Three Types of Food to Avoid While Pregnant

You took the test. You know you’re expecting. You’ve worked through the shock and now you have a plan to carry your baby to term. Maybe you’ve even started to crave certain foods. Hello, pickles and potato chips anyone? Just below the doctor’s visits and checkups, eating healthy should be near the top of your list of things to keep in mind for a healthy pregnancy.

Eating right throughout your pregnancy can impact your child’s health not just during the nine months you’re pregnant, but also for their lifetime. While there are many foods that probably aren’t a good idea to eat during pregnancy, we wanted to remind you of these three types of food to avoid while pregnant.

Seafood and Fish High in Mercury

This includes larges fish like shark, tilefish, swordfish and mackerel. These types of fish include a high degree of mercury. Mercury interferes with the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.

A small amount of tuna is OK. The USDA recommends limiting intake of fish low in mercury to 12 ounces a week. This includes canned tuna, sardines, tilapia and catfish.

Raw or Undercooked Meat and Eggs

This list includes raw meat, raw shellfish like oysters and clams, sushi, unpasteurized eggs, and unfortunately, raw cookie dough. By eliminating these foods from your diet while pregnant you lower your risk of foodborne illnesses that come about through bacteria, viruses and parasites.

Make sure that you also check all poultry with a thermometer (165 degrees) and cook eggs until they are no longer runny.

Luncheon Meats and Unpasteurized Dairy

These types of foods might be convenient but they are prone to listeria monocytogenes, bacteria that causes listeriosis. Listeriosis is very dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause miscarriage or stillbirth. You also will want to include in this list hot dogs, deli meat, and meat spreads.

So what should you eat?

Whole and lightly processed foods. Plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Also we recommend you drink a lot of water during your pregnancy.

For more information on eating throughout your pregnancy we’ve included this link. Always be sure to check with your doctor if you have questions about certain foods.

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/foodstoavoid.html

Pickles anyone?

So what is/was your favorite food while you were pregnant?

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