A lot of the foods usually good for us become dangerous when we're pregnant. That's why it's extremely important to know which foods are dangerous to eat–especially for when your hormones are going crazy and the cravings start kicking in. Read this list, so that you can plan around these foods and find alternatives.
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This post was originally published on May 2, 2013.
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Avoid anything made with raw eggs.
Raw eggs can contain salmonella, a type of bacteria that causes a dangerous infection. You need to avoid all foods that are made with raw eggs. This includes eggnog, unpasteurized Caesar salad dressing, and mayonnaise.
Soft cheeses can also be dangerous.
Soft cheese is made with unpasteurized milk. These products often contain listeria. It’s a type of bacteria that can be extremely dangerous to you when pregnant, as it can cause serious infection. To be safe, you need to stay away from all soft cheeses, such as blue cheese, feta, and blanco. Also, for the same reason, you want to stay away from cold deli meats.
Artificial sweeteners haven’t been proven as safe when pregnant.
This can be a challenge for some of us that rely on drinking diet soda, but it has to go. When pregnant, you want to stay away from all artificial sweeteners. I’m not just talking about Acesulfame potassium (ace-K) and aspartame, which we should always avoid, but even sweeteners like Stevia and Sweet ‘N Low should be avoided.
You also need to avoid undercooked meat and fish.
If you're going to eat meat, you have to make sure it’s cooked all the way through. Undercooked foods harbor harmful bacteria, and now isn’t the time to take that chance. Make sure all chicken and beef is cooked well-done. Avoid sushi, lox, and all other raw or rare meats.
You shoud also say bye to caffeine, teas, or herbal supplements.
While there are certain herbs that are generally good for your health, their safety hasn’t been confirmed for those of us who are pregnant. To play it safe, we want to avoid all herbs in our diet. Also, stay away from caffeine. Cut down the coffee and stick to decaffeinated teas.
Fish proven to contain mercury can be very dangerous to your developing baby.
Fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids that are so important to the development of a healthy baby brain. This makes fish a great addition to your diet. But some fish contain high levels of mercury, which can be extremely dangerous. Some of the fish you need to avoid are: swordfish, shark, Chilean bass, mackerel, certain salmon, and white tuna.
Unpasteurized juices can pose a grave danger as well.
You think of juice as healthy and containing many nutrients. But unpasteurized juices contain microorganisms that are harmful to your growing baby. So make sure any juice you drink is pasteurized.
As you can see, a lot of these dangerous foods weren’t so obvious.
