Eating a healthy diet is very essential during pregnancy. The baby needs essential vitamins and minerals in order to flourish. However there are certain foods you need to avoid during pregnancy.

Foods you should avoid during pregnancy

Uncooked food: You should avoid uncooked seafood and undercooked  beef or poultry. This is due to  risk of contamination with salmonella, toxoplasmosis or coliform bacteria. To reduce your risk of foodborne infections, check if meat, poultry and fish  are well cooked with a food thermometer. It is also important to cook eggs until they no longer run. Do not eat fresh dough.

Deli meat :These have been known to be contaminated with Listeria which causes miscarriage. Listeria may be able to cross the placenta and cause infection or blood poisoning in the baby. This can be very fatal.

Fish with mercury : Large fishes  such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish are  highly concentrated in mercury. Canned, chunk light tuna  usually contain low amount of mercury but should still be  eaten in moderation.

Raw Vegetable Sprouts : These include radish, clover, alfalfa and  mung bean sprouts. They can harbor bacteria which are almost impossible to wash out. According to the FDA, it’s  ok to eat fully cooked sprouts.

Soft cheese : You should avoid soft cheese such as Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco unless it is stated that it is made from pasteurized milk. These soft cheese may contain Listeria which can cross the placenta to the baby and cause life threatening infections.

You should also avoid these beverages when pregnant

Alcohol : No amount of alcohol is considered safe during pregnancy. It robs the fetus of oxygen and nutrients and therefore interfere with the normal development of the baby. It may also cause fetal alcohol syndrome and other developmental disorders. It should be noted that it is not safe to drink alcohol while breastfeeding.  Alcohol can get to the baby through breast milk  and cause harm to the baby.

Unpasteurized milk : It may contain Listeria which can cross the placenta and cause infection in the baby. Make sure any milk you drink is pasteurized.

Caffeine : It is found in beverages such as coffee, soft drinks, energy beverages and tea. Caffeine is known to be linked  to miscarriages but there are other conflicting researches that say that drinking caffeine in moderation during pregnancy is okay. You can however try to avoid caffeine during the first trimester. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about drinking caffeine.

Other foods you should avoid during pregnancy include :

• raw shell-fish such as oysters, clams, and mussels
• refrigerated pate or meat spread