Avoid the higher-risk foods.
Liver, pâté, raw or undercooked meat, certain cheeses unless cooked hot, raw shellfish, shark, swordfish, marlin and cold-smoked or cured fish unless cooked until steaming hot.
Pregnancy food guide
Foods to avoid during pregnancy.
Pregnancy food rules can feel like a moving target. This guide keeps it simple: what the NHS says to avoid, what to limit, what is actually fine, and how to make safe, filling meals easier when you are tired, hungry or overthinking everything.
NHS-backed guide
Safe swaps
Real meals first
Quick rule
Pregnancy food safety
Hot
ready meals should be steaming hot all the way through
Avoid
Some cheeses, pâté, liver, raw meat and high-mercury fish.
Limit
Caffeine, tuna and oily fish have sensible pregnancy limits.
Cook
Heat higher-risk foods and ready meals until steaming hot.
Relax
Plenty of normal, comforting food is still on the menu.
What to avoid
What to limit
What is safe
Pregnancy food myths
Ready meal safety
Simple swaps
NHS sources
What to avoid
What to limit
What is safe
Pregnancy food myths
Ready meal safety
Simple swaps
NHS sources
Quick answer
Most food is fine. A few foods need a pregnancy rule.
The aim is not to make pregnancy eating stressful. The aim is to reduce avoidable risks from listeria, toxoplasmosis, salmonella, mercury, too much vitamin A, alcohol and too much caffeine.
Once you know the main rules, the everyday plate becomes much simpler: proper meals, clear ingredients, enough protein, enough fibre, and food heated safely.
Jump to avoid listLimit the foods with amounts.
Caffeine, tuna and oily fish are not automatically banned, but they do have daily or weekly limits.
Heat ready meals properly.
Ready meals should be heated until steaming hot all the way through. This matters especially for meals containing poultry.
Do not let myths shrink your menu.
Peanuts do not need to be avoided unless you are allergic or have been advised to avoid them. Safe pregnancy food can still be varied, comforting and enjoyable.
What to avoid
The main foods NHS guidance says to avoid.
The main pregnancy food rules worth knowing. Not every food here is banned. Some should be avoided, some limited, and some just need proper washing, cooking or heating.
Cheese & dairy
Some soft cheeses and unpasteurised dairy.
Avoid mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white rind, soft blue cheeses and unpasteurised milk products unless the cheese has been cooked until steaming hot.
- Brie, camembert and chèvre unless cooked hot
- Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort unless cooked hot
- Unpasteurised cows’, goats’ or sheep’s milk
Meat
Raw meat, liver, pâté and game.
Raw or undercooked meat can carry toxoplasmosis risk. Liver and liver products are high in vitamin A. Pâté can carry listeria risk, including vegetarian pâté.
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Liver, liver sausage and liver products
- All pâté, including vegetarian pâté
- Game meats such as goose, partridge or pheasant
Fish
High-mercury fish and raw shellfish.
Avoid shark, swordfish and marlin because of mercury. Avoid raw shellfish because it can contain bacteria, viruses or toxins that cause food poisoning.
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Marlin
- Raw shellfish
Smoked fish
Cold-smoked or cured fish unless cooked hot.
Ready-to-eat cold-smoked or cured fish, such as smoked salmon or gravlax, should be avoided unless it has been cooked until steaming hot.
- Cold-smoked salmon unless cooked hot
- Gravlax unless cooked hot
- Cold-smoked or cured fish in sushi unless cooked hot
Eggs
Some raw or runny eggs.
British Lion hen eggs and Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten raw or partially cooked. Eggs outside these schemes, and duck, goose or quail eggs, should be cooked thoroughly.
- British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs are different
- Raw or runny hen eggs without British Lion or Laid in Britain status
- Raw or partially cooked duck, goose or quail eggs
- Homemade mousse or mayonnaise depends on the eggs used
Alcohol & vitamins
Alcohol and high vitamin A.
