Best Fruit to Eat (or Avoid) While Pregnant: Complete Guide

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Have you been curious about trying new fruits during this pregnancy, or wondered if there were fruits that are especially good to eat throughout pregnancy?

If so, look no further; we have compiled a comprehensive guide all about fruits perfect to eat during pregnancy.

We’ve covered everything – whether you want fresh fruit, dried fruit, smoothie ingredients, or fruit for nausea, plus LOTS of other handy information on eating the best fruit when you’re pregnant.

We also have a brief list of fruits that need to be avoided during pregnancy, too.

The Best Fresh Fruits to Eat During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, needs for some nutrients are increased, as they are vital to a healthy pregnancy.

These nutrients include 600-800 micrograms of Folate, 1000mg of Calcium, 27mg of Iron, and 75-100g protein (Source: APA).

There are several fruits that can help you to meet these daily needs. Some of the best are suggested below.

Always remember to wash fruit thoroughly when pregnant, to avoid bacterial and other contamination.

1. Kiwi Fruit

fresh kiwi fruit

Kiwis are small but mighty fruits. One kiwi fruit contains Vitamin C, fiber, iron, calcium, and folate (Source: Nutrition Data).

They taste great and can help to meet your daily nutrient needs, especially during pregnancy. They’re versatile and can be eaten fresh or added to smoothies.

2. Strawberries

Bowl of fresh whole strawberries

Strawberries contain small amounts of iron and calcium, as well as nearly 10% of your daily recommended folate, along with 3 grams of fiber per 1 cup of halves (Source: Nutrition Data).

They also contain 150% of your daily Vitamin C, which can help keep your immune system working to the best of its ability.

They taste delicious and are easy to blend into smoothies. They can be eaten with salads, on yogurt, or can even be dipped in dark chocolate and enjoyed as a decadent dessert!

3. Oranges

oranges and orange juice

With folate, potassium, over 4 grams of fiber, calcium, and 96mg of Vitamin C, oranges are one of the most nutritious fruits you can consume, especially during pregnancy (source: Nutrition Data).

Both fresh oranges and orange juice can be added to smoothies and can help to provide a nutritional boost that keeps you feeling your best.

If you find you’re craving oranges often, you might want to read our article on why pregnant women crave citrus, too.

4. Pineapple

fresh pineapple

Vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron, and caicum are all found in this delicious, tropical fruit.

Raw pineapple contains bromelain, which is an enzyme that can often make your tongue and mouth tingle; choosing canned pineapple is a substitute that works just as well for smoothies. (Nutrition Data)

There are plenty of misleading articles on the internet about bromelain inducing early pregnancy, but no scientific evidence that shows that eating pineapple can cause miscarriage. For more on this, check out our pregnancy guide to pineapple for all the facts.

Pineapple also has a high water content, which can help you to meet your fluid needs during pregnancy.

5. Avocados

avocado sliced in half

You might not consider avocado as a fruit, but, in fact, it is! Avocado is rich in fiber (13 grams per fruit), and contains over 50% of your daily recommended folate.

It is also high in potassium, a good source for iron, calcium, and even contains a few grams of protein.

Avocados are also rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which can help to promote antioxidant activity (Source: Nutrition Data).

Avocados are so beneficial to pregnant women, we broke down the benefits of avocado by trimester, including the best ways to eat them.

6. Blueberries

fresh whole blueberries

These tiny fruits are rich in antioxidants, as well as a source of fiber, Vitamin K, and a small amount of folate (source: Nutrition Data).

They can be baked into muffins, sprinkled over granola and yogurt, or eaten on their own.

Blueberries taste great and are a great snack, especially during pregnancy, as they are small and won’t leave you feeling overfull.

7. Bananas

bananas sliced

Bananas are a great source of fiber, with almost 4 grams of fiber per fruit. Additionally, they contain folate, small amounts of iron and calcium, and healthy doses of Vitamin C and Vitamin B6 (source: Nutrition Data).

With their high fiber and carbohydrate content, bananas are great for morning meals, as they can help you to feel full for longer periods of time.

Try them mashed on whole wheat toast with cinnamon, blended into shakes or just on their own.

What Are the Best Dried Fruits to Eat When Pregnant?

Dried fruit can sometimes be high in sugar, but some dried fruits also have benefits – particularly for pregnancy.

My suggestions for the best dried fruit in pregnancy are below, including ideas on how to incorporate them into a healthy prenatal diet, too:

1. Dates

basked of dried date fruits

These sweet little jewels might help you to have a smoother labor. Intrigued? So were we!

