Now you’re pregnant, you may be wondering whether you need to change your diet. Well, that depends on what you were eating before you were pregnant!

If you consider yourself to be a pretty healthy eater, then you probably only need to make a few small changes to your daily diet. However, if you were scoffing down cakes and crisps on a daily basis, and having regular takeaways accompanied by a fizzy drink, then it might be time for a nutritional transformation.

Wherever you are on the healthy eating scale, we’d love to support you in making sure that you get all the vital nutrients that you and your developing baby need, as well as sharing which foods you need to steer clear of.

Before we launch into the ins and outs of which foods to avoid during pregnancy, let’s take a look at what a healthy pregnancy diet looks like.

What does a healthy pregnancy diet look like?

You don’t need to spend loads of money on whole or organic foods. You just need a balance of the right types of food. These include:

Fruits and Veggies. Aim to eat at least 5 fresh portions of fruit and veg per day (eat more veg if you can.) Frozen, canned and dried are fine but try to choose options with no added salt and sugar.
Starchy foods (carbs). Finally, a reason to load up on carbs! Hooray! But make sure they are healthy carbs. Root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal bread and breakfast cereals are great sources of energy and provide essential vitamins and fibre. Try to opt for brown/wholemeal options where possible.
Protein. Foods rich in protein include lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts and pulses. Aim to have 2 or more portions of fish a week. Make one of those portions an oily fish such as sardines, mackerel or salmon. Avoid fish such as shark, swordfish and marlin as these fish have high levels of mercury.

Dairy. Foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are great sources of calcium. Try to go for low-fat options where possible and if you prefer dairy alternatives, then make sure they are unsweetened.

Now we’ve looked at what foods to include in your pregnancy diet, let’s take a look at what foods to avoid.

What foods do I need to avoid while I’m pregnant?

The following foods are considered to be unsafe for your baby:

Cured or undercooked meats may contain parasites that cause an illness called toxoplasmosis, which has been linked to birth complications. The same goes for ready meals - always make sure you cook them thoroughly.
Unpasteurised milk and cheese and mould-ripened cheeses may contain a harmful bacteria called listeria. Avoid cheeses with a white rind such as camembert, brie and blue cheeses.
Raw shellfish such as oysters and prawns may contain harmful bacteria and viruses.

Raw or undercooked eggs. Some eggs may cause salmonella poisoning, so always do your research to check that the eggs are safe. In the UK for example, eggs with a red British Lion Quality stamp are considered low risk of carrying salmonella.
Shark, swordfish and marlin have high levels of mercury and should be avoided. Tuna also contains mercury so limit your intake to two portions a week.
Liver or liver products such as pate, liver sausage or supplements. Liver contains large amounts of retinol, which can be harmful to your developing baby.

What foods should I avoid during pregnancy?