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Eating for a Healthy Pregnancy

Eating well during pregnancy is important to give you and your baby the nutrients needed for growth and development.

What should I eat?

Enjoy a variety of foods every day by following Canada’s Food Guide when you are pregnant. Use the proportions of foods shown on the Canada’s Food Guide Eat Well Plate as a guide to help you make healthy meals or snacks. In your second and third trimester, you will need a little more food to get extra nutrients and calories. Get this by adding extra servings of foods on the Food Guide.

Here are a few examples of extra Food Guide servings:

½ cup of carrot and celery sticks and hummus and 1 cup of milk
½ cup of grapes and 1 ½ oz. (50 g) cheese
¾ cup of yogurt and ½ cup of berries
1 slice of whole grain toast with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter and a banana
¼ cup of nuts and 1 medium apple

Should I take a vitamin supplement?

Yes. All pregnant women should take a multivitamin that has 0.4 mg of folic acid and 16 to 20 mg of iron every day.

Some women may need extra folic acid or iron during their pregnancy. Talk to your healthcare provider about how much you need. It is important to take only what is recommended by your health care provider.

What foods should I avoid?

Foods that may cause food poisoning

When you are pregnant your immune system is weakened, and this increases your risk of food poisoning. Reduce your risk by following Health Canada's food safety advice for pregnant women.

Safe food alternatives for pregnant women

Hot dogs

Food to avoid:

Hot dogs straight from the package, without further heating.

Safer alternatives:

Hot dogs that are well cooked to a safe internal temperature. The middle of the hot dog should be steaming hot or 74 °C (165 °F).
Tip: Avoid spreading juice from hot dog packages onto other food, or to cutting

Deli meats

Food to avoid:

Non-dried deli meats, such as bologna, roast beef and turkey breast.

Safer alternatives:

Dried and salted deli meats, such as salami and pepperoni.
Non-dried deli meats that are well heated and steaming hot.

Eggs and egg products

Food to avoid:

Raw or lightly cooked eggs, or egg products that contain raw eggs, including some salad dressings, cookie dough, cake batter, sauces, and drinks (like homemade eggnog).

Safer alternatives:

Egg dishes that are well cooked to a safe internal temperature of 74 ^oC (165 ^oF). Cook eggs until the yolk is firm.
Homemade eggnog heated to 71°C (160 °F).
Tip: Use pasteurized egg products when making uncooked food that calls for raw eggs.

Meat and poultry

Food to avoid:

Raw or undercooked meat or poultry, such as steak tartar.

Safer alternatives:

Meat and poultry that are cooked to their safe internal temperature. Refer to the Internal Cooking Temperatures Chart.

Seafood

Food to avoid:

Raw seafood (e.g., sushi)
Raw oysters, clams, and mussels
Refrigerated smoked seafood

Safer alternatives:

Seafood cooked to a safe internal temperature of 74 °C (165 °F).
Oysters, clams and mussels that are cooked until the shell has opened.
Smoked seafood in cans, or seafood that does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened.

Dairy products

Food to avoid:

Raw or unpasteurized dairy products.
Unpasteurized and pasteurized soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert.
Unpasteurized and pasteurized semi-soft cheeses, such as Havarti.
All unpasteurized and pasteurized blue-veined cheeses.

Safer alternatives:

Pasteurized dairy products and any dairy products that are cooked, in a casserole or au gratin.
Pasteurized cheeses such as cheese curds, cheddar and cottage cheese.
Pasteurized processed/spreadable cheeses such as cream cheese.
Pasteurized and unpasteurized hard cheeses such as Romano and Parmesan.

Sprouts

Food to avoid:

Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung beans.

Safer alternatives:

Thoroughly cooked sprouts.

Pâtés and meat spreads

Food to avoid:

Refrigerated pâtés and meat spreads.

Safer alternatives:

Pâtés and meat spreads sold in cans, or that do not have to be refrigerated until they are opened.

Fruit juice and cider

Food to avoid:

Unpasteurized fruit juice and cider.

Safer alternatives:

Unpasteurized fruit juice and cider that are brought to a rolling boil and cooled.
Pasteurized fruit juice and cider.

Fish containing high levels of mercury

There are some types of fish that contain higher amounts of mercury and therefore should be limited.

Limit the following high mercury fish to no more than 150 g (approximately one cup) per month if you are pregnant, could become pregnant or are breastfeeding:

Fresh or frozen tuna
Shark
Swordfish
Marlin
Orange roughy
Escolar - additional health information on escolar is available from Health Canada's Fact Sheet on escolar.

Limit canned albacore (white) tuna to no more than 300 grams (or 2 cups) a week if you are pregnant, could become pregnant or breastfeeding. This does not apply to canned light tuna.

Do choose cooked fish that are low in mercury such as:

Salmon
Rainbow trout
Herring
Anchovy
Shrimp

Aim to eat 150 g of cooked fish that is low in mercury each week to get omega-3 fats, protein, and other important nutrients.

Caffeine

Caffeine can impact your health and the health of your baby. Limit caffeine to more than 300mg a day (about 2 to 3 cups of coffee) if you could become pregnant, are pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Herbal teas

The following herbal teas are generally considered safe if taken in moderation (i.e., two to three cups per day):

Citrus peel
Peppermint
Echinacea
Red raspberry leaf
Rosemary
Ginger
Orange peel
Rosehip

Talk to your health care provider before taking any herbal teas, any herbal supplements (in tablet, capsule or extract form) or natural health products if you are pregnant, could become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. There is not enough evidence on the safety of many herbal teas and supplements.

Liver and liver products

Liver and liver products should be avoided during pregnancy due to their high concentrations of vitamin A.

Resources:

Prenatal education
Food For You, Food For Two
Child and Babytalk in KFL&A
UnlockFood.ca
Telehealth Ontario - Talk directly to a registered dietitian at Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000