. You can still eat out and feel relaxed. A few simple moves help.

At Sushi Spots

Ask for cooked options: tempura shrimp, eel that’s fully cooked, cooked crab, or veggie rolls. If you’re unsure what’s cooked, ask the server. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists answers a common question about raw fish in pregnancy on its sushi in pregnancy page.

At Brunch

Order eggs firm. Skip hollandaise made with raw egg unless you know it’s made with pasteurized eggs and held safely. If you love steak and eggs, ask for the steak fully cooked.

At Delis And Sandwich Shops

Choose sandwiches made with freshly cooked chicken, roast chicken, or roasted vegetables. If you want deli meat, ask them to heat it until steaming hot, then build the sandwich. It’s a reasonable request.

At Salad Bars And Buffets

These spots are tough because you don’t control how long food sat out or how often utensils were swapped. If you go, stick to foods that are piping hot, or choose a plated meal instead.

Cheese, Charcuterie, And Party Snacks

Cheese shows up all over: baby showers, family dinners, snack plates. You can still eat cheese. You just want the right cheese.

Pick These More Often

• Hard cheeses (cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan)
• Pasteurized mozzarella
• Pasteurized cream cheese
• Pasteurized cottage cheese

Be Careful With These

Soft cheeses and fresh cheeses need a closer look. If the label says it’s made with pasteurized milk and it’s factory sealed, it’s often a safer bet than something sliced at a deli counter. When in doubt, skip it and grab a hard cheese you like.

Kitchen Habits That Make The “Safe” Foods Safer

Food rules feel strict when you read them as a list of “no.” They feel lighter when you treat them as habits that protect you while you eat normal meals.

Cook To Safe Temperatures

Use a food thermometer at home. It removes guesswork, especially with poultry and burgers. If you don’t have one, they’re cheap and they save you from that “is this done?” spiral.

Keep Cold Foods Cold

Don’t let deli meats, egg salad, tuna salad, or cut fruit sit out. Put leftovers away fast, and don’t eat questionable leftovers out of guilt. Tossing food can sting, but getting sick stings more.

Separate Raw And Ready-to-eat Foods

Use one cutting board for raw meat and another for produce and bread. Wash knives and boards with hot soapy water between tasks. It’s the small stuff that prevents cross-contamination.

Situation	What To Do	Why It Helps
Making eggs	Cook until whites and yolks are firm	Lowers Salmonella exposure
Cooking meat and poultry	Use a thermometer; avoid pink centers in poultry	Reduces bacteria survival from undercooking
Buying cheese	Choose pasteurized, factory-sealed when possible	Less handling, lower listeria concern
Ordering deli meat	Heat until steaming, then cool if you want	Kills listeria on the surface
Handling leftovers	Refrigerate promptly; reheat soups and casseroles hot	Slows germ growth and reduces exposure
Eating seafood	Pick low-mercury fish; keep it fully cooked	Limits mercury and foodborne illness risk

A Simple Grocery List That Fits The Rules

If decision fatigue is hitting, stick to a simple pattern: cooked proteins, pasteurized dairy, washed produce, and snacks that keep well in the fridge.

• Cooked proteins: chicken, beef, pork, beans, lentils, tofu, eggs cooked firm
• Low-mercury seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, shrimp
• Dairy: pasteurized milk or yogurt, hard cheeses, factory-sealed pasteurized soft cheeses
• Easy snacks: nuts, nut butter, fruit you can wash, hummus kept cold, whole-grain toast

When To Call Your Clinician

If you ate a food on the “skip” list, don’t panic. One slip is common. What matters is how you feel and what was eaten. Call your clinician right away if you have fever, strong stomach cramps, persistent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, or you think you were exposed to a food tied to a public recall. The FoodSafety.gov pregnancy page also has practical guidance on higher-risk foods and safer handling.

Getting clear on these food choices early makes the rest of pregnancy eating feel normal again. You can still enjoy restaurants, snacks, and family meals. You’re just steering toward pasteurized, fully cooked, and well-stored food more often.