12 Foods to Avoid When Pregnant: Don’t-Eats for a Healthy Pregnancy

Never underestimate how empowering it can be for your body and your unborn baby to eat the right things during pregnancy. Help your body prepare for a safe labor and protect your baby by limiting these 12 foods to avoid when pregnant.

Pay special attention if, like mine, your pregnancy is high-risk. While abstaining from these foods benefits all expectant mothers, this information is crucial if you are managing complications.

Full transparency: Before my diagnosis, I focused on eating a balanced diet and exercising—sticking to the basic tips like avoiding raw food and alcohol. But when I was just 20 weeks into my pregnancy, doctors diagnosed me with early-onset pre-eclampsia. We had little chance of making it, and I was terrified. My pregnancy became a high-risk pregnancy.

It was then that I realized there were potentially dangerous foods I didn’t even know about! Although pre-eclampsia can’t be avoided or really controlled, doctors told me that eating as healthily as I did played a major role in having a positive outcome. My son and I resisted 11 crucial weeks with pre-eclampsia and the maximum dose of anti-hypertension medication. I also managed to incorporate high-risk pregnancy superfoods into my diet.

The following list details the specific foods you should avoid or at least limit during your pregnancy, starting now. You can do it, mamma!

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1. High-Mercury Seafood

As a general rule, you must strictly avoid high-mercury seafood like shark, tilefish, swordfish, and King Mackerel. A high intake of mercury can be severely toxic to the developing fetal nervous system and brain. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to avoid high-mercury fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Mercury contamination is common in bodies of water, so if you’re sourcing fish from local markets, always ask about mercury levels to ensure safety.

But don’t panic! Eating low-mercury fish like salmon remains a fantastic way to give your baby essential nutrients, including those brain-developing omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid. The key is to always confirm that your selection is certified low-mercury fish.

2. Undercooked Eggs, Meat, Fish, Poultry, or Shellfish

Second in the list of foods to avoid when pregnant are undercooked proteins in any form. You’ve likely heard this before, but it bears repeating: Thoroughly cook all proteins—eggs, meat, fish, poultry, and shellfish—to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Eating undercooked or raw proteins significantly increases the risk of serious maternal and fetal infections, including:

Toxoplasmosis: This disease usually doesn’t produce symptoms in the mother, but it can be passed to your unborn baby. While some babies may not show symptoms at birth, they are at greater risk of developing blindness or learning disabilities later in life.

Listeria: Listeriosis is a grave infection that raises the risks of fetal death, premature birth, or serious infections in newborns.

E. Coli: Many strains of E. Coli are harmless, but some may cause an infection that can be passed on to your baby. For pregnant women, contracting certain strains of E. coli carries a greater risk of premature delivery or miscarriage.

Salmonella: Salmonella infection causes symptoms similar to food poisoning. In pregnant women, who are immunologically more vulnerable, a severe infection can even be life-threatening.

The good news is that you don’t need to eliminate these foods completely! Cooking proteins to the proper internal temperature kills these harmful parasites and bacteria, making them perfectly safe to eat.

3. Unpasteurized Milk, Cheese, and Juice

Similar to undercooked proteins, unpasteurized dairy and juices are environments where harmful bacteria thrive. For pregnant women, avoiding these foods is essential to minimize the risk of infection.

Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process that effectively kills these harmful organisms, ensuring the product is safe for consumption.

Specifically, Listeria thrives in unpasteurized milk, cheese, and juice. Since Listeriosis poses a grave risk during pregnancy (raising the chance of fetal death and premature birth), it is best to steer clear of unpasteurized dairy entirely.

Bottom line: Always ensure you consume pasteurized milk, cheese, and juice. Checking the label is your best defense against Listeria.

4. Poorly Washed Vegetables or Raw Sprouts

Vegetables are an essential source of nutrients, rich in vitamins and minerals, and should be a major part of your pregnancy diet. However, you need to ensure you wash them thoroughly to kill all germs and parasites.

