Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with seafood, often raw salmon, tuna, yellowtail, squid, and vinegared sushi rice (sumeshi). However, depending on your preference, you can make different types of sushi, such as Maki (sushi rolls), using ingredients like Nori (seaweed) and vegetables(1). If you consider eating sushi when pregnant, you should eat a properly cooked variety since some are linked to food poisoning and increased mercury exposure. Typically, sushi is considered a healthy food choice, offering omega-3 fats, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12, and iodine. Keep reading as we tell you about the safety of sushi, along with the sushi types you can safely eat when pregnant.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Sushi?
Yes, most pregnant women can eat sushi made with properly cooked, low-mercury fish or seafood. You can also eat vegetarian or vegan sushi. However, you should avoid consuming sushi made with raw or undercooked fish or seafood. It is vital because raw or undercooked fish or seafood is likely to contain harmful microbes and parasites (2). Besides, they may contain high amounts of mercury. Pregnancy naturally lowers your immunity, raising your risk of contracting infections. Hence, take caution while consuming foods, such as sushi, when pregnant. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends cooking all seafood to 145°F (62.8°C) (3). Cooking food to an appropriate temperature helps kill harmful pathogens that can affect your and your unborn baby’s health.
What Are The Possible Health Risks Of Eating Sushi?
Sushi is often made with raw seafood and fish that are likely to contain harmful pathogens, such as Listeria, Salmonella, and Toxoplasma gondii. Consuming sushi infested with these pathogens can cause food-borne illnesses. Infection with Listeria bacteria can cause Listeriosis, whereas infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can cause toxoplasmosis. The most common symptoms of these infections are vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, and abdominal cramps. A mother can pass both these infections to her baby, leading to mild to severe complications, such as (4) (5):
Nutrient malabsorption Miscarriage Stillbirth Preterm labor and premature birth Low birth weight Meningitis
Another risk is mercury poisoning (methylmercury). Raw fish, such as yellowfish tuna, horse mackerel, and swordfish, are some fish that can be high in mercury. Consuming high-mercury fish can cause mercury excess over time, which can make you severely sick and expose your baby to health risks, such as (6):
Nervous system damage Hearing loss Learning disabilities Brain damage
What Types Of Sushi Can You Eat During Pregnancy?
According to the US National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the following fish are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women (7). Pregnant women can consume well-cooked sushi made with these fish and seafood. You can enjoy up to two six-ounce servings of these fish and seafood a week (8).
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) Kani (crab) Karei (flatfish) Kohada (gizzard shad) Masago (smelt egg) Masu (trout) Mirugai (surf clam) Sake (salmon) Sayori (halfbeak) Shako (mantis shrimp) Tai (sea bream) Tairagai (razor-shell clam) Tako (octopus) Tobikko (flying fish egg) Torigai (cockle) Tsubugai (shellfish) Unagi (freshwater eel) Uni (sea urchin roe)
What Types Of Sushi Should You Avoid?
The tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, swordfish, shark, and king mackerel are the four fish with the highest mercury levels. Pregnant women should abstain from consuming them. Besides these, you should also not consume sushi made with the following fish (7).
Ahi (yellowfin tuna) Aji (horse mackerel) Buri (adult yellowtail) Hamachi (young yellowtail)
Inada (very young yellowtail) Kanpachi (very young yellowtail) Katsuo (bonito) Kajiki (swordfish) Maguro (bigeye, bluefin, or yellowfin tuna) Makjiki (blue marlin) Meji (young bigeye, bluefin, or yellowfin tuna) Saba (mackerel) Sawara (Spanish mackerel) Shiro (albacore tuna) Seigo (young sea bass) Suzuki (sea bass) Toro (bigeye, bluefin, or yellowfin tuna)
A fish is considered low- or high-mercury based on the amount of mercury found in its flesh. For instance, if a fish has less than 0.29 parts per million mercury, it’s considered low mercury, whereas it’s called high mercury if its mercury levels are more than 0.3 parts per million.
Can You Eat Sushi Rolls When Pregnant?
Sushi roll or maki is a type of sushi commonly made by wrapping sushi rice and other ingredients, such as fish or meat, and veggies into Nori (seaweed). Pregnant women can eat sushi rolls made with thoroughly cooked fish, meat, or seafood. Eating sushi in moderation can offer pregnant women vital nutrients to aid fetal growth and development. For instance, low-mercury fish like salmon and tuna can offer you lean, high-quality protein with omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, zinc, and selenium. So, eat sushi rolls only after ascertaining its ingredients and whether or not the fish, seafood, or meat present in the sushi are thoroughly cooked. Some experts believe that pregnant women can eat sushi made from frozen raw fish. It’s because freezing fish can kill parasites, making fish safe. However, freezing doesn’t kill all the pathogens present in raw fish. Hence, consuming well-cooked fish or seafood is always a good choice. Here is some sushi that you can safely consume when pregnant.
California rolls Cooked salmon Eel rolls Shrimp rolls Steak and chicken rolls Tempura rolls (crab, shrimp, and vegetable) Vegetable rolls
Besides these, you can also try some vegan rolls. Some of the common vegan sushi rolls you may find on a restaurant menu are cucumber maki roll, cucumber avocado roll, and shiitake mushroom roll.
Pregnancy-Safe Sushi Recipes You Can Try At Home
Let’s have a look at some interesting and pregnancy-safe sushi recipes you can try making at home. Note: If you are making sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least four days before using it.
1. Rainbow sushi
You will need:
1 cup cooked rice ½ cup red and green bell peppers (sliced) ½ cup beets (shredded) ½ cup cucumber (shredded) ¾ cup carrot (shredded) 1 avocado (peeled, cored, and sliced) 1 Nori sheet (halved) 1tsp sesame seeds 2tbsp rice vinegar
How to make:
2. Salmon sushi
You will need:
1 cup short-grain white rice, (cooked) 3oz. salmon (skin removed) 2 Nori sheets (toasted) 1 carrot (peeled and julienned) 1 English cucumber (julienned) ½ avocado (thinly sliced) 1tbsp sesame seeds (toasted) 1tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1tbsp sugar 1tsp salt ½ tsp pepper powder
How to make:
3. Vegan sushi rolls
You will need:
Nori sheets 1 cup sushi rice (cooked) ½ cup avocado (chopped) ½ cup silken tofu (cut into strips) 3tbsp vegan mayo 3tbsp rice vinegar 1tbsp brown sugar 1tsp sesame seeds 1tsp salt
How to make:
