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Pregnancy: can I eat…
Every food in the library with a published answer for pregnancy — each verdict grounded in a named guideline.
Guideline answers for a general audience. Your clinician's answer for your specific situation is the one to follow.
| Food | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Feta cheese | Cooked, then fine | Feta is fine if made from pasteurised milk — most feta sold in the EU is. Check the pack; unpasteurised soft cheese is the listeria risk. |
| Soft cheese with a mould rind (brie, camembert, blue) | Avoid | Mould-ripened soft cheeses carry a listeria risk unless cooked until steaming hot. |
| Hard cheese (cheddar, gouda, parmesan) | Safe | Hard cheeses are fine, pasteurised or not. |
| Milk (cow's) | Safe | Pasteurised milk is fine and recommended for calcium. |
| Yogurt (plain) | Safe | Pasteurised yogurt is fine. |
| Eggs | Cooked, then fine | Cooked eggs are fine. Raw or runny eggs carry a salmonella risk — cook until firm. |
| Chicken | Cooked, then fine | Fine when cooked through; avoid rare poultry. |
| Liver and liver pâté | Avoid | Very high in vitamin A, which can harm the baby. |
| Beef, pork, lamb | Cooked, then fine | Fine when cooked through; avoid rare meat and game shot with lead pellets. |
| Cured meats (salami, parma ham, chorizo) | Avoid | Cured, uncooked meats carry toxoplasmosis and listeria risks. Safe if cooked thoroughly, e.g. on a hot pizza. |
| Tuna | Caution | Limit to about 2 fresh steaks (or 4 medium cans) per week — tuna is higher in mercury than other fish. |
| Sushi with raw fish | Avoid | Raw fish carries parasite and listeria risks; sushi made with cooked fish or vegetables is fine. |
| Cold-smoked fish (smoked salmon) | Avoid | Cold-smoked fish carries a listeria risk; hot-smoked or cooked-through is fine. |
| Shellfish (prawns, mussels, crab) | Cooked, then fine | Fine well-cooked; avoid raw shellfish. |
| Salmon and other oily fish | Safe | Recommended — up to 2 portions a week for omega-3. |
| Broccoli | Safe | Fine; folate and fibre. |
| Spinach | Safe | Rich in folate; wash well. |
| Beans and lentils | Safe | Fine — folate and fibre. |
| Whole nuts | Safe | No need to avoid peanuts or tree nuts in pregnancy unless you are allergic. |
| Alcohol | Avoid | There is no known safe amount in pregnancy; the NHS advice is none at all. |
| Coffee | Caution | Keep caffeine under 200 mg a day — about 2 mugs of filter coffee. |
| Honey | Safe | Fine for the mother — the infant botulism risk applies only to babies. |
Frequently asked questions
What does each verdict mean?
Safe: the guideline has no objection. Caution: fine with limits or preparation rules. Avoid: the guideline says no. Cooked, then fine: the risk is in the raw or cold form.
Why is a food missing?
Because no citable guideline answer was found for it. This page prefers a gap over a guess.
Plan around the answers
TempoLife turns the safe list into meals: what you can eat, logged against your targets.