# Foods to avoid (and enjoy) in pregnancy

> A calm, non-scary guide

Category: Pregnancy & postpartum · 5 min read · Written by the Splash team · Sources checked October 2026
URL: https://splash.care/learn/pregnancy-postpartum/foods-to-avoid

## Quick answer

- Most foods are safe; a few carry rare infection, mercury or vitamin A risks.
- Avoid liver, raw meat, unpasteurised dairy, shark, swordfish and marlin.
- Cook mould-ripened and blue cheeses, and cold cured meats, until steaming hot.
- No alcohol, and no more than 200mg of caffeine a day.

[Pregnancy](https://splash.care/learn/fertility-ttc/early-pregnancy-signs) food rules can feel overwhelming. Good news: the NHS says most foods and drinks are safe. A few are best avoided because of rare infections like [Listeria](https://splash.care/learn/glossary#listeria) or toxoplasmosis, or because they contain too much of something, like vitamin A.

## Best avoided

- Liver and liver products (too much vitamin A)
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Game meats such as pheasant and venison, which may contain lead
- Unpasteurised milk, cream, yoghurt and butter
- Shark, swordfish and marlin (too much mercury)
- Raw fish and raw shellfish, including sushi made with raw fish
- Hen eggs without the British Lion stamp (or Laid in Britain mark), unless they are cooked well
- [Alcohol](https://splash.care/learn/nutrition/caffeine-alcohol). There is no known safe amount, so not drinking is the safest choice.
- Herbal teas containing liquorice root

## Fine only if cooked until steaming hot

- Mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating, like brie, camembert and chèvre
- Soft blue cheeses, like gorgonzola and Danish blue
- Cold cured meats like salami, chorizo and prosciutto
- Cold-smoked fish, such as smoked salmon, and cold pre-cooked prawns

## Safe to enjoy

- Hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan
- Pasteurised soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, halloumi and ricotta
- Pasteurised milk, yoghurt, cream and ice cream
- British Lion eggs, even runny or raw in mayonnaise
- Well-cooked meat, and cooked fish and shellfish
- Peanuts and other nuts, unless you have an allergy or were told not to

## Limit

- Caffeine: no more than 200mg a day. A cup of instant coffee is about 100mg, tea about 75mg, a can of cola about 40mg and a 250ml energy drink about 80mg.
- Oily fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring: no more than 2 portions a week.
- Tuna: no more than 4 cans or 2 steaks a week.
- Herbal teas like peppermint and chamomile: no more than 4 cups a day. There is little research on them.

**Quick quiz:** Roughly how many cups of instant coffee reach the 200mg daily caffeine limit?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 4

Answer: 2. An instant coffee has about 100mg of caffeine, so 2 cups reach the limit. Tea, cola and chocolate count too.

> **Splash says:** pre-packed sandwiches and salads are fine if you keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date. Wash salad and fruit well.

**Myth:** You must avoid all cheese in pregnancy.

**Fact:** Most cheese is fine. The cheeses to be careful with are mould-ripened and blue ones, which must be cooked until steaming hot. Hard cheeses and pasteurised soft cheeses like mozzarella are fine.

**Myth:** If you ate something on the “avoid” list before you knew you were pregnant, you have harmed your baby.

**Fact:** The NHS says a small amount of food or drink from the avoid list is unlikely to affect your baby if you did not get ill. If you drank alcohol before you knew, avoid it from now on and do not worry unnecessarily, as the risk is likely to be low. Talk to your midwife if you are worried.

### When to see a doctor

Get help from NHS 111 if you feel unwell after eating something on the avoid list, you have had vomiting and diarrhoea for more than 48 hours, or you have symptoms of listeriosis or toxoplasmosis (such as a high temperature or flu-like symptoms). Tell your midwife or GP too.

## Sources

1. [NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/)
2. [NHS: Drinking alcohol while pregnant](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/)
3. [NICE NG201: Antenatal care](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng201)

This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US).