The 6 Worst Foods to Avoid Eating During the Second Trimester

The second trimester is the best time of your pregnancy, and the most crucial aspect at this time is food. Having a balanced pregnancy diet will ensure that your baby is growing well and that you are not low in essential nutrients.

So you should eat healthy foods and avoid eating some nastiest foods that can lead to danger to your baby. But the question is how you will know which foods are good and which are not for you in the second trimester of your pregnancy. 

So in this article, I list a few of the worst foods that you should altogether avoid eating during the 2nd-trimester and some best tips to be healthy during this time.

1. Raw Eggs, Meat, and Fish

You should not eat raw or half-cooked eggs, meat and fish. The significant dangers in eating raw and undercooked food are the bacteria Salmonella and the parasite Toxoplasma, which can contaminate your baby and generate serious health problems. So, it is highlighted for you not to eat raw or uncooked foods during pregnancy and always boil them entirely and then eat them. 

2. Seafood with High Content of Mercury 

High mercury seafood can damage your baby's developing brain and nervous system. You should strictly avoid eating the followings - 

• Bigeye tuna
• King mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Swordfish
• Shark
• Tilefish

However, there is a surplus of other types of seafood with low levels of mercury, and you should include them in your pregnancy diet. The fatty acids in seafood like DHA and EPA are both facilities of omega-3 and play an essential role in baby brain growth. You can have two or three servings of the following seafood in a week - 

• Catfish
• Light canned tuna
• Pacific oysters
• Pollock
• Cod
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Tilapia
• Shad
• Trout
• Sardines

3. Unpasteurized Milk and Juices

While some individuals claim the health benefits of raw milk and raw juices, drinking them during pregnancy poses significant health hazards. The most severe issue is listeriosis, a bacterial infection that can be fatal to your child. Since your immune system is weak during pregnancy, you're extra vulnerable.

Listeria monocytogenes can be found in raw milk and dairy products, unpasteurized juice, and other foods, and it can thrive even in the refrigerator. As a result, you should stay away from these drinks entirely.

4. Soft Cheese

Unpasteurised soft cheese has the risk of Listeria contamination. You should not eat soft cheese made with unpasteurised milk. However, most soft cheese is made with pasteurised milk and is considered safe to eat.

But some artisanal or imported cheeses are not pasteurised, so you should check the label on feta, fresh mozzarella, and blue cheese like gorgonzola, Limburger, queso fresco etc.  

It's OK to eat pasteurised cheese as long as the label says so. In restaurants, you can inquire about the pasteurisation of the cheeses specified. It's best to omit it if they don't know.

5. Foods Loaded with Hidden Sweeteners

Some foods like cookies, cakes, candy, and ice cream come with hidden and a lot of sugar. Added sugar contributes to diabetes and obesity crises, but it also has no nutritional value for you.

Your body may not be able to create adequate insulin to handle all of the excess sugar in your blood if you're prone to gestational diabetes (which is on the increase).

Further, I am not talking about naturally arising sugars in fruit and dairy items, but the sugars and syrups that are added to food items to cause them to taste better.

6. Excess Caffeine and Alcohol 

Caffeine crosses the placenta, but the consequences on your baby are unknown. To be secure, your health care practitioner may advise you to avoid or limit your caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrammes (mg) per day while pregnant.

Additionally, consuming alcohol increases the chance of miscarriage and stillbirth during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause foetal alcohol syndrome, resulting in facial abnormalities and intellectual incapacity.

Essential Tips for Second Trimester Diet

The following are a few of the suggestions that you should follow to assure your happy and healthy pregnancy:

• To maintain a balanced and nutritious diet, you should prepare your meals at home.
• You should choose fresh foods always instead of frozen foods.
• When purchasing frozen foods, look for those low in fat and sodium.
• To avoid the harmful effects of fruits and vegetables, you should always wash them before eating them.

A healthy diet plan in the second trimester can help you have the fewest difficulties during your pregnancy and ensure that your baby is healthy and that you remain vital throughout your pregnancy.

Work out on a 2nd-trimester pregnancy food diet chart with your doctor to ensure a healthy pregnancy. The second trimester is the most relaxing and crucial phase of your pregnancy, as, during this time, the majority of the baby's organs grow. So, for a healthy and robust baby, consider eating healthy.

Conclusion 

We all need to stay healthy, but pregnant women need to be more careful with their diet. Your baby's physical development will occur during the second trimester, so you must be especially careful with your diet. You should eat as much fresh and cooked food as possible during your pregnancy and avoid excessive sugar, sodium, and other unhealthy foods. 

I hope the knowledge shared in this guide about avoiding unhealthy food during pregnancy will help you make your nutritious diet plan with the right foods.  If you have additional questions about the above topic, please feel free to comment.