Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy
Creating life is a great gift...and a great responsibility. Prepare your body for the gift of life with responsible dietary choices. Indulge in healthy foods that will prepare your body for conception, while saying goodbye to foods that disrupt your fertility. Enter this next exciting chapter in your life with these pregnancy diet tips!
30 Foods to Avoid While Pregnant
Your body is beautifully dynamic. Keep up with your body’s needs by nurturing it with healthy foods.
Cravings happen. They’re sometimes even the highlight of a pregnancy!
However, we also know you want to take on the healthiest lifestyle in this beautiful moment. Limit or avoid these foods altogether during your pregnancy:
Environmental Pollutants
The foods listed below are exposed to environmental pollutants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). It is important for women to avoid these foods during pregnancy to avoid any intoxication and exposure to methylmercury [1].
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Salmon
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Caviar
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Marlin
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Shark
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Swordfish
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Tuna
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Peanuts
Retinol-rich Foods
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A. Too much retinol can be harmful to the embryo [2].
Therefore, it is best to avoid foods with elevated levels of this vitamin:
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Beef liver
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Lamb liver
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Fish liver oil
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Liver sausage
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Cod liver oil
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Salmon
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Goat cheese
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Feta cheese
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Brie cheese
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Camembert cheese
Fruits and Vegetables
Getting your greens on is always a good thing. However, foods high in provitamin A can also be harmful to the baby’s development [2].
Eat the following in moderation or avoid:
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Sweet Potato
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Kale
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Winter Squash
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Collards
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Mango
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Cantaloupe
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Pink or red grapefruit
Raw Products
Cooking food thoroughly is very important, especially while pregnant [3]. Raw food may contain harmful bacteria.
Whip up dinner by thoroughly cooking these foods:
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Premade meat
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Raw milk
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Raw batter
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Raw sprouts
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Foods with raw egg
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Undercooked meat
Dinner Done Better
Eating for two is twice the fun. It’s also double the responsibility.
Protect you and your loved one’s health by:
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Paying attention to food hygiene. Wash your hands, fruits, and vegetables before eating. This mindful practice protects your body from food-borne pathogens such as listeriosis, salmonella, toxoplasmosis, and campylobacter.
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Saying bye to soft cheese. Soft cheeses increase your risk of listeriosis exposure.
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Cooking eggs and protein thoroughly. Limit the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Dinner Is Served
Washing and cooking foods thoroughly is the first step in making a fertility-friendly meal. Get your phone and get ready to snap some pics for the Gram. Here are some pregnancy-friendly foods that are #foodporn worthy:
Stock up on iron and folate-rich foods that help cell growth like:
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Dark, leafy greens
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Lentils
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Beans
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Figs
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Whole grains
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Beets
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Walnuts
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Wheat germ
Increase your vitamin C intake to aid with iron absorption!
Get your antioxidants on with foods rich in vitamins A, C, and D, like [4]:
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Oranges
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Bananas
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Papayas
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Avocados
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Fortified Plant Milks
Switch to you lean protein by leaning on these food staples:
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Pasture-raised poultry
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Wild-caught fish
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Quinoa
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Cottage cheese
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Nuts and seeds
Cleaner Eating, Cleaner Living
Diet is more than just food. It’s a whole lifestyle.
You can do so much to keep your pregnancy on the healthy path! Mail-in a urine test to Million Marker, and learn which of your daily products are exposing you to toxic chemicals.
Get personalized product recommendations based on your toxic exposures. Create a healthier life for your entire family. Bond with your entire family over healthy meals for generations to come!
Sources
[1] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2006.00541.x
[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-a#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
[3] https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women
[4] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2006.00541.x