Pregnant women crave for just about any foods you can name. From chocolates to chalk you never know what you may want next. You may even crave for the foods that you normally are not too found off. That’s the best part; you will begin to explore new foods. Statistically 68% pregnant women have food cravings due to hormonal changes. The most common cravings are pickles and ice-cream.

While every one knows that pregnant women must watch what they eat, you should be aware that every day foods can cause a lot of harm. Foods should be cooked well, avoid eating raw foods like sushi as they tend of be carriers of bacteria that can cause harm from minor fevers to miscarriages. Larger fish like tuna are high in mercury and should be eaten in limited proportions as the high amounts of mercury are harmful to the nervous system. Stay away from processed meat and barbeques are not the healthiest options for pregnant women.

Fruits that are high in heat like mangoes and melons should be avoided. Skip your energy bar as is made of chocolate. Limit chocolate intake as much as possible. Coffee and tea has a high amount of caffeine that is harmful to the growth of the baby and should be avoided.

Unpasteurized dairy products contains bacteria that can cause mental retardation in the baby and should be avoided completely. Raw eggs contain bacteria as well. Eggs must be cooked well, avoid half boiled and half fry eggs.

Unwashed fruits, vegetables and greens including berries and root vegetables contain parasites that may lead to miscarriage. Wash the vegetables well before cooking. Do not eat any raw vegetables.

All pregnant women must avoid beverages that contain alcohol even in the smallest proportion as it is a potential risk to the pregnant woman as well as her unborn baby.