What To Eat While Pregnant: Food Guide And Cheat Sheet
03What fish are safe to eat during pregnancy?
Recently, medical experts have noticed that some pregnant women have become overcautious when it comes to fish, steering clear of one of the foods they might need the most. Expectant mothers have long been cautioned about fetal exposure to mercury in fish.
But after a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis of 1,000 pregnant women showed that 21 percent had not eaten fish at all in the previous month, the FDA released a draft of updated guidelines in June to encourage women who are trying to conceive, are pregnant or are breastfeeding to eat more fish—between eight and 12 ounces (226 to 340 grams) per week. (That’s about two to three servings.)
Health Canada simply recommends all women who could become pregnant, are pregnant or are breastfeeding consume a minimum of 150 grams, or two servings, of cooked fish per week.
Why fish is important for pregnant women
While methylmercury (the form present in fish) is toxic to the central nervous system of the fetus, fish low in mercury are perfectly safe to eat during pregnancy, says Lianne Phillipson-Webb, a Toronto–based nutritionist, author and owner of Sprout Right, which specializes in prenatal and family nutrition.
In fact, it’s really important to keep eating fish. Fatty fish—like herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout—offer the best source of omega-3 fatty acids (particularly DHA and EPA), which are particularly beneficial for the fetus. “They help to feed and boost both the neurological and early visual development of the baby,” adds Phillipson-Webb.
During these nine months, avoid fish higher in mercury, says Health Canada spokesperson Leslie Meerburg, such as fresh or frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and escolar. Typically, the bigger the fish, the higher up on the food chain it is and the higher the mercury content. (Big fish eat little fish, and the mercury content builds up in their bodies.)
