If you must know something about me, you must know that I am a Sushi fanatic. Most women suffer with quitting smoking during their pregnancy; I suffer from giving up Sushi. But we all heard the warnings about eating sushi during pregnancy due to the risk of certain bacteria and increased exposure to mercury. But women also need to remember that not all sushi is uncooked, and most fish contain essential nutrients and vitamins needed for growth and development of their baby.

Eating fish that is cooked can help reduce the risk of exposure to certain bacteria. Below is a list of different fish that pregnant women should avoid, eat once in a while, eat a little, and enjoy…

Highest mercury

AVOID

  • Kajiki (swordfish)
  • Saba (mackerel)

High Mercury

Eat no more than three 6-oz servings a month

  • Ahi (yellowfin tuna)
  • Buri (adult yellowtail)
  • Hamachi (young yellowtail)
  • Inada (very young yellowtail)
  • Kanpachi (very young yellowtail)
  • Katsuo (bonito)
  • Maguro (bigeye, bluefin or yellowfin tuna)
  • Makjiki (blue marlin)
  • Masu (trout)
  • Meji (young bigeye, bluefin* or yellowfin tuna)
  • Shiro (albacore tuna)
  • Toro (bigeye, bluefin or yellowfin tuna) 

LOWER MERCURY

Eat no more than six 6-oz servings per month

  • Kani (crab)
  • Seigo (young sea bass)*
  • Suzuki (sea bass)*

LOWEST MERCURY

Enjoy two 6-oz servings a week

  • Aji (horse mackerel)
  • Akagai (ark shell)
  • Anago (conger eel)
  • Aoyagi (round clam)
  • Awabi (abalone)
  • Ayu (sweetfish)
  • Ebi (shrimp)
  • Hamaguri (clam)
  • Hamo (pike conger; sea eel)
  • Hatahata (sandfish)
  • Himo (ark shell)
  • Hokkigai (surf clam)
  • Hotategai (scallop)
  • Ika (squid)
  • Ikura (salmon roe)
  • Kaibashira (shellfish)
  • Kaiware (daikon-radish sprouts)
  • Karei (flatfish)
  • Kohada (gizzard shad)
  • Masago (smelt egg)
  • Mirugai (surf clam)
  • Nori-tama (egg)
  • Sake (salmon)
  • Sawara (spanish mackerel)
  • Sayori (halfbeak)
  • Shako (mantis shrimp)
  • Tai (sea bream)
  • Tairagai (razor-shell clam)
  • Tako (octopus)
  • Tamago (egg) Tobikko (flying fish egg)
  • Torigai (cockle)
  • Tsubugai (shellfish)
  • Unagi (freshwater eel)
  • Uni (sea urchin roe)

Chart obtained from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC); data obtained by the FDA and the EPA.