Is Raw sprouts safe during pregnancy?
Not recommended raw or lightly cooked in pregnancy. Cook sprouts until steaming hot.
What the sources say
FDA explains that sprouts grow from seeds in warm, humid conditions that are ideal for Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, and even home-grown sprouts can carry them. FDA, CDC, ACOG and Mayo Clinic advise people who are pregnant to avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind (alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean, onion) and to eat sprouts only cooked until steaming hot. Raw sprouts carry this germ risk for anyone, so cooking them is the safer habit while breastfeeding too.
Common alternatives
Also listed as
sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, clover sprouts, radish sprouts, broccoli sprouts, onion sprouts, lightly cooked sprouts
Sources
- FDA: Selecting and Serving Produce Safely
- CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- ACOG: The Top 6 Pregnancy Questions I Hear From First-Time Moms
- Mayo Clinic: Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.