Is Fish Allowed During Pregnancy?

If a few tips are followed, fish during pregnancy is not only harmless, it is even highly recommended. Two portions of fish per week, including one portion of fatty sea fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, or herring, are considered healthy and recommended. However, fish and seafood should never be eaten raw. You should also avoid eating cold smoked or pickled fish products when you are pregnant.

The reason why pregnant women should avoid sushi, sashimi, oysters, fish tartare, smoked salmon and other smoked fish is because of the risk of infection. Listeria or nematode larvae can be found in raw or cold-smoked fish. Listeriosis can be dangerous for the unborn child and for the mother. A nematode infection is not a major health burden for the fetus, but for the pregnant woman.

However, these pathogens are killed by temperatures in excess of 70 degrees Celsius. Therefore, you can enjoy well-cooked fish during pregnancy without hesitation. Whether roasted, steamed, boiled or deep-fried, that is left to personal taste. It is better to ignore the healthy sushi with raw fish.

In addition, pregnant women can usually eat canned fish, herring, pasteurized or sterilized fishery products and marinated fish specialties. However, canned tuna is not recommended, as it can occasionally contain tiny traces of mercury. Although the maximum permissible level of one milligram of mercury per kilogram of tuna is not exceeded, pregnant women should not take any risks.

Caution is also required with large or old predatory fish. Pollution levels can be higher for wild salmon from the Baltic Sea, halibut, redfish, tuna, and swordfish. In addition, the consumption of cod liver is not recommended.

Apart from the restrictions mentioned, fish dishes are part of a healthy, varied, balanced diet during pregnancy. But even if you are not pregnant, you should often include fish in your diet because it contains healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, trace elements and minerals.