Prenatal Nutrition Basics:
Foods to Avoid

During your pregnancy, you'll want to avoid the following:

Herbal Supplements
Functional Foods
High Doses of Supplemental Vitamin A

Herbal Supplements
Herbs should only be used under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner with full knowledge of your medical history.

Steer clear from herbal tea concoctions, with the exception of plain peppermint (do not use if suffering from acid reflux), chamomile, and ginger.

See also: The Cradle's article on Herbs & Pregnancy

Functional Foods
"Functional" foods are those food products containing herbs or other nutrients added as a means to enhance function beyond that of the nutrients naturally found in the food (i.e., ginseng popcorn, super greens, protein bars with herbs for energy, immune support, etc.).

The best advice is to avoid all herbal supplements and functional foods. Your body will function best with the nutrients derived from whole foods.

High Doses of Supplemental Vitamin A
Avoid supplemental vitamin A, as retinyl palmitate, beta carotene, or mixed carotenoids. While most prenatal vitamins do not contain vitamin A in large doses, regular multi-vitamins may include this nutrient. Be cautious if you are not taking a daily vitamin that is specifically created for prenatal nutrition. Luckily, aside from vitamin A-rich liver, food sources of vitamin A are unlikely to contribute dangerous amounts of the vitamin. (Be careful if you are eating large quantities of the same type of food, aka "mono consuming.")

See also: Can I...? in The Cradle's FAQs