Fruits to Avoid During Pregnancy: What Every Expecting Mother Should Know

During pregnancy, everyone is encouraged to eat fruits, but attention should be paid to grasping the balance. Eating fruits scientifically is very beneficial to both mothers and babies, because fruits can not only be the main source of carbohydrates, but can also be provided Vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants .

Core principles of eating fruit during pregnancy: Balanced, moderate, hygienic, individualized.

Fruits you can’t eat during pregnancy?

(Actually “fruits that require special attention”)

Modern medical opinion holds that there are no absolutely contraindicated types of fruit, except in the case of personal allergies. The key is Mode of consumption, hygiene and amount consumed , the following fruits require special attention:

1. Fruit not thoroughly washed:

All fruit! This is the most important caveat, pesticides, bacteria (such as Listeria, Salmonella) or parasite eggs may remain on the surface of the fruit.

Recommendations: Always scrub the skin thoroughly with running water before eating, even if you need to peel fruits (such as bananas, oranges), wash them first to avoid contaminating the pulp during peeling, it is best to use a special fruit cleaning brush.

2. Unsterilized freshly squeezed or commercially available cold-pressed fruit juices:

Risk: Bacteria may be introduced into the juicing process and lack of pasteurization, presenting a risk of foodborne illness such as Listeria. Juice removes valuable dietary fiber, and the glycemic index is greatly increased, which can easily cause blood sugar to soar.

Recommendations: Try to avoid unsterilized freshly squeezed juices during pregnancy, including roadside stalls, informal shops and bottled juices labeled “cold pressed”, “non-heat treated”. If you squeeze the juice at home yourself, be sure to make sure that the fruit is thoroughly washed and consumed as soon as possible, and it is more recommended to eat the whole fruit.

3. Decayed, spoiled fruit:

Risk: Even if only a small piece is rotten, the toxin produced by the mold may spread throughout the fruit, and there is a safety risk in eating it.

Recommendations: Discard resolutely any fruit that shows signs of mildew and decay.

If it looks like it’s spoiled, but you’re not sure, don’t eat it. If you’re really reluctant to throw it away and let your husband eat it, you can’t harm yourself and your baby anyway This kind of fruit in our house is often eaten by myself .

4. Fruit liable to cause allergies or intolerance:

Risk: If you are allergic or intolerant to certain fruits (such as mango, pineapple, kiwi) before pregnancy, you should continue to avoid them during pregnancy.

Recommendations: When trying a new variety of fruit, try it in small amounts and observe for any adverse reactions, such as rash, itching, diarrhea, oral discomfort, etc.

5. Hawthorn:

Controversial point: The traditional view is that hawthorn has the effect of activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Eating it in large quantities may stimulate uterine contraction. However, there are no large-scale studies that directly prove that it is harmful to pregnant women. If you want to eat it, you can eat it in moderation. For example, a few hawthorn slices are usually safe.

Recommendations: For the sake of caution, it is not recommended to deliberately consume hawthorn or hawthorn products in large quantities during pregnancy, such as a large amount of hawthorn cakes, hawthorn drinks, etc., and occasionally taste a little in small quantities, which is not a big problem.

6. Fruits that are too cold or hot (TCM perspective):

If you believe in Chinese medicine, you can refer to the following Chinese medicine, if you don’t believe in Chinese medicine, this paragraph can be skipped.

Description: This is the view of TCM theory, which holds that some fruits are cold in nature, such as watermelons, pears, and persimmons, and that excessive consumption by pregnant women with weak and cold constitutions may cause discomfort. Some heat, such as lychee, longan, and durian, may aggravate constipation and internal heat if consumed in excess by pregnant women with a hot constitution.

Recommendations: Know your physique and eat in a balanced way , avoid eating a large amount of fruits with only a certain type of nature and flavor for a long time. If you have any doubts, you can consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

Glycemic index classification of fruit (GI value)

Blood sugar control is very important to prevent gestational diabetes, and choosing low GI fruits is more helpful for blood sugar leveling.

Low glycemic index fruit:

Features: GI ≤ 55, has little effect on blood sugar, slow digestion and absorption, and strong satiety.

Recommended (common): Cherries, plums, grapefruit, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwis (kiwis), avocados (strictly fat-based fruits), prunes (fresh).

Medium glycemic index fruit:

Features: 56 ≤ GI ≤ 69, which has a moderate impact on blood sugar.

Common: Mangoes, bananas (especially ripe), pineapples, grapes, papayas, figs (fresh), oranges, citrus.