Toxoplasmosis can contaminate the surface of unwashed or poorly washed produce, making proper hygiene critical. To reduce this risk, thoroughly rinse all produce under running water, scrubbing any root vegetables. Always ensure cutting boards, surfaces, and kitchen utensils are also cleaned thoroughly.

A critical distinction: certain raw vegetables must be avoided completely. Raw sprouts (including radishes, beans, alfalfa, and clover) are ideal, high-risk habitats for E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Unfortunately, these pathogens thrive inside the seed and sprout, meaning no amount of washing can make them safe to eat raw. They are permanently on the list of foods to avoid when pregnant.

The good news is that they are safe if cooked! You can always eat these foods once they have been exposed to high temperatures.

5. Coffee and Energy Drinks

Though caffeine is not exactly in the list of foods to avoid when pregnant, and research on caffeine’s effects is not entirely conclusive, major and trusted organizations advise caution. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to a maximum of 200mg per day (roughly one 12-oz cup of coffee).

Consuming more than this amount is linked to increased risks of miscarriage, low birth weight, or stillbirth. And, though research is inconclusive yet, when it comes to your baby’s health, the consensus is: better safe than sorry.

For women with a high-risk pregnancy, the tolerance is even lower. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, raising both blood pressure and heart rate. If you have a history of high blood pressure, or are currently managing or at risk for pre-eclampsia (as I was), doctors often advise avoiding caffeine entirely.

As a coffee addict, I can tell you: it wasn’t easy, but for my preemie, it was absolutely worth it.

6. Unripe Papaya

While fully ripe papayas are a great source of vitamins and safe to eat, you must strictly avoid this fruit if the outer skin is green or greenish (i.e., unripe).

Unripe papaya is an especially dangerous addition to our list of foods to avoid when pregnant because it contains high levels of papain. This enzyme acts like prostaglandins, which are hormones doctors administer to induce or promote labor. Although papain is great for the general digestive system, its risks far outweigh its benefits in pregnancy.

The consumption of unripe papaya can, therefore, cause strong uterine contractions, potentially leading to miscarriage or preterm labor. Furthermore, it is thought to weaken membranes vital to the fetus.

Action Tip: Always confirm the fruit is fully yellow or orange before eating.

7. Trans Fats

While eliminating them entirely is difficult (trans fats are everywhere!) It’s critical to minimize your intake of trans fats during pregnancy. Just being aware of their effects and avoiding them whenever you can is more than enough.

Trans fats are dangerous because research directly links their consumption to cardiovascular disease and impaired brain function in adults and children. Products high in trans fat should be avoided altogether, whether or not you are pregnant.

During pregnancy, excess maternal trans fat can cross the placenta and affect the baby’s brain cells. So anything with high levels of trans fats falls immediately in the category of foods to avoid when pregnant. Emerging evidence links high intake to fetal memory problems, hyperactivity, and emotional issues. Additionally, they may result in cardiovascular diseases and affect your blood pressure.

Since trans fats actively inhibit the brain development promoted by healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids, you must read labels carefully. Look for “partially hydrogenated oils”—the hidden source of trans fats.

Minimizing trans fat intake during pregnancy and lactation is one of the single most impactful diet changes you can make for your baby’s long-term brain health.

8. Sugar

Refined sugar is hidden in countless everyday products, and it poses a serious health risk for pregnancies, high-risk or not!

Excessive sugar consumption during pregnancy can:

• Promote the development of fatty liver.
• Contribute to the baby’s low birth weight (Intrauterine Growth Restriction, or IUGR).
• Significantly increases the risk of gestational diabetes.
• Cause unborn babies to be prone to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
• Contribute to increasing the risk of pre-eclampsia.
• Increase the risk of heart disease in your unborn baby’s lifespan.
• May cause preterm delivery.

The bottom line is clear: Refined sugar is one of the foods to avoid when pregnant, so limit its intake as much as you possibly can.

