Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid

When you're pregnant, you should try to eat a variety of healthy foods to give your baby the nutrients he or she needs to grow. Of course, it's fine to give in to those ice cream and french fry cravings now and then!

However, there are some foods and drinks that should be avoided during pregnancy because they can pose health risks to your baby. And others that should only be consumed in moderation.

The following video provides some details on what you should and shouldn't eat while you're pregnant. See below the video for additional information.

What to eat

The following link from WebMD provides information on what foods you should eat to make sure your baby gets the nutrients, like calcium and iron, that he or she needs to be healthy:

• Eating Right When Pregnant

Food safety

Most foods are safe for pregnant women and their babies. But you will need to use caution or avoid eating certain foods. Follow these guidelines:

Clean, handle, cook, and chill food properly to prevent foodborne illness, including listeria and toxoplasmosis.

• Wash hands with soap after touching soil or raw meat.
• Keep raw meats, poultry, and seafood from touching other foods or surfaces.
• Cook meat completely.
• Wash produce before eating.
• Wash cooking utensils with hot, soapy water.

Do not eat:

• Refrigerated smoked seafood like whitefish, salmon, and mackerel
• Hot dogs or deli meats unless steaming hot
• Refrigerated meat spreads
• Unpasteurized milk or juices
• Store-made salads, such as chicken, egg, or tuna salad
• Unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as unpasteurized feta, Brie, queso blanco, queso fresco, and blue cheeses
• Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tile fish (also called golden or white snapper); these fish have high levels of mercury.
• More than 6 ounces per week of white (albacore) tuna
• Herbs and plants used as medicines without your doctor's okay. The safety of herbal and plant therapies isn't always known. Some herbs and plants might be harmful during pregnancy, such as bitter melon (karela), noni juice, and unripe papaya.
• Raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean)

You should now have a better sense of food and drink safety, but what about other potential hazards?  Did you know that changing the cat's litter box should be avoided during pregnancy? And what about hair dyes or teeth whitening--are they safe? The following link from KidsHealth.org provides some additional information on staying safe while pregnant.

Pregnancy Precautions

Please note that all this information is not intended to scare you! If you've already eaten some deli meat or changed the litter box, you and your baby are probably fine! Just be cautious in the future, and ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Sources: 

• KidsHealth.org. (2009). Pregnancy precautions: FAQs. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/your_pregnancy/pregnancy_precautions.html#
• WebMD (2012). Eating right while pregnant. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/eating-right-when-pregnant
• WomensHealth.gov. (2010). Pregnancy: Staying healthy and safe. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/staying-healthy-safe.cfm#a