A Food Guide for Pregnant Women

During your pregnancy there are a few things that might stress you out, but eating shouldn't be one of them. Unfortunately, all of the advice you hear -- from friends, family, and yes, even total strangers -- about what is and isn't safe during pregnancy is enough to confuse anyone. "There are a lot of old wives' tales out there," says Elizabeth Ward, RD, of Reading, Massachusetts. So if you're wondering what's okay to eat (and whether you have to give your favorite foods the boot for nine months), check out our guide.

Why are some foods off-limits when you're pregnant -- but fine if you're not? First, changes to your immune system now make you more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses. What would've meant stomach upset before could mean serious complications now -- from dehydration to miscarriage.

So to be safe, avoid the common culprits of food-borne illness:

Eggs: Because raw eggs may be tainted with salmonella, a bacterium that can cause fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, watch out for restaurant-made Caesar salad dressing, homemade eggnog, raw cookie dough, and soft scrambled or sunny-side up eggs -- any dish in which the eggs (both yolk and white) are not cooked completely. "If eggs are cooked, the risk is gone," adds Madeleine Sigman-Grant, PhD, maternal child health and nutrition extension specialist at the University of Nevada.

Sushi: With the exception of California rolls and other cooked items, sushi is not safe when you're expecting, either, because it may contain illness-inducing parasites.

Unpasteurized Juice: Stay away from juice (like cider) sold at farm stands; it may not have undergone pasteurization, a processing method that kills bacteria and toxins. Though the majority of milk and juices sold in stores today are pasteurized, there are still some brands on shelves that aren't, so read labels.

Other foods are unsafe due to possible contaminants that can harm the fetus:

Some Varieties of Fish: Fish, which boasts omega-3 fatty acids that help baby's brain development, is a great meal choice right now. But some varieties should be shunned due to high levels of methyl-mercury, a pollutant that can affect baby's nervous system. These include swordfish, shark, and tilefish -- all big species that live longer, accumulating more mercury in their flesh. (You may want to avoid these fish entirely during your childbearing years because your body stores mercury for up to four years, Ward advises.)

In fact, most types of fish contain traces of mercury, so you'll want to limit your weekly consumption of safer varieties too. According to the newest guidelines from the FDA, you can enjoy up to 12 ounces a week (roughly two meals) of lower-mercury fish such as salmon, catfish, pollack, shrimp, and canned light tuna. Of those 12 ounces, only 6 should come from canned "white" albacore tuna, which tends to contain more mercury than light tuna. If you're eating fish caught in local waters, check online with your state's department of health for advisories (if you can't find any information, limit yourself to 6 ounces).