9. High-Sodium Foods

While sodium is necessary for maintaining fluid volume (pregnant women are advised to consume about 1.5 grams per day), excessive salt intake can negatively affect high-risk pregnancies. Moderate salt consumption is safe for most pregnancies, but if you’re going through a high-risk pregnancy, better be safe than sorry: consult your doctor and list salt as one of the foods to avoid when pregnant.

Because my pre-eclampsia was linked to dangerously high blood pressure, my doctor recommended keeping my salt intake at an absolute minimum—and, if possible, avoiding it altogether.

For all women managing pre-eclampsia or chronic hypertension, high-sodium foods significantly increase the risk of developing superimposed pre-eclampsia.

Action Tip: To minimize your intake, focus on whole foods and avoid processed snacks, canned soups, and restaurant meals, which often hide huge amounts of sodium.

10. Soda

Soda is on the list of foods to avoid when pregnant because it is a Triple Threat. Because it typically contains a dangerous combination of sodium, high sugar, and caffeine, it’s one of the first drinks pregnant women should eliminate.

We’ve covered the individual risks of these three elements (high blood pressure, increased gestational diabetes risk, etc.) in previous sections, but the concentration of all three makes soda worthy of its own firm warning.

Extend this warning to all sweetened beverages, including canned iced tea, commercial fruit drinks, and bottled juices, which often have dangerously high sugar and sodium levels.

The bottom line: The safest choices are plain water, sparkling water, or 100% natural, unsweetened juice.

11. Alcohol

There is no safe amount of alcohol consumption at any point during pregnancy. This is why doctors universally recommend complete abstinence. It’s a key addition to the list of foods to avoid when pregnant.

Alcohol travels rapidly through your bloodstream and penetrates the placenta to reach your baby at the same concentration as the mother’s blood. Direct exposure may cause severe outcomes, including preterm labor, miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight.

Heavy, consistent drinking can cause damage to the baby’s nervous system, heart defects, and lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), resulting in lifelong problems with mental, physical, and developmental growth.

The guidance is simple: If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, do not drink alcohol.

12. Processed Junk Food

Last, but arguably the most crucial item on this list of foods to avoid when pregnant: Processed Junk Foods.

Processed junk food is a combination of the worst offenders—containing high levels of sodium, trans fat, and sugar. This ‘triple-whammy’ poses additional, unique risks to pregnancy and fetal development:

• Increase the risk of having gestational diabetes.
• Promote digestive problems.
• Causes low birth weight in babies.
• Increase the chances of genetic abnormalities.
• Increase the risk of your unborn child developing allergies later in life.

Additionally, emerging research suggests that maternal consumption of these foods may program the baby’s palate, leading to a lifelong ‘liking’ for fatty, unhealthy foods.

The Takeaway: Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods is the single best way to avoid all 12 items on this list and protect your baby.

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That’s a Wrap

Ultimately, this list shows that it all comes down to eating clean. Limiting some of the items in the list of foods to avoid when pregnant, and completely eliminating especially dangerous ones like alcohol, is typically enough for a healthy pregnancy diet. So please, don’t let it become an obsession!

When I was first diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, the diet advice I received was generic. They weren’t emphatic—until later. We managed to hold on for 12 crucial weeks, and Oliver went from being an unviable baby to a preemie (and is now a healthy child!).

Afterwards, my medical team confirmed that my dedication to avoiding these foods played a significant role in our positive outcome. While the journey of having a preemie came with its own set of complications, knowing that our effort helped him survive—when he was expected not to—was the biggest win of all.

I hope this post empowers you to make small, critical choices every day.

Now, I’d love to hear from you: Are you currently pregnant? What is one healthy food you’re loving right now? Would you add a food or drink to the list of foods to avoid when pregnant? Let me know in the comments below!

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What To Read Next?

• Navigating a High-Risk Pregnancy? Fuel your body with these high-risk pregnancy superfoods to stay strong and healthy!

• Smoothie Lover? Check out these tasty and healthy pregnancy smoothies! They are packed with essential nutrients!

• Getting Ready for Baby? Don’t miss my essential baby checklist to make sure you have everything you need before the big day!

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