A study was conducted to explore the benefits of date consumption prior to labor. The women in the study consumed six dates each day for four weeks prior to their estimated due date.

The women who ate the dates had an increased occurrence of spontaneous labor (as opposed to requiring induction).

They also had a larger overall measure of cervical dilation and spent less time in the beginning stages of labor. (Source: Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecology).

Even though this study was small, it shows that eating dates prior to your due date may help you to have a quicker, smoother delivery, and may even reduce the need for induction. It certainly can’t hurt to try.

Dates can be used to sweeten oatmeal, eaten with a bit of cheese, or can be chopped and added to a salad.

Bear in mind that dates are high in sugar (16 grams per fruit), so if you have gestational diabetes, you may need to be mindful of how many dates you consume.

That being said, they also provide potassium, magnesium, calcium, Vitamin A, folate, and fiber (Source: Nutrition Data).

2. Raisins

bowl of sundried raisins

Raisins contain special components that can help to fight against bacterial infections, including S.mutans.

S.mutans is a bacteria that has been identified as a key player in bacterial vaginosis and preterm delivery (Source: Journal of Nutrition). Preterm delivery affects over 11% of pregnancies and is responsible for over 30% of infant deaths (Source: NIH).

A nine-year epidemiological study conducted in Norway found that women who ate raisins had a significantly reduced incidence of spontaneous preterm delivery (source: PubMed).

The amount of raisins eaten was unclear, but a few servings per day could only help your chances for a healthier pregnancy!

Raisins can be added to salads, oatmeal, or even added to rice or grain dishes to add a sweet, delicious spin.

They are high in sugar (15 grams per 50 raisins), but also contain a little fiber, Omega-6 fatty acids, phosphorus, potassium, and choline.

3. Apricots

dried apricots

The previously mentioned study also found that dried apricots may also contribute to healthier pregnancies.

Apricots have compounds that fight against multiple strains of bacteria, including E.Coli, K.pneumoniae, and S.aureus (Source: Oxford).

These bacteria have all been attributed to pregnancy complications, so apricot consumption can help to reduce the risk of these infections.

Apricots are a little lower in sugar, with 3 grams per fruit. They also contain some fiber and potassium (source: USDA), making them great to incorporate into your pregnancy diet!

You can snack on a few with yogurt and granola for a filling, nutritious breakfast, or use them in savory dishes like a Moroccan tagine.

4. Figs

dried figs

Like other dried fruits on this list, figs also contain beneficial compounds to fight against harmful bacteria; specifically, figs fight E.faecalis, E.coli, Proteus mirabilis, and C.albicans.

These strains of bacteria have all been found in bacterial vaginosis infections. These infections can lead to early birth and miscarriage, so protecting your body and your baby against these is crucial for a healthy pregnancy.

Figs are delicious dried or fresh, and can be used in savory, as well as sweet dishes. Try figs roasted with a chicken for a wonderfully fragrant, filling dinner.

They are also lower in sugar than some other dried fruits, with about 14 grams of sugar per three dried fruits.

Figs also contain fiber, Omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus (Source: Nutrition Data).

Figs might be a better fruit to turn to if you are monitoring your blood sugar (for example, if you have diabetes), as the lower sugar content will likely cause less spikes than other fruits.

Which Fruits are Best for Pregnancy Smoothies?

Smoothies are a great way to get a lot of nutrition without a lot of bulk during pregnancy.

They can fill you up without making you feel overfull, and since they are a blended mixture of fruits and vegetables, they can digest more quickly so that you can more quickly absorb the nutrients.

You can also pack a lot of nutrition into a smoothie, so if pregnancy nausea is making you not want to eat, a smoothie is a fantastic substitute.

Many of the fruits here have already been mentioned, but here’s some more information on why they’re good for smoothies – and for you – when pregnant:

Bananas

fresh banana smoothie

Bananas are the most commonly consumed fruit, as reported in the Food, Beverage, and Medication Intake Questionnaire, with almost 96% of women saying that they ate them during their pregnancy (Source: NCBI).

They are easy to digest, taste great, and might help to reduce pregnancy-associated related nausea; bananas are one of the four main foods in the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), which is a short-term diet specifically targeted towards combating nausea and diarrhea (Source: Medical News Today).

Bananas blend in smoothies easily and help to naturally sweeten the drink, while providing fiber, carbohydrates, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

Strawberries

red smoothie

Strawberries are delicious and work very well frozen when they’re out of season, so they’re great to keep all year round to incorporate into smoothies.

