6 Food Lies Pregnant Women Are Told

Pregnancy comes with a long list of “Do Not Eat” rules. Sushi. Deli meat. Soft cheese. Runny eggs. The list goes on. Most women just accept these restrictions as gospel. I mean, I get it. No one wants to do anything that could harm their baby.

Personally though, I never accept “rules” until I’ve understood why they exist. So when I was pregnant with my first, I started to dig into these food rules to understand whether they are rooted in any truth or just fear-mongering.

Here’s what I learned: many of these so-called “rules” are outdated, exaggerated, or based more on fear than actual science. Blindly following them likely does more harm than good.

In this post, we’re going to look at the seven most common foods pregnant women are told to avoid because of food poisoning risks. We’ll dig into the science behind each one, debunk six of those myths, and talk about how you can enjoy these foods without putting your baby at risk.

Why We Forbid Pregnant Women From Eating Certain Foods

“Do Not Eat” lists have been around forever. Some of them come from old wives’ tales.  For example, in Chinese culture, it is believed that bananas can cause miscarriage and asthma, consuming lamb may lead to epilepsy in the baby, eating seafood could result in rashes and skin issues for the baby, and so forth. Unfortunately, debunking an old wives’ tale is challenging. While they can be deeply ingrained, they’re not based on evidence.

In the U.S., the restrictions tend to sound more scientific. Foods like sushi or deli meats are strongly discouraged because of the risk of foodborne illness. And that risk is real. Food poisoning during pregnancy can be dangerous and, in severe cases, lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Pregnancy hormones also suppress parts of the immune system, which makes pregnant women 20 times more likely to get sick from contaminated food compared to the general population.

While it is true that pregnant women are more susceptible to getting sick, avoiding the foods on the “Do Not Eat” list may cause more harm than good. These foods are full of essential nutrients that both the mother and developing fetus need, and not consuming them can lead to nutrient deficiencies. One study of 7,500 women in Australia found that those who limited foods associated with Listeria consumed significantly less folate, iron, vitamin E, and calcium. These are not minor nutrients. Deficiencies can increase the risk of birth defects, preterm birth, low birth weight, and even chronic diseases later in life.

So, what’s the right move? Should you avoid these foods and risk missing out on vital nutrients? Or should you eat them and risk getting sick? That’s the big question, and the answer is more nuanced than most pregnancy handouts make it seem.

Let’s dig into it.

The 7 Common Foods Pregnant Women Are Told To Avoid Due To Food Poisoning

The 7 most common foods pregnant women are advised to avoid due to the risk of food poisoning include:

1. Sushi: Raw fish can sometimes contain bacteria or parasites such as norovirus, Vibrio, Salmonella, and Listeria.
2. Runny yolks: Undercooked eggs have a chance of containing Salmonella bacteria.
3. Undercooked steak: Meat that is not fully cooked can contain Toxoplasma, E. coli, Listeria, or Salmonella.
4. Raw milk and cheese: Raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products can carry bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter.
5. Deli meat: Hot dogs, pepperoni, and deli meat can be contaminated with bacteria during processing or storage. Cured meats are not cooked and may contain bacteria or parasites.
6. Soft cheeses: Some soft cheeses may be tainted with listeria.
7. Raw shellfish: Oysters and similar shellfish can carry bacteria and parasites.

If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably been staying clear of all of these. But the truth is, with the right sourcing and handling, six of these seven foods are actually safe to eat during pregnancy. In fact, eating them can load you up with incredibly important nutrients that support both you and your baby’s health. The only one that is high risk is raw shellfish, which truly is best avoided while pregnant.

Now, let’s break down what the science actually says about each of these six foods to prove my point that you should include them in your diet when your pregnant.

Why Pregnant Women Should Eat The “Forbidden” Foods

Let’s look at each of the foods on the forbidden list and weigh the real risks against the benefits, starting with sushi.

Sushi

Seafood sold for human consumption is screened for microbial contamination, so it’s rare to find fish that poses a real risk in a commercial market. Furthermore, sushi-grade fish is typically flash-frozen, effectively killing any parasites present. Lastly, if a pregnant woman becomes ill from infected fish, there has been no correlation found between the infection and an increased risk of birth defects or other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Meanwhile, fish is rich in nutrients and healthy fats which are essential for fetal development, such as DHA, vitamin D, iodine, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, and selenium. This is why, in Japan, pregnant women are encouraged to eat sushi rather than avoid it. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

You might wonder why not just cook the fish instead of eating raw fish to minimize even the slightest risk of parasites? Well, it’s because certain types of fish, like salmon, have higher levels of bioavailable selenium when consumed raw. Moreover, iodine levels in raw fish are significantly higher than in cooked fish, as the cooking process reduces iodine levels by up to 58%.

