Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy: The Complete List

Three culprits explain almost the entire avoid list:

Listeria monocytogenes — a bacterium found in unpasteurized dairy, deli meats, refrigerated smoked seafood, and unwashed produce. It survives refrigeration. In pregnancy, the altered immune system makes listeriosis about 10 times more likely than in other healthy adults (per the FDA), and while the mother may feel only mild flu-like symptoms, the infection can cause miscarriage, premature labor, or serious illness in the newborn. Symptoms can appear days or even weeks after exposure.

Toxoplasma gondii — a parasite found in undercooked meat and in soil on unwashed fruit and vegetables (and in cat litter, which is why pregnant women are told to avoid changing it). Infection during pregnancy can affect the baby.

Methylmercury — a form of mercury that accumulates in large, long-lived predatory fish. In high amounts it can harm the developing nervous system. The risk depends on the type of fish and how much you eat — which is why the guidance is "eat fish, but choose low-mercury types" rather than "avoid all fish."

Two more: alcohol (no known safe amount — can cause long-term harm to the baby) and excess vitamin A from liver and liver products (high doses can harm the baby, which is why liver and pâté are on the list).

The rule: cook meat thoroughly, and reheat deli meats until steaming. Use a food thermometer — color is not a reliable guide.

Avoid or handle with care:

USDA safe minimum internal temperatures (use a thermometer):

Safe swap: that deli sandwich becomes a toasted sandwich with the meat heated through; rare steak becomes medium-well; pâté becomes hummus or bean dip.

Fish is worth eating in pregnancy — it's a strong source of protein and omega-3s. The FDA advises 8 to 12 ounces per week of lower-mercury fish (2–3 servings). The trick is choosing the right fish.

Limits within the safe list:

• Albacore ("white") tuna: no more than 6 ounces per week (higher mercury than canned light tuna).
• Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines): up to 2 portions a week is the UK guidance, due to pollutants as well as mercury.
• Locally caught freshwater fish: check local advisories; if none exist, eat only one serving that week and no other fish.

Raw fish and shellfish: avoid raw sushi, raw oysters, and ceviche — pregnant women are more susceptible to foodborne illness. Cooked sushi (tempura, cooked shrimp/eel) is fine. Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood (lox, smoked salmon) unless it's cooked in a dish; canned or shelf-stable smoked fish is fine.

Safe swap: swap the tuna-steak habit for salmon twice a week; swap raw sushi night for cooked rolls.

Avoid:

Safe:

• Hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan) — always fine
• Pasteurized soft cheeses: mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta
• Yogurt and pasteurized milk
• Fully cooked eggs — yolk and white firm

The cheese nuance trips people up: it's not just about pasteurization. Soft, mould-ripened, and blue cheeses have more moisture, which makes it easier for bacteria to grow — that's why even some pasteurized versions are only safe cooked. When in doubt: hard cheese, or cook it until steaming.

Caffeine — keep it under 200 mg per day. Above that, too much caffeine is linked to higher risk of miscarriage and low birth weight. The total includes everything, not just coffee:

(Typical values from NHS guidance — brands vary.) Our full breakdown lives at how-much-caffeine-is-too-much-in-pregnancy.

Alcohol — the safest approach is none. The NHS is direct: drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, so not drinking at all is the safest choice. This includes "just one glass" — no safe amount has been established.

Herbal teas — 1–2 cups a day is the usual guidance, since some herbs may be unsafe in large amounts. Avoid anything marketed for medicinal effects unless your provider okays it.

First: don't panic. A single exposure rarely causes harm — these guidelines are about reducing risk across a whole pregnancy, not about one bite.

1. Note what and when. Write down what you ate and when. This is genuinely useful if you later talk to your provider.
2. Don't try to "fix" it. No home remedy undoes an exposure; just return to the safe list going forward.
3. Watch for symptoms — over days and weeks, not just hours. Listeria symptoms (fever, muscle aches, nausea) can appear days or weeks after exposure, per the FDA. Most of the time, nothing happens.
4. Call your provider if: you develop fever, flu-like symptoms, or muscle aches after eating a high-risk food; or if worry is affecting your sleep — a quick call for reassurance is always reasonable.

Call promptly for:

• Fever or flu-like symptoms (possible listeriosis), especially after eating deli meats, unpasteurized dairy, or smoked seafood
• Vomiting or diarrhea that prevents keeping fluids down (dehydration risk)
• Any bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or reduced fetal movement — these are always call-now symptoms regardless of food
• General rule: our when-to-call-your-midwife-or-doctor-in-pregnancy guide covers the full red-flag list

Stick this on the fridge. One glance, no re-reading the article.

AVOID:

• Raw/undercooked meat, poultry, fish, shellfish
• Deli meats & hot dogs unless steaming hot (165°F)
• Unpasteurized milk/dairy
• Brie, camembert, blue cheese unless cooked steaming hot
• Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, marlin
• Raw eggs; refrigerated smoked fish; refrigerated pâté
• Liver & liver products
• Alcohol — none is safest
• Caffeine over 200 mg/day

ENJOY FREELY:

• Thoroughly cooked meat, poultry, fish
• 8–12 oz/week low-mercury fish (salmon, shrimp, pollock, light tuna)
• Hard cheeses, yogurt, pasteurized milk
• Washed fruit & vegetables
• Fully cooked eggs