In general, dietitians advise pregnant women to avoid fish that are high in mercury, soft cheeses that are made from unpasteurized milk, lunch meat and raw/undercooked foods.
Full Question: “I just found out I was pregnant. Are there any foods I should avoid when dining out?”
First of all, congratulations! Usually moms-to-be have a lot of questions that are best answered by their physicians, so your care can be individualized based on your history. In general, dietitians advise pregnant women to avoid soft cheeses that are made from unpasteurized milk (such as feta, camembert and brie cheese), lunch meat and raw/undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and eggs, because of their potential to contain a bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes, that can be harmful to you and your baby. Foods to avoid include raw sushi, oysters on the half shell, and sunny-side-up eggs. If you do get a sushi craving, try a vegetarian sushi roll or one that features cooked seafood, such as shrimp.
Speaking of seafood, the FDA and EPA suggest no more than 12 ounces of fish per week. Try to avoid fish that are the highest in mercury, which include swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish, and limit other fish that are high in mercury (such as canned white albacore, Chilean seabass, yellowfin tuna, grouper and bluefish) to no more than three 6 oz servings per month. If you do have a craving for fish, you could try the Cuban Grilled Tilapia at Luby’s (350 calories and 16g fat, locations in AR, AZ, LA, OK and TX), Summer Green Salad with Shrimp at King Edward Grill (320 calories and 16g fat, located in MS) or Hearts of Gold Mahi at Outback Steakhouse (380 calories and 9g fat, locations nationwide).