Staying Healthy Print Avoid Eating These Foods When You Are Pregnant Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Meredith Shur, MD on December 30, 2015 Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner. Learn about our Medical Review Board Meredith Shur, MD Written by Written by Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Nutrition. Learn about our editorial policy Shereen Lehman, MS Updated on June 24, 2019 Your Pregnancy Week by Week Overview First Trimester Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Second Trimester Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Week 26 Week 27 Third Trimester Week 28 Week 29 Week 30 Week 31 Week 32 Week 33 Week 34 Week 35 Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40 Pregnant women should avoid soft cheese and alcohol. Jamie Grill / Getty Images Question: I just found out that I'm pregnant. Are there certain foods I need to avoid? Answer: For the most part, you can continue to a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy, and you'll need to eat a little more during the second and third trimesters because the developing baby requires extra nutrition. There are, however, a few foods you should avoid because they can cause illness in pregnant women or can harm the fetus. If you have any questions about your diet during your pregnancy, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider. Avoid Unpasteurized Milk and Soft Cheese Milk and cheese are excellent sources of calcium, which you and your babies need. But raw milk and soft cheeses may harbor bacteria that can make you, and your baby, sick. Raw milk may contain Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, or Salmonella, which cause food poisoning. Since you're pregnant, you're more likely to get sick because pregnancy affects your immune system. Drink pasteurized milk, or choose non-dairy forms of calcium.Avoid soft cheese like Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, queso blanco, queso fresco, and feta.It's okay to eat cheese that's made from pasteurized milk. Stay Away From Undercooked Fish and Fish High In Mercury Fish, especially oily ocean fish like salmon, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids your baby needs for normal development, especially during the third trimester. But you have to be careful with fish. Raw and undercooked fish and seafood (including sushi) may contain parasites as well as bacteria, so it's best to avoid them while you're pregnant. Some types of fish contain larger amounts of mercury, so you need to stay away from the shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Eat up to 12 ounces cooked fish or shellfish each week (cook to 145 degrees F).Best choices are salmon, shrimp, pollock, and catfish.You don't have to eliminate albacore tuna, but don't eat more than 6 ounces per week. Don't Eat Raw Sprouts, Raw Eggs, and Undercooked Meats Raw foods can be contaminated with bacteria like E. coli or salmonella. Eggs and sprouts should be cooked thoroughly, and meats need to be cooked to the proper internal temperature. Stay away from the grocery store salad bar too - make your own salads at home. Thoroughly wash produce and greens at home and follow proper food safety practices.Cook beef, veal and lamb to at least 145 degrees F, and pork and ground meats should be cooked to 160 degrees F.Poultry products should be cooked to 165 degrees F.Don't eat anything made with raw eggs, unless the product has also been pasteurized.Deli meat, sausages, and hot dogs should be heated to 165 degrees F. Don't Drink Alcohol Research hasn't yet determined a safe level of alcohol consumption, so it's best to stay away from wine, beer, and liquor during your pregnancy. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. The United States Department of Health and Human Services. "Checklist of Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy." http://www.foodsafety.gov/risk/pregnant/chklist_pregnancy.html. The United States Food and Drug Administration. "Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: While You're Pregnant - Listeria." http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm083320.htm. The United States Food and Drug Administration. "What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish." http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110591.htm. Continue Reading