Pregnancy Safe Foods Checklist

Written by Cynthia Obinatu, community and editorial lead. Checked against published guidance from the National Health Service. Not yet reviewed by a clinician. Educational, not medical advice.

How this safe foods checklist works

The list has nine lines of foods and habits to put on your plate in pregnancy. Tick a line when it is part of your week and the bar fills. Your ticks save on this device and nothing is sent to us. Reset clears the list. It is a list of what to eat more of. It is not a meal plan, and it does not cover everything to avoid, so the next section does.

What your ticks mean

A full bar means your plate has the basics. It does not mean your diet is complete, and an empty line is not a failure. The National Health Service (NHS) says you do not need to "eat for 2", even with twins, and to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. It also says to wash fruit, vegetables and salads to remove all traces of soil, because soil can carry the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. The NHS says to avoid liver and liver products in pregnancy because they are high in vitamin A, and to avoid supplements with vitamin A (retinol) for the same reason. That is why the iron line lists lean red meat, beans and green leaves instead. Ask your midwife or doctor if you are worried about your iron.

What foods should I avoid in the first trimester of pregnancy?

The NHS foods to avoid list is not split by trimester. It asks you to avoid unpasteurised milk, cream, yoghurt and cheese, raw or undercooked meat, liver and liver products, shark, swordfish and marlin, raw fish and shellfish, and alcohol. It asks you to limit tuna to no more than 4 cans or 2 steaks a week and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel to 2 portions a week. It says to have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day. Peanuts and other nuts are safe unless you have an allergy or a health worker has told you otherwise.

Which fruit is not good for early pregnancy?

The NHS list of foods to avoid names no fruit. Many women hear that watermelon or lemon will cause a miscarriage. We have not found a published authority that says so, and the NHS list of causes does not include any food. With fruit, the thing to do is wash it well, because soil can carry the parasite behind toxoplasmosis. If a fruit makes you feel unwell, leave it and tell your midwife. Our guide to Nigerian foods in pregnancy looks at the foods people ask about most, including tiger nut, bitter kola and Lipton.

Can I eat eggs during pregnancy?

Yes, if they are cooked firm. The NHS says hen eggs without the British Lion stamp should not be eaten raw or partly cooked. Eggs sold in Nigeria do not carry that stamp, so cook them until the white and yolk are solid, in moi moi, boiled eggs or fried. That is our reading of the NHS rule for Nigerian eggs and not a Nigerian guideline, so ask your midwife if you want it confirmed.

Nigerian foods and the pasteurised milk line

Ugu, spinach, ewedu and waterleaf count as the green vegetables the NHS asks for. Beans and eggs sit with the protein foods it lists. The line about pasteurised milk, yoghurt and cheese matters at the market. The NHS says to avoid unpasteurised dairy because it can carry listeria. Check that the pack says pasteurised, and if you cannot tell, leave it. Fresh tiger nut drink sold unrefrigerated is covered in our guide to Nigerian foods in pregnancy.

What drinks can cause a miscarriage?

Alcohol is the clear one. The NHS says drinking in pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight, and that the safest choice is to drink none. It says that if you drank before you knew you were pregnant, you should stop and not worry unnecessarily. The NHS also lists drinking a lot of caffeine among the risk factors for miscarriage. Its limit is 200mg a day. It gives about 100mg for a cup of instant coffee, 75mg for a cup of tea and 40mg for a can of cola. Herbal teas such as peppermint and chamomile are limited to 4 cups a day, and the NHS says to avoid teas with liquorice root. Water, and milk that is pasteurised, are the easy choices.

Common questions

Where this comes from

• Foods to avoid in pregnancy. National Health Service.
• Have a healthy diet in pregnancy. National Health Service.
• Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy. National Health Service.
• Drinking alcohol while pregnant. National Health Service.
• Miscarriage: causes. National Health Service.

This page has not yet been reviewed by a clinician. It stands on the published guidance above, and we say so plainly rather than implying a review that has not happened. Read it alongside our medical policy.