Foods to avoid in pregnancy

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Are there foods and drinks I should avoid in pregnancy?

Raw or undercooked meat

Pâté (including fish and vegetable pâté)

Cold, pre-packed meat

Game

Liver, fish oil and other foods containing high levels of vitamin A

Unpasteurised milk and dairy products

Cheese

Undercooked ready meals

Unwashed, packaged salad

Raw eggs or undercooked eggs

Certain kinds of fish

Can I eat peanuts during my pregnancy?

Alcohol

Caffeine

What if I have already eaten or drunk something risky?

Are there foods and drinks I should avoid in pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there are some foods and drinks that it is best to avoid or limit because of small risks to your baby.

It can feel overwhelming when it seems like there are lots of things to avoid, but there are still many things that you can eat.  

Some food may need to be cooked or prepared in a certain way and others are best to avoid completely. Here is some information to help you understand how to have a safe diet during pregnancy.  

Raw or undercooked meat

Avoid undercooked meat, especially poultry, pork, sausages and burgers. Any meat you eat should be cooked thoroughly, should not be pink or have any blood coming out of it.  

You should also be careful to cook sausages and minced meat thoroughly.  
This is because there is a risk of toxoplasmosis, a tiny parasite that can live in raw meat which can be harmful to you and your baby.  

It is best to avoid cold, cured meats, however, you can eat cured meats that are thoroughly cooked for example on a pizza.

Cold, pre-packed meat

It is safe to eat cold, pre-packed meats such as ham and corned beef.

Pâté (including fish and vegetable pâté)

Avoid all types of pâté, including vegetable pâté. This is because they may contain listeria. These are bacteria that can cause an infection called listeriosis. Listeriosis can harm a baby during pregnancy or cause severe illness in a newborn. 

Game

Avoid game such as goose, partridge or pheasant as these may contain lead shot.  

Liver, fish oil and other foods containing high levels of vitamin A

Avoid liver and liver products, such as liver pâté and liver sausage. Liver products have high levels of vitamin A in them. This can be harmful to an unborn baby. It is not safe to take multivitamins containing vitamin A or fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil.  

It is fine to eat low levels of vitamin A found naturally in foods like carrots. But it is important to avoid any foods that have vitamin A added (they may say 'fortified with vitamin A'). 

Unpasteurised milk and dairy products

Most milk sold in shops, supermarkets and restaurants in the UK is pasteurised and safe to drink. The milk is heat-treated to kill off harmful bacteria that can cause infections such as toxoplasmosis, listeriosis and Campylobacter.  

You should avoid unpasteurised (raw) milk and products made from it, which are sold in some farm and health food shops. These products can include cream, yoghurt, goat's and sheep's milk or dairy products, so check the labelling. If you can only get unpasteurised milk, boil it before using.

Cheese

Some cheeses are perfectly safe to eat when you’re pregnant while others are not. This is because they may cause listeriosis.

Listeriosis in pregnancy can cause miscarriages and severe sepsis or meningitis in newborn babies.

Cheeses that are safe to eat:

• all hard cheeses such as Cheddar and parmesan
• soft pasteurised cheeses such as cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, paneer, ricotta and halloumi
• goats' cheese without a rind (the white coating on the outside)
• processed cheese spreads.

Cheeses that are safe to eat steaming hot:  

• soft unpasteurised cheeses
• soft cheeses with a rind 
• soft blue cheeses.

Cheeses that should be avoided:  

• mould-ripened soft cheeses with a rind, such as brie, camembert and chevre – these cheeses have more moisture, which can make it easier for bacteria to grow
• soft blue cheeses such as Danish blue, Gorgonzola and Roquefort  
• soft goats' cheese.

Undercooked ready meals

It is really important to follow the cooking instructions on the pack of any ready meals you eat. Also, check that the meal is steaming hot all the way through before you eat it, especially if it contains poultry, like chicken or turkey.

Unwashed, packaged salad

It is fine to eat pre-prepared, pre-washed salad if you keep it in the fridge and eat within the use by date.  

If salad has been left out at room temperature for a long time, it is best not to eat it as bacteria can grow quickly.

If you buy pre-prepared salad that has not been pre-washed, it will say 'wash before use' on the pack. In this case, as with all vegetables and fruits that have not been washed, you should wash the salad really well.

Raw eggs or undercooked eggs

The safest eggs to eat are British Lion eggs (eggs with a red lion stamp on them). These eggs can be eaten raw or runny. The hens that lay British Lion eggs have been vaccinated against salmonella so the eggs are unlikely to have salmonella in them. Salmonella can cause food poisoning.

