The Best Safe Pregnancy Sushi Recipes You'll Love (2024)

FAQs

What is the safest sushi while pregnant? ›

Any cooked fish roll (opt for fish with a lower mercury content, like salmon, and avoid seafood with a higher mercury content, like swordfish, tilefish and bigeye tuna) Tempura and tempura rolls. California rolls. Cucumber rolls.

Yes, but steer clear of sushi made with raw fish. During pregnancy it's recommended that you only eat fish and shellfish that has been cooked to 145 degrees F. Cooking fish to this temperature destroys any potentially harmful parasites and pathogens (other disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses).

Pick your fish

Freshwater fish like yellow perch or brook trout aren't safe to eat raw, so stick to saltwater species for your sushi. “As far as raw fish goes, tuna tends to have the lowest risk of food-borne illness,” Patton says. “You can also ask for cooked fish in your sushi. Shrimp and crab are usually cooked.”

Imitation crab is cooked, so it is usually safe for a pregnant woman to eat. However, it is crucial to ask if there are other raw products in foods, such as sushi, before eating them. Imitation crab is typically less expensive than real crab and contains pollock, egg whites, artificial flavoring, and sugar.

In addition to concerns about bacteria and parasites, some types of fish used in sushi—such as bigeye and yellowfin tuna, swordfish and marlin—contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause serious birth defects, including brain damage, blindness and deafness.

What kind of sushi is off-limits? Any sushi with raw or undercooked seafood is off-limits, according to FoodSafety.gov. Eating raw or undercooked fish can expose your growing baby to mercury, bacteria, and other harmful parasites.

Eating rice during pregnancy is absolutely safe, however experts suggest to keep a check on the portion as it may lead to weight gain, if consumed in large portions.

Now that you're pregnant, you might be wondering if including soy in your diet is safe for you and your growing baby. The good news is that you can enjoy foods that contain soy, at least in moderation.

Can pregnant women eat seaweed? Almost all types of seaweed are safe to consume during pregnancy; However, you should talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes and adding seaweed to your daily diet.

Sashimi, vegetable rolls, salmon and avocado rolls, and rainbow rolls are just a few examples of healthy sushi options.

What sushi is not high in mercury? ›

Be smart about sushi and sashimi.

Go easy on (or avoid) all forms of tuna, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore. Same goes for mackerel, sea bass and yellowtail. Better sushi and sashimi options (with lower mercury contents) include salmon, eel, scallop, squid, trout, octopus, abalone and shrimp.

With cream cheese as the main ingredient, Philadelphia sushi is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and very low in nutrients. Even when paired with healthy ingredients, like salmon or avocado, if they're not made with low-fat cream cheese, you should still limit this type of sushi.

Here in the United States, it's common to hear that sushi should be avoided at all costs in pregnancy because of the risks of consuming raw seafood. But, did you know that in Japan, it's commonly recommended for pregnant people to eat MORE sushi?

The good news? There are plenty of sushi alternatives you can eat while pregnant, like vegetarian sushi or sushi rolls made with cooked fish or seafood, like shrimp tempura.

Seafood is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. But if you're pregnant, you've probably heard that you should avoid some types of sushi and seafood. The good news is that most types of seafood, including crab and lobster, are safe to eat while you're pregnant.

Pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and preterm labor. Listeria infection can cause serious illness and even death in newborns.

Pregnant people can eat certain types of cooked fish safely, but there is no raw fish considered safe to eat while pregnant because the risk to both mother and fetus from bacterial and parasitic infections is too great, according to guidelines.

The FDA recommends that pregnant women choose fully cooked fish instead of raw or undercooked fish (like sushi or raw poke) to lower their risk of potentially life-threatening foodborne illness. Yellowfin tuna also contains levels of mercury, an unavoidable natural contaminant in open ocean fish.

Can pregnant women eat seaweed? Almost all types of seaweed are safe to consume during pregnancy; However, you should talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes and adding seaweed to your daily diet.