The Mayo Clinic website has a very comprehensive list of foods to avoid during pregnancy however, what they don’t tell you is why you can’t eat these foods and what foods you should be eating more of. On this page I’m going to explain both. Let’s start with the risks. The reason for not eating the foods on this list comes down to 3 main risk factors and they are; listeria, food borne bacteria and mercury.

FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration can’t tell you the extent of the risks involved with most of the foods to avoid during pregnancy because they haven’t been 100% proven. This site doesn’t have such restrictions so let me tell you like it is, here goes.

Listeria is an infectious bacteria. If you get infected with listeriosis, you chances of having a miscarriage will be greatly increased. Your worst case scenario here, which happens to 1 in 5 women who get listeriosis, is that your baby will stillborn. So ladies please, don’t get listeriosis whatever you do! Keep reading down for a full list of the foods to avoid during pregnancy which may contain listeria and other food borne bacteria. The other thing to watch out for is mercury which can damage your baby’s developing nervous system.

List

Here’s a list of the foods to avoid during pregnancy which are known to contain dangerous levels of mercury. They are all fish and shellfish. The general rule is that the bigger and older the fish is, the higher the mercury concentration;

  • Swordfish
  • Shark
  • King mackerel
  • Prawns
  • Crab
  • Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Pollock
  • Cod

As you can see this pretty much rules out all seafood. If you really like seafood, and if you don’t have it too often, you can possibly include a small amount into your pregnancy diet. But, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself is it really worth it? My advice is to stay off the seafood.

Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy Which Are Known To Carry Listeria

Listeria is more prevalent on deli foods which have been refrigerated for long periods of time.

Any kind of food which is not fresh should be excluded from any pregnancy diet at all costs. Food from cafes and restaurants which has been sitting in the window is to definitely be avoided.

Here’s another quick list of foods to be avoided during pregnancy which are known to be bad for listeria;

– Any type of cold smoked seafood such as oysters and clams
– Raw fish, especially shellfish
– Cold cuts of meat such as ham, hot dogs and bologna
– Pre-made salads in stores and at restaurants like coleslaw and potato salad
– Soft serve ice creams and thick shakes
– Raw sprouts like mung beans and alfalfa sprouts
– Soft cheeses like brie, feta, blue cheese and cottage cheese

Salmonella is another bacteria to try and minimize your risk for. Foods to avoid here are raw eggs and cold chicken products. Most creamy dressings and hollandaise sauce are best avoided.

Last but not least are the two most difficult foods to avoid during pregnancy, while they’re drinks really, but coffee and alcohol are seriously on the prohibited foods list.

Caffeine is carried through your blood stream and will raise your baby’s heart rate which greatly increases your chances of miscarriage.

Alcohol also puts you at serious risk of miscarriage and also stillbirth. An excessive amount of alcohol while being pregnant can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, which could result in facial deformities, cardiovascular disease, low birth weight and mental retardation.

Don’t kid yourself that a little bit is O.K. because even average drinking can impact your child’s brain development.