Ummmmm...make way because you've got one agitated mama coming through. Actually, agitated is putting it mildly! It feels like I'm constantly hungry because everything, I mean, EVERYTHING I crave is in the no-eat-list. What the heck dude? I am craving so many things I can't eat and I can't wait to be able to stuff my face with my favorite foods that feel so out of reach right now as my baby bump continues to grow. 

Here are the foods I crave but must be avoided at every cost while preggers and their alternatives. 

Foods to avoid in pregnancy and their alternatives

SUSHI

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Okay, it doesn't take a genius to know that eating raw fish during pregnancy is a big fat no-no!  Don't even risk it! The bacteria that live in the fish can be detrimental to your child's health. Because your immune is already severely suppressed during pregnancy, you are a lot more susceptible to foodborne organisms. Damn! My head is saying no but my taste buds are screaming hell yeah!

The Alternative: Simply ask the sushi chef or manager to give you a list of their cooked sushi menu. As a preggo mama, you can still eat nigiri, vegetable rolls, and fusion rolls. The three most traditional sushi, The Unagi (freshwater eel), Anago (saltwater eel) and tamago (sweetened cooked egg) are cooked so take your pick.

COFFEE

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Oh, how I crave the taste of coffee! Even though some doctors say it is okay to consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day while pregnant, others have argued that it can be harmful to your baby. The best choice is just to steer clear of it. 

The alternative: Don't fret! You can still get your caffeine fix. Just grab some loose leaf tea. This has much less caffeine. Simply swish the leaves in boiled water for 30 seconds and pour off before you brew. Voila, most of the caffeine is cleaned off but you still get to keep the taste. Ginger tea, nettle tea, raspberry leaf tea, peppermint tea, and dandelion leaf tea are some safe teas to have while you are pregnant. 

SUNNY-SIDE-UP

 Credits: Canva

Nothing makes my mouth water than nice sunny-side-up eggs. Yum! Since it's considered raw and undercooked, it is advisable not to eat raw eggs in any of your food to avoid salmonella food poisoning. 

The alternative: Just settle for scrambled eggs. Make sure your eggs are very well cooked until the whites and yolks are solid.

OYSTERS

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Slurp! Slurp! I miss these slimy suckers but it's better to stay away. Again, because they are uncooked, these fall under foods to avoid at all costs because they can cause seafood borne illnesses and the last thing any pregnant mama needs is to get severely sick while preggo.  

The alternative: The only alternative is to make sure they are well cooked to kill all the bacteria present in the oysters. 

MARGARITAS

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Hmm...hmmm good! Obviously it goes without saying to avoid all types of alcohol because it is known to cause birth defects but I miss putting my legs up and having a glass of this deliciousness. I guess I'll just have to stick to the mocktail version and wait long after the baby comes and when I am done breastfeeding. 

The alternative: Since you can't sip on the real deal, you might as well just stick with a few non-alcoholic mocktails. Check out some delicious mocktails that are sure to help take the edge off. 

 What foods did you crave while preggo but just couldn't have?