The safest approach in pregnancy is not to drink alcohol at all. Also avoid high-dose multivitamins or supplements containing vitamin A unless advised by a healthcare professional.
- Alcohol
- High-dose multivitamins
- Supplements containing vitamin A
- Fish liver oil such as cod liver oil unless advised
Enoki mushrooms
Cook enoki mushrooms thoroughly.
Enoki mushrooms can carry listeria bacteria, so they should not be eaten raw. Store them in the fridge before use and cook them thoroughly until hot all the way through.
- Do not eat raw enoki mushrooms
- Store in the fridge before use
- Cook thoroughly before eating
- Wash hands and surfaces after handling
Liquorice
Liquorice sweets are different to liquorice root.
Liquorice sweets are safe to eat during pregnancy, but liquorice root should be avoided. This is one of those small details that is easy to miss.
- Liquorice sweets are okay
- Avoid liquorice root
- Check ingredient labels for liquorice root
- Ask your midwife if unsure
Fruit, veg & salads
Wash well to remove soil.
Fruit, vegetables and salads are important in pregnancy, but they need washing properly because soil can make you unwell.
- Wash fruit before eating
- Wash vegetables and salad leaves thoroughly
- Remove visible soil
- Keep washed salad chilled and use by the date
What to limit
Not banned. Just don’t overdo these.
Some pregnancy food advice is about limits rather than avoidance. These are the ones worth remembering.
200mg
Caffeine per day.
You can have caffeine during pregnancy, but no more than 200mg per day. Coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate can all add to the total.
2 / 4
Tuna per week.
Limit tuna to no more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 medium-size cans per week. Tuna does not count as oily fish, so it sits alongside the oily fish limit.
2
Oily fish portions per week.
Oily fish can be useful, but the NHS advises no more than 2 portions a week because it can contain pollutants.
What is usually fine?
Pregnancy eating is not just a banned list.
The reassuring bit: there are still plenty of easy, normal foods you can eat.
Dairy
Hard cheese and pasteurised dairy.
Cheddar, parmesan, pasteurised yoghurt, pasteurised milk and many pasteurised soft cheeses are fine.
- Cheddar
- Parmesan
- Pasteurised yoghurt
- Pasteurised milk
Protein
Well-cooked meat, fish and eggs.
Chicken, beef, pork, fish and shellfish can stay on the menu when cooked properly with no unsafe raw or undercooked middle.
- Well-cooked chicken
- Cooked fish
- Cooked shellfish
- British Lion eggs
Plants
Fruit, veg, beans and grains.
Fruit and veg are encouraged. Wash fresh fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients thoroughly to remove soil.
- Washed fruit
- Washed salad
- Beans and pulses
- Wholegrains
Snacks
Peanuts are not automatically banned.
You do not need to avoid peanuts during pregnancy unless you have a nut allergy or a healthcare professional has advised you to avoid them.
- Peanuts if suitable for you
- Nuts and seeds
- Fruit and yoghurt
- Toast, oats and soups
Food safety in real life
The boring bits matter more when you are pregnant.
Pregnancy food safety is not just about what you eat. It is also how food is stored, washed, cooked and reheated.
This is where ready meals can be helpful: fewer raw ingredients to handle, fewer cooking decisions, and clear heating instructions.
Wash produce properly.
Wash fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients thoroughly to remove soil and reduce contamination risk.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat separate.
Use separate chopping boards and knives for raw meat, and clean hands, surfaces and utensils after preparing raw foods.
Check use-by dates.
Do not eat food after the use-by date, even if it looks or smells fine.
Heat until steaming hot.
Ready meals, poultry, burgers, sausages and meat should be cooked or heated thoroughly all the way through.
Simple swaps
Less panic, more “eat this instead”.
The easiest pregnancy food plan is not a perfect plan. It is a fridge with safer defaults ready to go.
