what foods are best avoided during pregnancy??

Answer 1

Raw foods

Deli meats and hot dogs unless cooked until steaming

high-mercury fishes like shark, swordfish, tuna, etc.

Shellfish

Answer 2

here's a list...

Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol has been linked to premature delivery, mental retardation, birth defects and low birth weight babies.


Limit caffeine to no more than 300 mg. per day. The caffeine content in various drinks depends on the beans or leaves used and how it was prepared. An 8 oz cup of coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine on average while black tea has typically about 80 mg. A 12-ounce glass of caffeinated soda contains anywhere from 30-60 mg of caffeine. Remember, chocolate contains caffeine -- the amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is equal to 1/4 cup of coffee.


The use of saccharin is strongly discouraged during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues. But, the use of other non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is acceptable during pregnancy. These FDA-approved sweeteners include aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sunett) and sucralose (Splenda).
These sweeteners are considered safe in moderation so talk with your health care provider about how much non-nutritive sweetener is acceptable during pregnancy.

Decrease the total amount of fat you eat to 30% or less of your total daily calories. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 65 grams of fat or less per day.

Limit cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams (mg) or less per day.

Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury.

Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese. These cheeses are often unpasteurized and may cause Listeria infection. Hard cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt need not be avoided.

Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish - like oysters and clams


you can view an article that covers what you CAN and can't eat at the website.

Answer 3

Junk Food Wars- They just give you empty calories (and extra pounds) without the nutritional benefits of healthier foods.

Caffeine and Alcohol- Caffeine and alcohol actually prevent absorption of folic acid and iron – two essential nutrients during pregnancy – and pull calcium out of your bones, not to mention that they also directly affect the fetus and can have long-term developmental effects.

Avoid Fats
Believe it or not, the average American diet is 37 percent fat. A healthy diet should be around 20 percent fat, even during pregnancy.

Food Additives
Many foods we enjoy are full of preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings and even hormones and antibiotics.

Additives to avoid include the following:

* MSG – Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer in bouillon and Asian foods that can cause headaches and stomach upset.
* Artificial food colorings – Colorings are in many processed foods, and most are considered safe during pregnancy. The ones to avoid are: blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 3 and yellow 6.
* Olestra (Olean) – It just hasn't been tested thoroughly enough to be recommended during pregnancy.
* Saccharin – It has not been shown to be safe in pregnancy.
* Cut the fat off red meat – Chemicals in animal diets often concentrate in the fat.

Unpasteurized Foods
Pasteurization eliminates bacteria from foods.

Food From the Sea
There are some fish you do need to avoid during pregnancy, however, such as:

* Shellfish, like oysters, are not a good idea during pregnancy, because they may be contaminated with bacteria.
* Swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish may have elevated levels of methyl mercury, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and could harm the developing fetus.
* Self-caught freshwater fish can taste so good, but it often has more contaminants than commercially-caught fish. The EPA recommends you eat less than 6 cooked ounces per week of fish you caught yourself during pregnancy.
* Tropical fish, such as grouper, mahi mahi and amberjack, also may have some toxins that are not safe during pregnancy.
* I'm sorry to say that sushi and sashimi (and seared fish) are out of the question during pregnancy, too.

Uncooked or Cured Meats
Raw meats and eggs are risky during pregnancy because they can carry illness. So stay away from procciutto, runny eggs, shrimp cocktails and ceviche. Meats preserved with nitrites, such as salami, frankfurters, luncheon meats and smoked fish and meat, are also not a good idea.

Answer 4

any that make you sick really. I found that i couldnt have veggie soup at all. Iwould be horribly sick that night ifi ate it. And the smell of anything meat sent me over the deep end. I think try to avoid caffiene, alcohol broccoli can cause gas. And you also want to be careful not to take in to much iron because it will make you more constipated then you already are. Pluss if your taking prenatal vitamins most of them have a lot of iron in them anyways. Just becareful you dont get too constipated with iron rich foods. Other then those things eat anything that doesnt make you sick. :) good luck with the pregnancy i hope all goes well with you and the baby!

Answer 5

Definately avoid honey while you are pregnant. Honey is a raw food, and it may naturally contain bacteria that could cause an infection. Avoid it until after you give birth! -Janaet

Answer 6

From experience, avoid foods that have a lot of sodium in them. It makes you retain water.
Other than that....
raw meat
sushi
raw eggs
Its always best to ask your Ob/Gyn for advice b/c you may have special circumstances.
Good luck!

Answer 7

A great book to read and which may help you is "What to Eat When You're Expecting." Also when in doubt talk to your OBGYN. I had some sushi when I was 8 months with my youngest with no ill effects. As long as you eat anything in moderation and it's properly prepared, you're good.

Answer 8

Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish

Answer 9

I recently read an article on pregnancy.org that said to avoid raw meats and cold sandwich meats....specially sushi...it could cause a miscarriage.

Answer 10

peanut butter may also not sit well in the stomach due to its fattyness....i think. well i puked it up so yup. i read that cashew butter may be better as a substitute.

and the caffeiene...if you take in a high amount on a daily basis it may lead to miscarriage. just google it. some sites reference a study that has been done.