Foods to avoid

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Despite the notion that pregnant women can eat whatever they want, there are actually some foods that can make you
and your baby sick. It’s best to avoid these foods during your pregnancy:

• Raw and undercooked meats, poultry, fish or shellfish

• Deli meats and hot dogs as they can be contaminated with listeria, a type of bacteria that can cause miscarriage.
  As a precaution, you should either avoid these pre-cooked meats or heat them to 165° before eating.

• Refrigerated pates, meat spreads or smoked seafood. Canned and shelf-stable versions are considered safe.

• Raw fish – especially shellfish

• Fish that can be high in mercury, such as:

  • Swordfish

  • Shark

  • King mackerel

  • Tilefish

• Refrigerated smoked seafood unless it has been cooked. Canned versions are considered safe.

• Soft-scrambled and “runny” eggs and foods made with raw or lightly cooked eggs

• Raw sprouts, especially alfalfa sprouts

• Unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as feta, blue cheeses, brie and soft Mexican-style cheeses, such as Camembert,
  Roquefort, queso blanco, queso fresco and Panela

• Unpasteurized milk and any foods made from it

• Herbal supplements and teas

• Unpasteurized juices and cider

It’s okay for pregnant women to eat a limited amount of fish that have small amounts of mercury. You can eat up to 12
ounces of these fish a week:

• Shrimp

• Salmon

• Pollock

• Catfish

• Canned light tuna

• Note: Don’t eat more than 6 ounces of albacore (white tuna) in one week.

Compiled using information from the March of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control.