Pregnancy Diet: Foods To Avoid And Their Healthy Alternatives

All pregnant women need to follow a proper pregnancy diet plan in order for them to have healthy pregnancy and of course, healthy and bouncing babies. There are certain types of food they have to stay away from to avoid different pregnancy complications. They also have to find safer food choices that will not cause any harm to their babies.

Parenting posted an article about the foods to avoid during pregnancy. They also shared the healthier alternatives for the foods that pregnant women should get rid of as much as possible.

First on the list are meals that contain raw food such as sushi and raw beef. The article advised to replace sushi with California roll with imitation crabmeat. For deli meat, heating it up until it steams is safe for pregnant women as long as they eat it moderately.

Another food to avoid during pregnancy is soft cheese. Eating yogurt to replace soft cheeses is recommended for pregnant women.

Pregnant women are also advised not to drink any alcoholic beverage. Fetal alcohol syndrome -- a condition that causes brain damage in the fetus -- is caused by alcohol exposure of the fetus as reported by the Mayo Clinic.

Dietician Jenny Dean told Parenting that your way of preparing meals can sometimes be more important than what you eat. She advised pregnant women to perform thorough hand-washing before they handle and prepare meals to avoid infection and the spread of bacteria.

Storing raw meats, poultry and seafood in safe containers and placing them inside a fridge is the best way to keep them off bacteria. The article also advised pregnant women to use knives and chopping boards on fruits and vegetables first before handling raw meat, poultry and seafood.

American Pregnancy shared more inputs on proper pregnancy diet. Pregnant women should also avoid eating fish with mercury content, smoked seafood, raw shellfish, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, pate, caffeine and unwashed vegetables.