10 Things Not To Eat When Pregnant (Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy)

There are many foods and drinks that you can eat during pregnancy, but also there are things not to eat when pregnant. You must avoid certain foods because they can have negatively affect you and your baby’s health and growth. Here are some tips and information about the thing not to eat when pregnant to have a healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy. Stay with Hipregnancy until the end of this article.

10 Things not to eat when pregnant

To have a healthy pregnancy, you must pay attention to what to eat and what not to eat when pregnant. Here, we mention the foods and drinks to avoid when pregnant to prevent illnesses and other complications:

1. Solid, saturated and trans fats

You should take good fats during pregnancy and avoid Solid, saturated and trans fats as much as you can. These fats can raise your cholesterol levels and cause illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. It can also have negatively affect your baby’s metabolism and develop the risk of obesity after birth. There some fats and foods contain these types of fats, such as;

• Margarine
• Chicken fat
• Heavy cream
• Sour cream
• Beef fat
• Pork fat
• Fried chicken
• French fries
• Donuts
• Cookies
• Hot dogs
• Sausages
• Kernel oil
• Pizza
• Pastries

2. Raw, processed and undercooked meats

Remember that any meat you eat when pregnant must be cooked thoroughly. It means that any blood must not come out of it and must not have a pink surface. The reason is the Toxoplasma parasite in raw, processed or undercooked meats. Toxoplasma can cause Toxoplasmosis infection, raising the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and organ damage to your unborn baby. So, it is vital to avoid;

• Undercooked sausages and minced meat
• Parma ham
• salami
• chorizo
• pepperoni
• Undercooked beef or poultry

The best temperature for cooking ground meats is 160 F; for whole cuts is 145 F and for chicken breasts is 165 F.

3. Caffeine

It is important to limit caffeine intake during pregnancy to avoid the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage, and withdrawal symptoms in infants. Eating fewer than 200 mg of caffeine per day during pregnancy is recommended. That’s about one 12-ounce cup of coffee.

Some foods and drinks like tea, energy drinks, cola, and chocolate have caffeine. Pregnant women should limit these foods and drinks to limit caffeine intake and drink plenty of water instead of caffeinated beverages.

4. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is not safe during pregnancy, and it must be completely avoided. Alcohol can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other developmental disorders such as physical, mental, and behavioral disabilities. It is also important to stop drinking alcohol after pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

5. Pâté

Pate may contain listeria, which can cause listeriosis infection and harm your unborn baby or develop the risk of illnesses in a newborn. So, stop eating all kinds of pate, including fish and vegetable pate.

6. Seafood high in mercury

Fish and other seafood are good sources of vitamins, protein, zinc, and iron for pregnant women, but you should limit some of them due to their mercury levels. Because eating large servings of fish and seafood containing high amounts of mercury can damage baby’s nervous system and brain development. There are some types of seafood you should limit during pregnancy;

• Marlin shark
• Tilefish
• Swordfish
• King mackerel
• Bigeye tuna
• Other predatory fish

Also Read: iron rich foods during pregnancy

7. Unpasteurized foods

Consuming unpasteurized foods like milk, cheese, and juices can put you at risk of food poisoning during pregnancy, as they contain harmful bacteria such as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.

Pasteurization can kill harmful bacteria and make your food healthy while pregnant, without any changes in its nutritional value. If you don’t want to put yourself and your baby at risk of infections during pregnancy, always consume pasteurized foods, which are safe for pregnant ladies.

8. Raw eggs

Raw egg is a food to avoid when pregnant. To be safe during pregnancy, you should consume thoroughly cooked eggs, as raw ones can be contaminated with the harmful bacteria known as Salmonella. Hipregnancy warns you about this kind of infection because it is followed by nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and even stillbirth.

Foods like poached eggs, homemade ice cream, lightly scrambled eggs, hollandaise sauce, homemade cake icings, homemade salad dressings, and homemade mayonnaise usually contain raw eggs and are a big no-no during pregnancy. (Read more on can you eat eggs while pregnant)

9. Unwashed fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are fiber-rich sources for pregnant women to consume, and they help reduce the risk of pregnancy-related constipation. If you don’t wash raw fruits or vegetables before eating them, these superfoods will change to things not to eat when pregnant.

Therefore, it is important to wash the fruits and vegetables completely, not only during 9 months of pregnancy but also all the time in your life; this will kill disease-causing bacteria which may exist on unwashed fruits and vegetables. (Read more on best fruits for pregnancy)

10. Processed junk foods

Pregnancy is the best time to start putting away junk foods, especially for junk food lovers. During these 9 months, you can practice eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods instead of unhealthy junk foods.

Junk foods are low in nutrients but high in fats, calories, and sugar; because of that, eating them can put you at the risk of abnormal weight gain and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Add the Best Foods to Eat During Pregnancy into your diet to have a healthy pregnancy that ended with the birth of a healthy baby.

Recommend you read on article “eating junk food during pregnancy“.

What to do after consuming things not to eat while pregnant?

Eating one of the foods not to eat when pregnant accidentally is not unusual. You don’t need to get nervous! Just be calm and call your doctor if you feel the signs of food poisoning. These signs, including vomiting, stomach pain, headache, fever, body aches, and diarrhea, usually start within 1-3 days after consuming harmful and contaminated foods.

If you feel sick after eating the mentioned foods, go to a doctor for checkup, as food poisoning can put your baby’s health at risk. Your doctor or healthcare provider can help you get better and prevent the negative effects of food poisoning on your baby.

Always try to check the safety of your foods before consuming them to prevent health issues followed by unhealthy foods. Searching and consulting your doctor about the food options you can add to your diet during pregnancy can make you sure about what you eat during this period and help your body to take care of your unborn baby better.

Conclusion

Pregnant ladies should avoid consuming things that can risk their baby’s health. As a result, they need to learn about things not to eat while pregnant to prevent the side effects of consuming these harmful foods and beverages.

In this article on Hipregnancy, we listed the most common forbidden foods for pregnant women to help them have a better pregnancy.

Are there any other foods not to eat while pregnant? Please share your ideas with us via comments.

FAQ

What are foods to avoid when pregnant first trimester?

Seafood high in mercury, raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, excess caffeine, alcohol, raw sprouts, and processed junk food are foods to avoid when pregnant.