A healthy, balanced diet is important during pregnancy. Most fresh foods are nutritious and safe to eat, however some foods should be avoided during pregnancy.

What not to eat during pregnancy:

Raw Meats and Seafood
All uncooked and rare meats and seafood, including sushi, should be avoided due to high risk of listeria and salmonella poisoning.

Deli meats
Deli meats including hot dogs might be contaminated with listeria bacteria which may result in miscarriage. It is safe to eat deli meats if you reheat them until steaming hot.

Refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads
It is safe to eat the canned or shelf-stable versions but for the same reason of listeria contamination, refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads should be avoided.

Liver
Liver is a rich source of iron.  However, it contains high levels of Vitamin A.  Large amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful to the baby.

Refrigerated smoked seafood
It is safe if they are contained in cooked dishes but for the same reason of listeria contamination, refrigerated seafood should be avoided.  Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe to eat.

Raw eggs
Raw eggs may contain salmonella.  Some salad dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream and custards as well as Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs. If in doubt, it is best to avoid it. In addition, unpasteurized eggnog should also be avoided.

Fish high in mercury
Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury.  For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern.  Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby’s developing nervous system.

Avoid high-mercury fish such as shark, swordfish, King Mackerel and tilefish. 

Fish offers benefits to both pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. Therefore include low-mercury fish in your diet twice a week.

Low-Mercury Fish such as butterfish, calamari, crab, hake, sole, trout, canned light tuna, canned salmon and pollock etc.  may be eaten twice a week.  Albacore "White" tuna contains more mercury. Limit the intake of albacore tuna to 1 serving per week.

Unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses and juices
Avoid unpasteurized milk and juices as well as the following soft cheeses:  Feta, Brie, and Camembert, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, queso blanco, queso fresco and Panela.  They are safe to eat if they are labelled pasteurized.

Unwashed vegetables
It is essential to make sure that vegetables are washed to avoid exposure to toxoplasmosis that might have contaminated the soil where the vegetables were grown.

Artificial Sweeteners
Sweeteners can be found in almost all chewing gum, diet cold drinks, "light" yogurt and some frozen ice cream. If the product is "sugar free" or "no sugar added", it will very likely have added sweeteners.
Non nutritive sweeteners include: saccharin, neotame, aspartame, sucralose, stevia and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K).  Non nutritive sweeteners have not been adequately tested so use it in moderation.

Herbal Tea
Some herbal teas are safe to drink during pregnancy. These include citrus peel, ginger, lemon balm, orange peel and rose hip teas.  Avoid chamomile tea.

Caffeine
Caffeine crosses the placenta and interferes with the fetal heart rate and breathing.  However, no studies show a definite link between caffeine consumption and birth defects in humans.  Because it has not been proved beyond a doubt that caffeine does not cause birth defects, the consumption of unnecessary caffeine during pregnancy is discouraged.  Some authorities suggest limiting coffee to 2 small cups a day while others suggest avoiding it completely.  Tea and caffeine-containing beverages should be used in moderation.

Alcohol
Abundant evidence has associated fetal abnormalities and birth defects with alcohol use during pregnancy.  Alcohol is teratogenic and able to disturb the growth and development of the fetus.  Avoid alcohol completely.