Pregnancy is a powerful time to nourish yourself and your baby towards a healthier future. It is an empowering change that you can make to directly improve the health of your family for the present and future.
Healthy eating habits have arguably never been more important than during pregnancy. There are direct links between inadequate nutrition and increased pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth and low birth weight babies. The maternal diet not only has to provide sufficient energy and nutrients to meet her usual requirements but also the needs of her growing baby. Poor nutrition in pregnancy and the first two years of a baby’s life can set the stage for obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases for the child’s future life. It is therefore a critical window of opportunity that we should be talking about more so that women can feel better informed and be empowered to optimize their health.
During pregnancy, there seems to be a large emphasis on foods that should not be consumed however this is actually a very small cohort of foods and there are plenty of nourishing foods that can be consumed in abundance. There is a general air of confusion around what foods to avoid in pregnancy so here is a simple list to demystify which foods should be avoided and or limited.
Dairy to avoid:
- Unpasteurised milk or cheeses
- Soft blue cheeses or mould-ripened soft cheeses
Why?
Unpasteurised products may contain listeria there is a small chance that listeriosis may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or make your baby unwell
Meat to avoid:
- Anything raw or undercooked
- Liver
- Pâté (even vegetarian varieties)
- Game meats
- Cold cured meats (unless thoroughly cooked)
Why?
Consuming raw or undercooked meats may cause toxoplasmosis which can lead to miscarriage.
Liver has high Vitamin A levels which can be harmful to an unborn baby.
Game meats may contain lead shot.
Eggs to avoid:
- Raw or partially cooked non-British Lion stamped eggs
Why?
Eggs without the lion stamp are less likely to contain salmonella which causes food poisoning
Fish to avoid:
- Swordfish, marlin and shark
- Raw shellfish
Why?
Swordfish, marlin and shark contain high levels of mercury which can be harmful to your baby’s developing nervous system
Raw shellfish may have harmful bacteria, viruses and toxins which could give you food poisoning
Fish to limit:
- Eat no more than 2 portions oily fish per week
- Eat no more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 cans of tuna per week
Why?
Oily fish may contain pollutants that, in high levels, could be harmful to your unborn baby
Tuna contains high levels of mercury
Limit Caffeine:
- Limit to 200mg/ day
Why?
High caffeine levels have been linked to increased levels of miscarriage and low birth weight infants
200mg is roughly equal to 2 cups of instant coffee or 2 ½ cups of tea
Avoid Alcohol:
- The safest approach is to abstain from any alcohol during pregnancy
Taking all of the ‘avoidance foods’ into account there is a magnitude of wholesome grains, nuts, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and pasteurized dairy products in order to base your diet around. So – eat up, enjoy nourishing your pregnant body, and growing your baby.
NHS (2020) Foods to avoid pregnant. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/foods-to-avoid-pregnant/[Accessed 6th July 2020].
RCOG (2015) Advice on Nutrition in Pregnancy. Available from: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/news/rcog-statement-advice-on-nutrition-in-pregnancy/ [Accessed 6th July2020].
- Food To Avoid In Pregnancy And Why - July 15, 2020