Personally, I craveeeee sushi during pregnancy. This is likely my body’s way of indicating that is really NEEDS the selenium and iodine found in raw fish.

Runny yolks

Eggs are one of the most nutrient-rich foods you can eat during pregnancy. The nutrients in eggs, particularly choline, are incredibly beneficial for fetal brain development. Yet many women are told to avoid runny yolks because of the risk of Salmonella.

That risk, however, is extremely low. The odds of contracting Salmonella from an egg are between 1 in 12,000 and 1 in 30,000. If you buy eggs from organic or pasture-raised farms with higher production standards, the risk drops by about 7x.

Why not cook the eggs thoroughly to avoid any risk, you wonder? Well, while cooking the egg white increases the protein’s bioavailability, cooking the egg yolk has the opposite effect. This is because heat changes the nutrients in egg yolks, making them less digestible. Depending on the cooking method, it can destroy up to 61% of the nutrients. Moreover, cooking the egg yolk oxidizes the cholesterol, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease.

Considering this, why should we prevent pregnant mothers from getting all the nutrients from eggs by forbidding them to eat runny yolks? In my opinion, it seems like an unreasonable thing to do.

Undercooked steak

Steak is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat during pregnancy. The benefits of eating steak, even if undercooked, far outweigh the risks. Most of the bacteria in a steak accumulate on the surface, as steaks are too dense for bacteria to penetrate. Thus, consuming a medium-rare steak, where the exterior is cooked while the interior remains rare, is a safe choice. 

The exception here is ground beef. Once it’s ground up and the muscle fibers are broken, it becomes easier for bacteria to spread throughout the meat. Ground beef should always be cooked thoroughly.

Raw milk and cheese

Raw milk is one of the most nutritious foods for women to consume during pregnancy. It’s an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A, D, and K, phosphorus, zinc, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega-3 fatty acids, as well as numerous beneficial enzymes and probiotics. Pasteurization, however, eliminates many of these advantageous enzymes in milk. Moreover, it diminishes the nutrient content.

Disadvantages of pasteurization

The usual pushback against raw milk is the risk of contamination. But here’s what most people don’t realize: raw milk producers follow extremely strict sanitation standards. They keep their animals healthy and their equipment meticulously clean, and they test their milk regularly for pathogens. On the other hand, pasteurized milk producers often cut corners because they rely on pasteurization to “fix” everything after the fact.

The real-world risk numbers are tiny. Between 2000 and 2007, the odds of getting sick from raw milk were about 1 in 94,000. Over that entire period, there were only 12 hospitalizations total, about 1.5 per year. And with roughly 9.4 million people drinking raw milk, that works out to about a 1 in 6 million chance of being hospitalized from it. For perspective, pasteurized milk isn’t risk-free either. According to the CDC, it has been linked to 82 deaths since 1972.

“With approximately 9.4 million people drinking raw milk, you have about a 1 in 6 million chance of being hospitalized from drinking raw milk.” – source

Personally, I find that drinking pasteurized milk feels like a letdown because I can taste the diminished nutrients in it. Raw milk and unpasteurized cheeses, on the other hand, has a rich and complex flavor due to its intact nutrients and enzymes. I wouldn’t want to miss out on those nutrients, especially while pregnant.

Deli meat

Many pregnant women I know will not touch deli meat because of the risk of listeria. Yet, on average, there is 1 case of listeria infection per 83,000 servings of deli meat. This is minuscule compared to the risk of getting sick from plant-based foods. According to CDC data, out of the 5 people infected with Listeria from 2009 to 2011, 4 of them were infected due to plant-based foods such as alfalfa sprouts, pistachios, and vegan protein powder. Furthermore, studies have shown that green leafy vegetables are responsible for more food-borne illnesses than any other food!

So, should we truly argue and fret over one case of listeria per 83,000 servings of deli meat? Deli meat is a great protein source for expectant mothers. If we advise them to avoid deli meat, they might opt for less healthy choices that seem “safer” (in theory) but are significantly less nutritious.

