Foods During Pregnancy

Food advice can suddenly feel much more complicated once you are pregnant. Foods you have eaten for years may come with new questions, while nausea, cravings, tiredness or changes in appetite can make eating differently from usual.

The basic guidance is simpler than it can seem. The NHS recommends a varied, balanced diet during pregnancy, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, starchy foods, protein foods and dairy or suitable alternatives. Most everyday foods are safe. A smaller group needs to be limited, prepared carefully or avoided because of risks such as infection, high levels of mercury or too much vitamin A.

You do not need a perfect pregnancy diet or a special menu. It is more useful to know which foods can form part of your usual meals and which pregnancy-specific precautions matter.

What to eat during pregnancy

A balanced pregnancy diet can include familiar, affordable foods. According to NHS guidance, the main food groups to include are fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, protein foods and dairy or dairy alternatives.

Fruit and vegetables

The NHS recommends aiming for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried options can all contribute.

Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fresh produce and salad vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating to remove soil and reduce the chance of exposure to harmful bacteria.

There is no need to focus on expensive ingredients or particular so-called pregnancy superfoods. Variety is a more useful goal.

Starchy foods

Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles, oats and breakfast cereals can all be part of meals during pregnancy. These foods provide energy as well as nutrients and fibre.

The NHS recommends choosing wholegrain or higher-fibre versions where possible, such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta.

This does not mean every carbohydrate needs to be wholegrain. Looking at the overall balance of what you eat across the week is more practical than trying to make every meal nutritionally perfect.

Protein foods

Protein can come from many different foods, including beans, lentils and other pulses, eggs, fish, meat, poultry, nuts and seeds.

If you eat meat, pregnancy food safety guidance matters. Raw and undercooked meat should be avoided, and minced meat, burgers, sausages and poultry should be thoroughly cooked.

If you eat eggs, British Lion hen eggs and eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme can be eaten raw or partially cooked according to NHS guidance. Other hen eggs should be cooked thoroughly, and duck, goose and quail eggs should not be eaten raw or undercooked.

Nuts, including peanuts, are safe during pregnancy unless you have an allergy or a doctor or midwife has advised you not to eat them.

Dairy and alternatives

Milk, yoghurt and cheese can provide calcium and other nutrients. Pasteurised milk, yoghurt and many commonly eaten cheeses are safe during pregnancy.

If you use plant-based alternatives, the NHS suggests choosing unsweetened, calcium-fortified options where possible.

Some cheeses need more care because of the risk of listeria. Mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white rind, such as brie and camembert, and soft blue cheeses should be thoroughly cooked until steaming hot before eating. Unpasteurised milk and dairy products should be avoided.

Fish during pregnancy

Fish can be part of a pregnancy diet, but there are specific limits and preparation rules.

Cooked fish and cooked shellfish are generally safe. The NHS advises limiting oily fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring, to no more than two portions a week.

Tuna also has a pregnancy-specific limit. NHS guidance says not to eat more than four cans of tuna or two tuna steaks per week.

Shark, swordfish and marlin should be avoided because of their mercury content.

Current NHS guidance also advises avoiding raw fish and raw shellfish. Cold-smoked or cured fish, such as smoked salmon or gravlax, should be cooked until steaming hot before eating because of the risk of listeria.

If fish is not part of your diet, you do not need to start eating it simply because you are pregnant. Your midwife, GP or a dietitian can help if you have questions about meeting your nutritional needs.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy

The list of foods that genuinely need avoiding is much shorter than the internet can sometimes make it appear.

According to current NHS guidance, foods to avoid include:

raw or undercooked meat
liver and liver products
game meats such as goose, partridge, pheasant and venison
unpasteurised milk and dairy products
mould-ripened soft cheeses and soft blue cheeses unless thoroughly cooked until steaming hot
raw or undercooked eggs that are not British Lion hen eggs or produced under the Laid in Britain scheme
raw or undercooked duck, goose and quail eggs
raw fish and raw shellfish
shark, swordfish and marlin

Liver and liver products are avoided because they contain high levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful during pregnancy. This is also why the NHS advises against cod liver oil and supplements containing vitamin A in the form of retinol.

