Pregnancy food safety
What to eat and avoid
Most foods stay on the menu. A few need a change in how they are cooked or stored, and a few are best skipped.
Salmon
Shrimp
Sardines
Eggs, cooked firm
Beans and lentils
Greek yogurt
Spinach
Berries
Change itDeli meat and hot dogs
Heat to 165°F or until steaming hot.
Change itSoft cheese like brie
Choose pasteurized. Queso fresco can carry Listeria even when pasteurized.
Change itSushi and raw fish
Choose cooked or vegetable rolls.
Change itRunny eggs
Cook until yolks and whites are firm.
Change itSmoked salmon (lox)
Refrigerated lox only in a cooked dish. Shelf-stable or canned is fine.
Change itRaw sprouts
Cook until steaming hot.
Change itRefrigerated pâté
Shelf-stable, sealed pâté is the safer choice.
Change itCut melon
Keep it in the fridge. Skip it if it sat out over 2 hours.
LimitCoffee
Under 200 mg caffeine a day. An 8 oz brewed cup has about 96 mg.
SkipSwordfish, shark, king mackerel
High in mercury. Pick salmon, shrimp or cod.
SkipRaw milk
Pasteurized milk only.
SkipWine, beer and spirits
No amount of alcohol is known to be safe.
Check any other food in Can I eat this?
Fish 2 to 3 times a week
FDA and EPA advise 8 to 12 oz a week (two or three 4 oz servings) of low-mercury fish like salmon, shrimp, sardines and canned light tuna.
Why the swaps matter
CDC says pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection. Heating deli meat until steaming hot and choosing pasteurized dairy lower the risk.
Wash, then cook
Wash all fruits and vegetables. Cooking them after washing is safest.
Keep going
In the Alma app
Pregnancy nutrition, set up for you.
- Choose Pregnancy nutrition as your goal.
- Alma turns calorie counting off by default and applies pregnancy nutrient targets.
- Caffeine starts at a 200 mg daily default.
- Alma’s coach never suggests fasting or a calorie deficit.
Questions
What people ask
How much caffeine is safe in pregnancy?
ACOG advises under 200 mg of caffeine a day. An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 96 mg (Mayo Clinic). Some other bodies use different numbers; this page uses ACOG’s lower limit.
Can I eat sushi while pregnant?
CDC lists raw or undercooked fish, including sushi and sashimi, as a riskier choice. Cooked and vegetable rolls are the safer option.
Is honey safe in pregnancy?
Yes. The honey warning is for babies under 1 year old. No pregnancy restriction appears in CDC or FDA guidance.
What about a specific food?
Search any food in the Can I eat this? tool. Questions about your own pregnancy belong with your care team.
Sources
Written by Alma from the primary sources below and reviewed November 13, 2026. Where sources differ on caffeine, this page uses ACOG’s 200 mg limit. This is general information, not medical advice. Your care team knows your pregnancy, so check questions with them. Editorial standards
- CDC. Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- FDA and EPA. Advice about Eating Fish
- FDA. Food Safety Booklet for Pregnant Women, Their Unborn Babies, and Children Under Five
- ACOG Committee Opinion 462. Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy (2010)
- Mayo Clinic. Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more
- CDC. About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy
Eat well for two, without the guesswork.
Alma’s coach answers pregnancy food safety questions any time, and Alma tracks caffeine against a 200 mg daily default.