Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads may contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.
Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.
British Lion hen eggs and hen eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme are less likely to contain salmonella.
Safe to eat
- cooked fish
- cooked shellfish, including prawns, crab, lobster, squid, mussels, scallops, clams and cockles
- sushi made with cooked fish or cooked shellfish
Foods to limit
- tuna – you should not eat more than 4 cans or 2 tuna steaks a week
- oily fish including salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring – you should not eat more than 2 portions a week
Tuna and oily fish can contain pollutants, including mercury, that can be harmful for your baby if you eat too much.
Foods to be careful with
- cold-smoked and cured fish, like smoked salmon – these must be cooked until steaming hot
- cold, pre-cooked ready-to-eat prawns – these must be cooked until steaming hot
- pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing fish and shellfish – keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date
Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads may also contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.
Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.
Foods to avoid
- raw fish and raw shellfish
- sushi made with raw fish (even if it has been previously frozen) or raw shellfish
- swordfish
- shark
- marlin
Why some fish is not safe to eat
You should avoid raw, cold-smoked and cured fish because it could contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.
Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.
You should also avoid raw shellfish because they can contain bacteria or toxins that can make you seriously unwell or give you food poisoning.
Caffeine
Things to limit
- you should not have more than 200mg of caffeine a day
Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and tablets, chocolate, guarana, and some health or fitness supplements.
Estimated amount of caffeine in common foods and drinks:
- 100mg in a cup of instant coffee – filter coffee and coffee bought from coffee shops can contain more
- 75mg in a cup of tea – for example, black or green tea
- 40mg in a can of cola
- 80mg in a 250ml can of energy drink
- less than 25mg in a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate
- less than 10mg in a 50g bar of plain milk chocolate
Why you should limit how much caffeine you have
Having too much caffeine has been linked to a higher chance of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Drinks
Drinks to limit
- drinks that contain caffeine, like coffee, teas, cola and some energy drinks – you should not drink more than 200mg of caffeine a day
- herbal teas, like peppermint and chamomile – avoid drinking more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day, and avoid teas containing liquorice root
There's not much research on the effects of drinking herbal teas in pregnancy, so it's safest to limit how much you drink.
Drinks to avoid
- alcohol
- herbal teas containing liquorice root
Why some drinks are not safe to have
Liquorice root may be harmful to your baby's development, so it's safest to avoid it.
Drinking alcohol in pregnancy can cause long-term harm to your baby. It's safest to avoid alcohol.
Find out more about drinking alcohol while pregnant
Fruit and vegetables
Safe to eat
- most fruits and vegetables are safe to eat – make sure they're washed thoroughly before eating
Foods to be careful with
- salads – make sure you wash salad vegetables (like lettuce and tomatoes) thoroughly before eating
- enoki mushrooms – these must be cooked thoroughly before eating
- pre-packaged and pre-cut fruit, such as melon – keep chilled and eat them before the use-by date
- pre-packaged sandwiches and salads – keep them chilled and eat before the use-by date
- vegetable pâté or vegetarian pâté – keep chilled and eat before the use-by date
Why you need to be careful when preparing some fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating to remove any soil. This is because soil can contain bacteria that may make you unwell.
Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, vegetable pâté and enoki mushrooms may also contain listeria bacteria, which can cause?listeriosis.
Listeriosis can cause?miscarriage?or?stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously unwell.
Peanuts and other nuts
Safe to eat
peanuts and other nuts are safe to eat unless you've been told not to have them by a doctor or midwife, or you have an allergy
If you've already eaten something that should be avoided
If you've already had a small amount of food or drink that should be avoided during pregnancy, it's unlikely to affect your baby if you did not get ill.
Talk to your midwife or a GP if you're worried or have any symptoms.
Call 111 if:
- you feel unwell after having food or drink that should be avoided in pregnancy
- you've had symptoms of food poisoning, including vomiting and diarrhoea, for more than 48 hours
- you have symptoms of listeriosis or toxoplasmosis infection