Food guidance can change as evidence and food safety advice are updated. Checking the current NHS pregnancy food guidance is sensible if you are unsure about a particular product.

Foods that need extra care rather than complete avoidance

Some foods do not have to disappear from your diet but need to be stored, prepared or cooked carefully.

Cold cured meats such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo and prosciutto should be cooked until steaming hot before eating.

Cold-smoked and cured fish also needs to be cooked until steaming hot. Cold, pre-cooked ready-to-eat prawns should be reheated in the same way.

Pre-packaged sandwiches, salads and pre-cut fruit should be kept chilled and eaten before their use-by date. Fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients should be washed thoroughly.

These precautions are intended to reduce exposure to foodborne infections such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis.

Caffeine during pregnancy

You do not necessarily have to give up coffee or tea, but caffeine needs to be limited.

The NHS recommends having no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day during pregnancy. Caffeine is not only found in coffee. Tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate and some supplements can also contribute to your daily total.

The amount in coffee can vary, particularly with coffee-shop and filter drinks, so checking the information provided by the manufacturer or retailer can be useful.

If you enjoy several caffeinated drinks each day, swapping some for caffeine-free alternatives can make staying within the recommended limit easier.

What about alcohol?

NHS guidance advises not drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

If you drank alcohol before knowing you were pregnant and are concerned, you can speak to your midwife or GP rather than trying to assess the situation yourself.

If avoiding alcohol is difficult, your midwife or GP can also help you access appropriate support without judgement.

Vitamins do not replace food

A varied diet provides many of the vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy, but the NHS recommends certain supplements because food alone may not provide enough at the relevant time.

Folic acid and vitamin D are part of NHS pregnancy supplement guidance. Some people need different advice depending on their circumstances, so speak to your midwife, GP or pharmacist about the supplements that apply to you.

Avoid cod liver oil and supplements containing vitamin A, also called retinol, during pregnancy. Always check supplement labels before taking them.

If you follow a vegetarian, vegan or otherwise restricted diet, have food allergies, or have a medical condition that affects what you can eat, ask your midwife, GP or a registered dietitian for individual advice.

If nausea or food aversions make eating difficult

Pregnancy does not always make balanced meals easy. Nausea, vomiting, changes in smell and taste, heartburn or strong food aversions can all affect what feels manageable.

You do not need to turn every meal into a nutritional checklist. The NHS Eatwell guidance looks at dietary balance over time rather than requiring every individual meal to contain the ideal proportions of every food group.

If your usual diet temporarily feels difficult, focus on what you can tolerate while following pregnancy food safety guidance. If sickness is making it difficult to keep food or fluids down, contact your midwife or GP for advice.

If you accidentally eat something on the avoid list

Realising afterwards that you ate a food you were supposed to avoid can be unsettling.

The NHS says that if you have already had a small amount of a food or drink that should be avoided during pregnancy, it is unlikely to affect your baby if you did not become unwell. If you are worried or develop symptoms, speak to your midwife or GP.

There is no need to diagnose a possible foodborne infection yourself. Professional advice is appropriate if you feel unwell or are concerned about something you have eaten.

When to get professional advice

Speak to your midwife, GP, pharmacist or a registered dietitian if you are unsure how pregnancy food guidance applies to you, particularly if you have allergies, dietary restrictions, a medical condition, significant food aversions or concerns about meeting your nutritional needs.

Contact your midwife or GP if you are worried after eating a food that pregnancy guidance advises avoiding or if you develop symptoms.

The NHS advises getting help from NHS 111 if you are pregnant and feel unwell after eating or drinking something that should be avoided, have vomiting and diarrhoea lasting more than 48 hours, or have symptoms that could be associated with listeriosis or toxoplasmosis.

If you are struggling to keep food or fluids down because of pregnancy sickness, contact your midwife or GP. Severe vomiting in pregnancy can require medical assessment.

For a life-threatening emergency, call 999.