Whether pregnant or not, it’s always advisable to pick up a healthy eating habit. It is immensely significant to remember that while pregnant, some foods must be kept away. If you are wondering what these are, here is a list of seven foods you should avoid during pregnancy.

1. Raw and Undercooked Meat

When pregnant, it’s advisable to avoid undercooked meat, particularly minced meat or sausages. Be careful to cook these foods thoroughly to get rid of any blood traces. Although there’s a low risk, avoid raw cured meat like chorizo, Parma ham, pepperoni, and salami. Raw and undercooked meat can expose you to the risk of toxoplasmosis which can cause harm to the baby.

2. Unpasteurized Milk

You need to make sure that you consume pasteurized milk or dairy products. Milk sold in supermarkets and restaurants are mostly pasteurized, but those found in the farmers’ market could be unpasteurized. You need to avoid these products since they could expose you and the baby to the risk of toxoplasmosis, Campylobacter, and listeriosis. If you can only access unpasteurized milk, make sure you boil it before consuming.

3. Liver and Foods With Vitamin A

When you are pregnant, you need to avoid liver and other liver products such as liver sausages and pate. It is not advisable to consume multivitamins that contain vitamin A. You also need to avoid foods which have vitamin A added (these may be labeled ‘fortified with vitamin A’). Too much of vitamin A can harm your baby.

4. Alcohol

It’s safest to steer away from alcohol completely when you are pregnant, particularly in your first trimester. If you decide to drink after the first three months, keep consumption to the minimum with about one or two units. Since alcohol can harm you and the baby, it is often advisable to avoid it completely.

5. Undercooked Ready Meals

When cooking during your pregnancy days, you need to make sure you follow the cooking instructions given on the pack of very ready meals you consume. Moreover, you need to ascertain that the food is hot all the way when you eat it. This is the case especially when you are preparing ready meals containing poultry such as turkey or chicken because there is a risk that undercooked ready meals contain listeria.

6. Undercooked or Raw Eggs

During pregnancy, it’s advisable that the eggs you consume are well-cooked to the level where the whites and the yolks are solid throughout. Using recipes with eggs is good but make sure you avoid recipes that include raw eggs such as mousse or homemade mayonnaise. With undercooked or raw eggs, there’s a risk of salmonella which is a common cause of food poisoning.

7. Sushi

Make sure you avoid raw sushi when you are pregnant because this food contains illness-inducing parasites. During pregnancy, you have a suppressed immune system so it is easier to fall ill from this meal.

So, there you have it. While there is a wide list of foods you can consume when pregnant, it is important to watch out what you consume. In addition to watching your meal, you may need to utilize Bloomlife pregnancy tracker to keep track of your pregnancy and ensure your baby is developing the right way.