food to avoid during pregnency

It's much more important that she have a balanced & varied diet than she specifically avoid certain foods. Raw meats, fish & unpasturized milks and cheese are best to avoid while pregnant. Otherwise limiting how much long-live, big fish you eat is a good idea. Fish like tuna will build up more mercury than smaller fish like cod. But fish in general is very good for mom & baby, so avoiding it completely is not necassary. As far as I know it's a cultural thing to not eat papaya and certain other fruits while pregnant. I've heard it from a couple of Indian people here on MyLot, but have never heard or read it before.

I think people do go overboard when they get pregnant which isn't a good thing, the only things i knew not to eat were processed meats like salami, pepperoni, metwhurst because they can contain bacteria, soft cheeses & seafood - the processed kind! They also recommend not eating at salad bars or all you can eat places coz there's never any guarantee of how fresh the food is & could contain bacteria since it sits out all day! Just make sure she eats a little bit of everything & keeps herself fit & healthy, also drink a decent amount of water & all will be fine. Try not to take too much to heart with things like this, some people go way over the top with things like this & don't end up eating enough of the good stuff they need to help the baby grow!

Hi! Oily fish such as salmon and sword fish have high levels of mercury and should be avoided. Canned tuna can be consumed one time a week, but albacore (white) canned tuna has higher levels of mercury and should be consumed less frequently. Also, luncheon meats should be avoided, as well as soft cheeses like feta and blue cheese due to possible listeria contamination. Caffeine should be reduced, but does not need to be avoided altogether, as well as artificial sweeteners. Meats need to be well done and so do eggs due to possible salmonella contamination. This is enough to get you started, I think. You can look up these things online for more information! Best wishes to your sister! Michele