Instead of
Brie, camembert or soft blue cheese served cold.
Try
Hard cheese, pasteurised soft cheese, or soft cheese cooked until steaming hot.
Instead of
Cold-smoked salmon, gravlax or cured fish served ready-to-eat.
Try
Cooked salmon, cooked smoked fish in a hot dish, or another cooked fish option.
Instead of
Salami, chorizo or prosciutto straight from the packet.
Try
Cook cured meats thoroughly, or choose well-cooked chicken, beef, pulses or eggs.
Instead of
Guessing whether a ready meal is hot enough.
Try
Follow the heating instructions and make sure it is steaming hot all the way through.
If you ate something by mistake
Do not spiral. Check how you feel and get advice if needed.
Pregnancy food rules are there to reduce risk, not to make you feel guilty. If you accidentally ate something from the avoid list, the next step depends on whether you feel unwell or have symptoms.
If you feel fine.
Do not keep eating the food, but try not to panic. Check official NHS guidance and mention it to your midwife if you are worried.
If you feel unwell.
Get advice straight away if you feel unwell after eating a food you should avoid, or if you have signs of listeriosis or toxoplasmosis infection.
If you are unsure.
Use NHS 111 or speak to your GP, midwife or maternity unit. This guide is useful, but it is not a replacement for medical advice.
Pregnancy food myths
A few things people get wrong.
“You need to eat for two.”
You do not need to eat for two. The better goal is regular, balanced food that helps you feel fed.
“All eggs are banned unless hard.”
British Lion hen eggs and Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten raw or partially cooked. Other eggs need more care.
“You must avoid peanuts.”
Peanuts do not need to be avoided unless you are allergic or a healthcare professional has told you to avoid them.
“Pregnancy food has to be plain.”
Safe does not mean boring. Herbs, spices, cooked sauces, vegetables, beans, grains and comfort meals can all fit.
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Sources and safety note
Use this guide as a simple starting point.
Last checked: June 2026. Pregnancy advice can change, and individual medical needs vary. Always follow your midwife, GP, dietitian or NHS guidance if it differs from general information on this page.
FAQs
Pregnancy food questions, answered simply.
The quick version: avoid the higher-risk foods, limit the few with weekly or daily amounts, heat ready meals properly, and do not make pregnancy eating smaller than it needs to be.
Can I eat ready meals during pregnancy?
Yes, ready meals can be eaten during pregnancy if they are stored correctly, used before the use-by date and heated until steaming hot all the way through. Always follow the heating instructions.
Can I eat cheese during pregnancy?
Many cheeses are fine, including hard cheeses and many pasteurised soft cheeses. Avoid mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white rind and soft blue cheeses unless they are cooked until steaming hot.
Can I eat eggs while pregnant?
British Lion hen eggs and Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten raw or partially cooked. Other hen eggs should be cooked until the white and yolk are hard. Duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked thoroughly.
Is smoked salmon safe in pregnancy?
Ready-to-eat cold-smoked or cured fish, including smoked salmon or gravlax, should be avoided unless cooked until steaming hot. Cooked smoked fish in a hot dish is a safer option.
How much caffeine can I have?
Caffeine is allowed in pregnancy, but no more than 200mg per day. Coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate can all contribute.
Do I need to avoid peanuts?
No, not unless you have a nut allergy or a healthcare professional has advised you to avoid peanuts.
Can I eat tuna during pregnancy?
Yes, but limit it. NHS advice says no more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 medium-size cans of tuna per week.
Can I eat enoki mushrooms?
Enoki mushrooms should be cooked thoroughly and stored in the fridge before use because there is a chance they may contain listeria bacteria.
Can I eat liquorice?
Liquorice sweets are safe to eat, but liquorice root should be avoided during pregnancy.
Does Mummy Meals replace medical advice?
No. Mummy Meals can help make everyday food easier, but it does not replace advice from your midwife, GP, dietitian or NHS guidance.
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