Recommendations: You can eat in moderation, pay attention to control the portion size and combination, such as with nuts or yogurt, choose slightly raw banana with lower GI.

Glycoinfraction fruit:

Features: GI ≥ 70, easily causes rapid increase in blood sugar.

Common: Watermelon, lychee, longan, jujube (fresh jujube and dried jujube all have high GI), jackfruit (some varieties), ripe cantaloupe.

Recommendations: Servings need to be kept under tight control! Especially in pregnant women with high blood sugar or gestational diabetes. For example, watermelons are eaten in small pieces (100-150 grams) at a time, avoiding consumption alone during peak blood sugar periods. Dried dates (red dates) have a very high GI and should be treated with great caution as a snack.

Precautions for eating fruit during pregnancy

1. Serving size control:

Recommended volume: The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends a daily fruit intake of 200-350 grams during pregnancy, which is equivalent to 1-2 fist-sized fruits, such as 1 medium apple + 10 strawberries.

Avoid overdoses: Fruits contain sugar, and excessive intake may lead to excessive weight gain, elevated blood sugar, excessive fetal size, and increased difficulty in delivery, so that the total amount should be controlled even for low-GI fruits.

2. Diversification:

Don’t eat just one or two fruits, different fruits are rich in different nutrients, take turns eating to get more comprehensive nutrition. Seasonal, fresh fruits are preferred.

3. Prefer low GI fruits:

As the main force of daily fruits, it helps to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Medium-high GI fruits to eat smartly:

Control Serving Size: Eat less at once.

Serve with: Eating it with foods rich in protein (such as sugar-free yogurt, a few nuts) or healthy fats (such as avocados) can slow the rate of blood sugar rise.

Avoid eating alone on an empty stomach: In particular, avoid high GI fruits in large quantities 2 hours after breakfast during peak postprandial blood glucose periods.

Select Maturity: For example, for bananas, the one with a little green is chosen to have a lower GI than the ripe one.

5. Clean thoroughly:

Again, this is the key to preventing foodborne illness! Rinse with running water, rub, use a soft brush if necessary, be more careful with strawberries, grapes and other fruits that are not easy to clean.

6. Note the time of consumption:

As an extra meal, such as 10 am and 3-4 pm, it is better to eat immediately after meals to avoid excessive blood sugar load caused by excessive carbohydrate intake at one time. Avoid eating too much fruit before going to bed so as not to affect your sleep or cause bloating.

7. Focus on individual responses:

If gastrointestinal discomfort (abdominal distension, diarrhoea), allergic reactions or abnormal fluctuations in blood sugar occur after eating a certain fruit, the consumption should be suspended and the doctor should be consulted.

Pregnant women with gestational diabetes must choose the type of fruit, portion size, and time to eat under the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist, and closely monitor their blood sugar.

8. Fruit is no substitute for vegetables:

Vegetables, especially Darkleaf , is usually richer in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber content, and has lower sugar content. Adequate vegetable intake should be ensured, 300-500 grams per day, with dark colors accounting for more than half, and fruit is a supplement.

9. Avoid juices

(Especially commercially available juice and unsterilized freshly squeezed juice):

The reasons are as mentioned before: loss of nutrients (fiber), fast sugar rise, high food safety risk, drinking fruit juice is not as good as eating whole fruit.

10. Special constitution pays attention to cold and heat:

If you are prone to diarrhea or cold stomach, eat less cold fruits such as watermelon and pear; if you are prone to constipation and getting angry, eat less hot fruits such as lychee and longan.

11refrigerated fruits:

Fruit taken out of the refrigerator should preferably be left at room temperature for a while before eating, to avoid irritation of the stomach by being too cold.

Summary key points

Safety first: Wash all fruits thoroughly to avoid unsterilized juices and spoiled fruits.

Moderate amounts are king: 200-350 grams per day, dispersed in the extra meal.

Low GI is preferred: Cherries, berries, apples, pears, grapefruits, kiwis, etc. are good friends.

Smart eat medium high GI: Control portion sizes, pair with protein/fat, and avoid eating immediately after a meal/on an empty stomach.

Diversify: Various colors and kinds to eat.

Individualization: Pay attention to your own blood sugar, constitution and reactions, and consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have any questions.

Remember, the core of the diet during pregnancy is Balanced and moderate , Fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. Enjoy the nutrition and deliciousness they bring scientifically and rationally! Good luck with your pregnancy!

Disclaimer: All photos used in this blog are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). These images are original creations produced by AI technology and do not depict real people, places, or events. They are provided for illustrative purposes only and cannot be claimed or used as real photographs.