They are one of the most common ingredients in smoothies and provide Vitamin C, fiber, Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, manganese, and folate (Source: Nutrition Data).

Strawbs do have a small amount of Vitamin K, but likely not enough to hinder blood clotting. They can be safely enjoyed – just remember to wash them properly, as with all other fruit, too.

Blueberries

two glasses of blueberry smoothie

Blueberries blend easily into a smoothie, and contain high levels of antioxidants.

They and can also be considered a functional food; they have been studied for their medical benefits, most importantly promoting anti-inflammatory benefits (Source: MJNM).

During pregnancy, inflammation from increased fluid buildup can cause stress on the cardiovascular system.

Adding blueberries to a smoothie can help to provide a large amount of antioxidants in an easy to consume form.

Avocados

green smoothie

Yes, as we already mentioned, avocados are a fruit, and blend wonderfully into a smoothie!

Their taste is mild, and their texture lends a silky smoothness to smoothies while adding a fiber punch.

One avocado contains over 13 grams of fiber, which can help to combat pregnancy-associated constipation (Source: Nutritionix). It can also help you to feel fuller, longer, which can help keep nausea at bay.

Avocados are also an excellent source of potassium, which can help promote optimal heart health.

Mangoes

mango smoothies

Finally, don’t forget Mangoes as a tropical smoothie option.

Mangoes contain copper, folate, and Vitamin C, making them perfect to incorporate into your pregnancy diet (Source: mango.org).

They blend easily into smoothies, and go particularly well with plain yogurt if you like your smoothies thick and delicious. They taste great, and can be purchased fresh or frozen.

What’s the Best Fruit for Nausea or Morning Sickness?

One of the best fruits to help to combat nausea and morning sickness is lemon; specifically, lemon essential oil.

Research shows that nausea and vomiting intensity levels were significantly reduced in test subjects who inhaled lemon essential oil compared to those who inhaled a placebo (Source: NCBI).

Ingesting lemon can likely mimic the same, or similar effects to inhaling lemon essential oil.

A lemon tea with extra steeped lemon peel could be inhaled and enjoyed in the morning; this could help to combat morning sickness, while also supplementing with the antioxidant compounds found in lemon peel.

Some specific compounds in lemon include eriocitrin, the compound responsible for lemon’s fragrance and color (Source: JAFC).

Lemon can also be zested and juiced and incorporated into a smoothie, sprinkled on top of yogurt, or squeezed into your water (still or sparkling).

If you’re suffering from nausea and morning sickness frequently, we have a separate article on the best foods to fight nausea during pregnancy – with plenty of other suggestions!

Are There Fruits to Avoid During Pregnancy?

There are a lot of myths about fruits to avoid during pregnancy. Some internet searches almost always yield far-fetched results about fruits that can induce early labor.

It’s safe to consume most fruits during pregnancy. Always make sure they’re washed and/or peeled – and we have a safety guide to fruit prep to help you do just that.

If you ever have a question mark over a certain fruit especially if you’re eating it a lot or considering it in a supplement or tea, consult a medical professional to find out whether or not it’s safe.

Pineapple, for example, has many myths surrounding it. So many, in fact, we made a separate article all about pineapple’s safety in pregnancy.

There are a few fruits that might not be safe, though.

One, in particular, is unripe papaya. This is also called ‘green’ papaya, and frequently appears shredded in Thai or Vietnamese salads. you may not even realize it’s green papaya, as it looks like a veggie:

Green / Unripe papaya salad

Unripe papaya contains papaya latex, which can possibly induce uterine contractions, but so far, research has only been done on animal subjects (Source: Pubmed).

Fresh, ripe papaya is fine in moderation, but it may be wise to avoid the unripe, green type during pregnancy until more research emerges.

Also, although not technically ‘unsafe’, bear in mind that juice and dried fruit contain higher amounts of fructose than their whole, raw food counterparts.

If you have gestational diabetes, limiting your consumption of fruit juice and dried fruit would be best, as they can lead to unwanted and potentially harmful high blood sugar spikes (Source: American Diabetes Association).


Overall, fruit can be a vital part of your pregnancy diet. You can incorporate fruit into sweet or savory dishes, as a meal or a snack, and can also consume it as a whole fruit or blended into juices or smoothies.

There are several important dried fruits that you can eat that may help to protect against bacterial infections, which can help to support a healthy pregnancy.

Avoiding excess amounts of fruit may be required if you are concerned about your blood sugar, but check with a medical professional to see which fruits (if any) you might need to consume in moderation.