Can you eat sushi when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat sushi during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating sushi in pregnancy

Most types of sushi are safe to eat in pregnancy, but you'll need to take some precautions ...

Sushi made with raw fish

According to the NHS, this is only safe to eat if it's been frozen first. This is because raw fish can contain parasites that can make you ill, but freezing kills the parasites.

Sushi sold in supermarkets is made with pre-frozen fish, so it's fine to eat. But if you're having homemade sushi at a restaurant or friend's house, check whether the fish has been frozen first.

If you want to make sushi yourself, the NHS recommends freezing the fish for at least four days beforehand.

Sushi made with cured fish

Sushi made with smoked, pickled or salted fish is safe to eat even if it hasn't been frozen, because the curing process kills any parasites.

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Sushi made with shellfish

This is only safe to eat if the shellfish has been thoroughly cooked. Raw shellfish can contain bacteria that can cause food poisoning, so you should avoid it while you're pregnant. Cooking kills the bacteria, making it safe to eat.

Vegetarian sushi

Vegetarian sushi is safe to eat in pregnancy.

Delicious seafood recipes

Love seafood? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

• Prawn stir-fry
• Crab cakes
• Easy paella
• Fish pie
• Garlic prawns

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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