Foods to Avoid when you are Pregnant

Pregnancy is one of the beautiful phases in a woman’s life. It’s not just your body that will change, but the way you think and feel about yourself, your priorities, your attitude, your lifestyle…well, everything is about to change. So to facilitate a happy pregnancy, careful food habits needs to be infused in your system at an early stage.

Craving for your favourite food during pregnancy is a perfectly normal thing. You can enjoy eating anything you desire. Just have a habit of averting few foods that pose health risks for you and your baby. Pregnant women are usually showered with tons of well-meant advice on what not to eat when pregnant, which later arises confusions for the expecting mother. In such situations it is best for you to seek only expert advice, as they are the better sources to confirm you what you need to add or minus from your regular diet.

Foods to Avoid when you are Pregnant

Raw eggs

Avoid raw or undercooked eggs and any foods that contain them, such as homemade mayonnaise. Make sure that eggs are thoroughly cooked until the whites and yolks are solid. This prevents the risk of salmonella food poisoning.

Soft cheeses with white rinds

Don't eat mould-ripened soft cheese (cheeses with a white rind) such as brie and camembert. This includes mould-ripened soft goats' cheese, such as chevre. These cheeses are only safe to eat in pregnancy if they've been cooked.

 (read more: Is It Safe To Eat Grapes During Pregnancy? )

Pâté

Avoid all types of pâté, including vegetable pâtés, as they can contain listeria.

Liver

Don't eat liver or liver-containing products such as liver pâté, liver sausage or haggis, as they may contain a lot of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can harm your baby.

Vitamin and fish oil supplements

Don't take high-dose multivitamin supplements, fish liver oil supplements, or any supplements containing vitamin A.

 (read more: Simple Tips for Healthy Pregnancy )

Avoid raw fish and shellfish

Examples include sushi, sashimi, and raw oysters, scallops or clams.

Avoid refrigerated, uncooked seafood

Examples include seafood labeled nova style, lox, kippered, smoked or jerky. It's OK to eat smoked seafood if it's an ingredient in a casserole or other cooked dish. Canned and shelf-stable versions also are safe.

Unpasteurized Dairy Products

No doubt everyone has been telling you to have lots of milk pregnancy, and they are not wrong. Milk does provide you with calcium, proteins and minerals. However, if unpasteurized dairy products are ingested, you run the risk of contracting severe food poisoning. Therefore, avoid all sorts of dairy products that are not pasteurized.

Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables

You’d think that’s a weird point! But you will be surprised to hear that as many as 78% people eat or cook fruits and vegetables without first washing them. If you do this during pregnancy – BEWARE! Besides ingesting harmful pesticides, the fruit and veggie skins can also contain the toxoplasma gondii parasite and listeria. Both can cause considerable damage to the fetus. . Raw sprouts or any unwashed vegetables especially lettuce and cabbage must be avoided.

Sugar-Rich Foods

During pregnancy women experience crazy cravings, this is absolutely normal. You should check on your Ice creams and chocolates consumption. As midnight snacks these may sound tempting, but in reality they will only increase the sugar content in you.

(read more: How to Get Flat Tummy after Pregnancy )