Pregnancy food guidance
Sushi
Depends—Ingredients matter
Cooked or vegetable sushi can be a safer choice. CDC, FDA and ACOG recommend avoiding raw fish during pregnancy.
What changes the answer for Sushi
- Cooked seafood or vegetable rolls: choose low-mercury ingredients.
- Raw fish or shellfish: avoid under cautious U.S. guidance.
- Bigeye tuna and other high-mercury fish: avoid even when cooked.
Why it matters for Sushi
Raw seafood can carry parasites or bacteria, and some fish species contain more mercury.
Practical takeaway
Order a cooked roll and check which fish it contains.
Evidence interpretation
Emily Oster’s perspective on Sushi
Oster interprets the added pregnancy-specific risk from reputable sushi as low and says sushi and raw eggs can be reasonable choices. This differs from current cautious U.S. agency guidance, which the site follows for its takeaway.
Read the ParentData analysis (opens in a new tab)Sources and review details
- Review status
- Source reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Guidance region
- United States