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Can I eat parsley while pregnant?

No known issues Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Parsley used as a herb in food isn't on the pregnancy food lists of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, so Doola Scan shows No known issues for fresh or dried parsley. Wash fresh parsley first, as you would any raw leaves. Parsley tea is a herbal tea, and there the countries differ: Doola Scan shows Check for herbal teas in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and Avoid in New Zealand and Ireland. The NHS says no more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day; Ireland's HSE lists only ginger, peppermint, camomile and fruit teas.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Fresh parsley, chopped into salads, sauces or on top of a dish

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Parsley cooked into soups, stews and rice

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Dried parsley flakes

    No known issuesIn all six countries
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What each country says

Parsley while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on parsley, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • No known issues

    None of the six countries' pregnancy guidance names parsley.

  • United States

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source

  • United Kingdom

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source
    Parsley tea and other herbal teas
    • NHSLittle research on herbal teas in pregnancy.Source

  • Canada

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source
    Parsley tea and other herbal teas
    • Health CanadaSome herbal teas (e.g. chamomile) are unsafe; citrus peel, ginger, orange peel, rose hip are safe at 2-3 cups a day.Source

  • Australia

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source
    Parsley tea and other herbal teas
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Limit herbal tea to 2 cups a day; check with doctor or pharmacist.Source

  • New Zealand

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source
    Parsley tea and other herbal teas
    • Health NZSome herbal teas may be harmful; avoid aloe, buckthorn bark, chamomile, coltsfoot, comfrey, juniper, Labrador tea, lobelia, pennyroyal, sassafras, senna.Source

  • Ireland

    No known issues
    Washing raw vegetables and herbs
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
    Parsley tea and other herbal teas
    • HSEOnly ginger, peppermint, camomile and fruit teas are safe; avoid all other herbal teas and supplements.Source
What to check

Before you eat parsley.

  1. Wash fresh parsley before you chop it

    Rinse the bunch under running water, leaves and stems, to remove soil. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks you to wash fruit, vegetables and herbs in pregnancy because soil can carry toxoplasma, and the other five countries ask the same for raw produce. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

  2. Count parsley tea as herbal tea

    The NHS says there isn't much research on herbal teas in pregnancy and asks you not to drink more than 4 cups a day. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says to limit herbal tea to 2 cups a day. NHS

  3. In Ireland, keep to the teas the HSE lists

    Ireland's HSE names ginger, peppermint, camomile and fruit teas for pregnancy and asks you to avoid all other herbal teas and supplements. Parsley tea isn't on that list. HSE

  4. Ask before taking parsley as a remedy or supplement

    Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says large amounts of some herbs may be harmful in pregnancy, and that herbal medicines can contain contaminants such as heavy metals or pesticides. Check with your midwife, doctor or pharmacist before using parsley in amounts beyond cooking. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

Questions

About parsley
in pregnancy.

Parsley as a herb in food isn't named in the pregnancy guidance of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, so Doola Scan shows No known issues for fresh, cooked or dried parsley. Wash fresh parsley before eating it.

Parsley tea follows each country's herbal tea guidance. Doola Scan shows Check for herbal teas in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and Avoid in New Zealand and Ireland. The NHS says no more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says 2 cups, and the HSE in Ireland lists only ginger, peppermint, camomile and fruit teas.

Health NZ lists the herbal teas to avoid in pregnancy, such as chamomile, comfrey, pennyroyal and senna, and parsley isn't on that list. Doola Scan still shows Avoid for herbal teas in general in New Zealand, from that same advice.

None of these six countries' pregnancy guidance warns about parsley as a herb in food. What they do name is herbal tea and herbal supplements: Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says large amounts of some herbs may be harmful in pregnancy, and the HSE asks you to avoid herbal supplements.

Parsley in food isn't on any of these countries' pregnancy lists. If you're worried about anything you've eaten, talk to your midwife or doctor.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Parsley in food isn't named in any of the six countries, and the herbal tea advice from the NHS, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and the HSE applies all through pregnancy.

None of these bodies name parsley as good for pregnancy. The NHS asks for at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day in pregnancy, and to wash fresh fruit and vegetables carefully.

Doola Scan doesn't read parsley water as a name of its own yet, so it can't give it a verdict. MyHealthfinder suggests adding fruit or herbs to your water for flavour. If the parsley is steeped in hot water like a tea, the herbal tea advice above is the closest guidance.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate, the menu or the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient, herbs included, against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.