Soft cheeses

I avoided soft cheeses at all costs during my first pregnancy. Little did I know that there is 1 case of listeria infection for every 5 million servings of soft cheeses. Meanwhile, soft cheeses are an excellent source of fat and protein. Are we genuinely protecting women by advising them to avoid soft cheeses? Or are we simply taking precautions to the extreme, potentially compromising the health of both the mother and unborn baby?

Raw shellfish

Raw shellfish is the one food I really do recommend skipping during pregnancy, especially oysters. TOysters are responsible for 72% of seafood outbreaks in the United States. In fact, the largest recorded seafood outbreak happened back in 1998 because of oysters and led to 416 people getting sick across 13 states. The risk here is high enough that it’s just not worth it. If you’re pregnant, it’s safest to avoid raw oysters altogether.

Better Ways to Manage Risk

As demonstrated above, when we look at the statistics, the benefits of consuming these highly nutritious items outweigh the risks. Advising pregnant women to avoid sushi may result in them missing out on essential nutrients like selenium and iodine. Warning women against runny yolks could deter them from eating eggs altogether, which could negatively impact fetal development. Telling mothers to avoid raw milk causes them to miss out on valuable probiotics and nutrients unique to raw milk. You get the idea.

Instead of instructing pregnant mothers to steer clear of these nutritious foods, we can provide more practical and helpful tips to prevent illness. These include:

1) Food preparation tips

Improper food handling, including cross-contamination and incorrect food storage, is responsible for over half of food-borne illnesses. One of the most impactful things you can do during pregnancy is simply be extra careful in the kitchen when preparing and cooking food.

• Thoroughly wash hands when handling raw meat to prevent cross-contamination
• Avoid storing meat in the fridge for more than 3-4 days
• Defrost meat in the fridge rather than on the counter
• Steer clear of pre-cut vegetables and fruits as they have a higher risk of contamination
• Prepare meals at home as often as possible to ensure complete control over the environment

2) Pick reputable sources

When you’re not cooking at home or you’re craving a meal out, stick to restaurants with strong reputations for cleanliness and food safety. It might cost a little more, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind and lower risk of getting sick.

Avoid gas station food, especially deli meat, since there’s no way to know how long it’s been sitting there. The same goes for groceries: when you are buying eggs, meat, chicken, raw milk, or raw cheese, choose a farmer or producer you trust that has high standards on their farm.

3) Choose low mercury fish

Some women avoid fish altogether due to concerns about mercury content. We’ve discussed the immense benefits of eating fish during pregnancy. However, it’s important to avoid fish with higher mercury levels (e.g., shark, swordfish, king mackerel, bigeye tuna, marlin, tilefish). Additionally, certain fish are safe to eat but should be limited to once per week (e.g., grouper, halibut, snapper, Chilean sea bass, yellowfin tuna, white tuna, etc.). The safest types of seafood to consume in abundance include wild salmon, cooked shrimp, cod, flounder, halibut, tilapia, crab, lobster, trout, cooked clams, black sea bass, and canned light tuna, among others. For a comprehensive list of safe vs. unsafe fish, read this.

4) Supporting your immune system

Pregnant women often have weaker immune systems, so it is a good idea to boost your immunity as much as possible. This way, even if you fall sick, your body will be more resilient and able to fight the infection. In her book “Real Food for Pregnancy“, Lily Nichols emphasizes some excellent methods to achieve this:

• Consume fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi every day. No probiotic supplement can match the natural sources of probiotics found in these foods.
• Consume foods high in probiotic fiber to nourish the probiotics in your gut. 80% of your immune system lives in the gut! Opt for squashes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
• Consume foods rich in gelatin, such as slow-cooked roasts and bone broth. Gelatin is excellent for gut health as it helps maintain a healthy gut lining and reduces susceptibility to illness from food-borne pathogens.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is not a time to live in fear of your food. Yet so many women end up doing exactly that! They cut out some of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet because of outdated advice and overblown risks. The truth is, when you look at the real data, the benefits of foods like sushi, runny yolks, raw milk, and even deli meat far outweigh the tiny chance of getting sick.

Rather than following blanket “Do Not Eat” lists, focus on what you can control: buying from trusted sources, handling food properly, choosing low-mercury fish, and strengthening your immune system. You and your baby deserve it.