What To Eat While Pregnant: Food Guide And Cheat Sheet

Fish and seafood

• Higher-mercury fish (e.g. fresh or frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar)
• Undercooked or raw fish, raw seafood or raw shellfish
• Any bivalve shellfish (e.g. clams, mussels that have not opened during cooking)
• Refrigerated smoked seafood (canned is OK)

Eggs

• Raw or undercooked egg or egg products
• Hidden sources of raw egg: some eggnogs, Hollandaise sauce, homemade raw cookie dough, homemade custards, homemade Caesar dressing

Fruits and vegetables

• Raw sprouts (e.g. bean, alfalfa, clover, radish)

Tip: Cook all sprouts thoroughly.

Meats

• Non-dried deli meats (e.g. turkey breast, ham, bologna)
• Refrigerated pâtés and meat spreads (but canned is OK)

Tip: Order steaks and burgers "well done," or use a meat thermometer to ensure meats are cooked through.

Cheeses

• Unpasteurized and raw milk cheeses
• Pasteurized soft and semi-soft cheeses that are not processed, including brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheese, Mexican-style cheeses like queso fresco, and soft goat cheese or chèvre