If you eat eggs that are not British Lion, or that are not hens’ eggs, make sure they are cooked really well to kill any salmonella.

Try to avoid foods that have raw egg in them, such as homemade mayonnaise or mousse, unless they’ve been made with British Lion eggs. Supermarket products generally use pasteurised eggs so should be fine but check the label.

Certain kinds of fish

Fish is a good source of many vitamins and minerals. If fish is part of your diet, you should aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week.  

Oily fish in pregnancy

You should aim to eat 1 portion of oily fish a week, such as salmon, trout, mackerel or herring.  

Oily fish helps your baby's nervous system to develop. But you should not eat more than 2 portions of oily fish a week as they may contain pollutants that can harm your baby.  

Tuna in pregnancy

You should also limit how much tuna you eat, because it has more mercury in it than other fish. If you eat too much mercury, it can be harmful to your unborn baby.  

You should eat no more than 2 tuna steaks (about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or 4 medium-size cans of tuna (about 140g when drained) per week.

Can I eat smoked fish in pregnancy?

Avoid cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon or trout, and cured fish such as gravlax, which has not been fully cooked during the production process to kill any listeria that may be present.  

‘Cold-smoked’ fish is normally labelled as ‘smoked’ fish on packaging. Ready-to-eat cold-smoked fish typically comes in thin slices, and it can be eaten cold. It may also be found in sushi.

Can I eat shellfish in pregnancy?

Cooked shellfish is safe to eat but raw shellfish can cause food poisoning and you should avoid eating it during your pregnancy.

Shellfish includes:

• prawns
• crab  
• lobster  
• mussels
• cockles
• oysters.  

Can I eat sushi in pregnancy?

Supermarket sushi is normally fine to eat. If it’s been made with raw fish, it will have been frozen first, making it safe to eat.

When you're pregnant, you should only eat cooked shellfish. You should avoid any sushi containing raw shellfish.

If you’re eating sushi in a restaurant, ask whether all shellfish has been cooked and whether the fish has been frozen.

If you make sushi yourself at home, make sure you freeze the fish for at least 4 days before using it.

Other fish you should limit in pregnancy

There are some other types of fish you should limit. Don't eat more than 2 portions a week of:

• dogfish (rock salmon)
• sea bass
• sea bream
• turbot
• halibut
• crab.

You do not need to limit or avoid other types of white and non-oily fish.

Avoid shark, swordfish and marlin as they have high levels of mercury, which could affect your baby’s nervous system.

Can I eat peanuts during my pregnancy?

It is safe to eat peanuts during pregnancy unless you have been advised not to by a healthcare professional or you have a nut allergy.

Top tip

If you have another child, try to avoid eating from their plate or with their knife and fork. It can put you at risk of a viral infection called Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is often contracted by young children at nurseries. The virus is harmless to children but could have harmful effects on an unborn baby.

Alcohol

It is safest to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy. Alcohol can harm you and your baby, and experts cannot be sure that any amount of alcohol is safe.  

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can affect the way your baby develops and grows and their long-term health.  

Drinking heavily during pregnancy can result in your baby developing a condition called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Cooking with alcohol is unlikely to affect your baby if the alcohol is added early in the cooking process and the food is cooked thoroughly. This will ensure most of the alcohol will be burnt off. The longer the cooking time, the more the alcohol evaporates. 

If you add alcohol to a dish later in the cooking process, however, the alcohol content may be higher. For example, baked foods that are made by stirring alcohol into the mixture, such as cakes, hold on to more of the alcohol content. 

It is best not to eat any food that’s been prepared with spirits or liqueurs. This is because these drinks have a higher alcohol content than wine, cider or beer.  

If you are finding it difficult to stop drinking, perhaps try non-alcoholic wines or beers and ask for support from your midwife or GP.

Caffeine

It is best to limit your caffeine intake as much as possible during pregnancy, as high levels have been linked to pregnancy complications.  

Caffeine is found in foods and drinks such as:  

• tea and coffee
• cola and other energy drinks
• chocolate.  

It is recommended to reduce your caffeine intake as much as possible to below 200mg a day during your pregnancy.  

You can work out how much caffeine you have each day with this caffeine calculator.  

Herbal teas 

We do not have much information on the safety of herbal and green teas in pregnancy. Therefore, it is best to limit how much you drink. You should drink no more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day. It is important to remember that green tea contains caffeine, therefore it should be limited as much as possible during pregnancy.  

You should ask your GP or midwife if you are unsure about the safety of any herbal products.

What if I have already eaten or drunk something risky?

If you have already eaten or drunk something that you are advised to avoid, try not to panic. If it did not make you ill at the time, it is unlikely to have affected you or your baby. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you are worried.