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Pregnancy Food List

Here’s a handy list to help guide your food choices during pregnancy.

I’ve used the NSW Food Authority Pregnancy food safety guidelines to create this. 


FOODS TO AVOID

Meat + Poultry

  • Raw meat
  • Raw or undercooked eggs
  • Paté or meat spreads
  • Deli-style cold chicken or turkey
  • Chicken or poultry stuffing
  • Processed meats – Ham, salami, luncheon meats (don’t eat unless thoroughly cooked to at least 75c/165f and eat soon afterwards).

Seafood

  • Raw seafood like sashimi, oysters, caviar, fish roe 
  • Ready-to-eat chilled prawns
  • Limit your intake of some fish including: Shark (flake), Orange roughy, Swordfish, King mackerel, Tilefish, Bigeye tuna (found in sushi) and Marlin as they have a high Mercury content.

Dairy

  • Soft and semi-soft cheese, eg, brie, camembert, ricotta, fetta, blue 
  • Soft-serve ice-cream or frozen yoghurt (or fried ice-cream) 

Eating Out

  • Store bought sushi
  • Homemade or cafe made aioli or mayonnaise (contains raw egg)
  • Pre-made salads from supermarkets
  • Salad ingredients from a buffet (salad bar)

Fruit + Veggies

  • Avoid all sprouts: Alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, onion sprouts, sunflower sprouts, clover sprouts, radish sprouts, snowpea sprouts, mung beans and soybean sprouts
  • Rockmelon
  • Juice from a fresh juice machine (Pre-packaged juice is safer)

Alcohol

  • It is safest not to drink when pregnant. There are now many alcohol-free options available from major liquor stores.

FOODS YOU CAN EAT!

… if you take care to ensure they’re made and stored safely.

Meat, Poultry & Seafood

  • Properly cooked fresh meats
  • Cooked, fresh fish. Enjoy up to 350g/12oz of fish a week including salmon, tinned tuna, shrimp etc.
  • Fresh, cooked seafood 
  • Hot, freshly cooked take-away chicken
  • Freshly, homemade sushi

Dairy & Eggs

  • Hard cheeses like parmesan, cheddar, tasty cheese
  • Cooked soft cheese like brie, feta, ricotta, camembert (must be cooked) 
  • Cheese spreads, cottage cheese, cream cheese etc provided they are stored in the fridge, pasteurised and eaten within 48 hours of opening. 
  • Store-bought aioli or mayonnaise made from pasteurised ingredients
  • Packaged frozen ice-cream
  • Freshly made custard or store-bought custard that you’ve just opened 
  • Fully cooked eggs (don’t use eggs that have been cracked or are dirty).

Fresh & Packaged Foods

  • Homemade salads using fresh and well-rinsed ingredients
  • All fresh fruits, vegetables + herbs (rinse well before eating)
  • Tinned food – Store in a sealed container after opening, not in the tin
  • Honey – Considered safe in pregnancy. Not recommended for babies (botulism) 

Caffeine

  • Caffeine (up to 200mg per day)
  • That’s equivalent to one single-shot coffee, depending on the blend. Check the caffeine content of ingredients you often have like teas, coffee, drinks.
  • Decaf coffee is safe to drink.

GENERAL FOOD SAFETY STEPS TO FOLLOW

  • Freshly prepared foods using fresh ingredients is best in pregnancy. 
  • Meal prepping isn’t recommended in pregnancy.
  • Ensure meat is thoroughly cooked before eating – no pink or transparent bits, no runny or red liquid.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 24 hours. 
  • Check use-by dates on all products.
  • Ensure dairy products are pasteurised. Most dairy sold in developed countries supermarkets are pasteurised but it’s best to check the back of the pack. 
  • Be sure to cook frozen vegetables before eating. 
  • Thoroughly wash all fresh produce before using.

DON’T FORGET THESE FOODS!

These foods contain hidden ingredients that may be best to avoid.

  • Tiramisu (raw egg)
  • Taramasalata (raw fish roe)
  • Chocolate mousse (raw egg)
  • Cookie dough or cake batter (uncooked, raw egg)
  • Beef tartare (raw meat)
  • Ceviche (raw seafood)
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