Every mouthful you take in while pregnant is shared with a developing child. Although some foods and even some forms of food poisoning may not affect you, they may do so to your child.
Remember to avoid eating any food that has been out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours to prevent food poisoning (or more than one hour in hot weather), and to limit your daily caffeine intake to 200 mg (one 12-ounce cup of coffee) and avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
During your pregnancy, keep cautious by avoiding these foods as well:
Meats
- Deli meats, hot dogs, cold cuts, and other prepared meats. If they are, you can eat these without risk
- Ready-to-eat foods: hot dogs, cold cuts, and deli meats. However, if cooked and served hot, you can safely consume these.
- Fresh, pre-stuffed turkey or chicken
- Rare pieces of meat and undercooked foods; steak tartare or any other raw meat
- Meat spreads or pates that are kept chilled. Meat spreads in jars and on shelves are OK.
Fish
- King mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish, which contain large amounts of mercury
- Smoked cod, salmon, lox, trout, tuna, and whitefish
- Sushi; Any raw fish or raw shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels)
Raw eggs
- Uncooked cookie dough
- Mayonnaise, bearnaise, hollandaise, Caesar salad dressing, and other homemade dressings and sauces prepared with raw eggs.
- Desserts such as mousse, meringue, tiramisu, etc.
Veggies and fruits
- Store-bought fresh juice that hasn't been pasteurized, or any other unwashed produce
- Raw sprouts
- Unripe papaya
There are still many foods that can be consumed during pregnancy and it is important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet for you and your child.
Disclaimer
BahrainHealthMatters.com is for informative purposes only and not a substitute for professional in person expertise.
We advise that anyone having concerns about their health issues should consult their doctor asap.