Doola
Download app now

Can I eat salad while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

A salad you make yourself from washed leaves and vegetables gets Check in Doola Scan in all six countries, because the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland all ask you to wash raw salad before eating. Ready-made salads from a shop, deli or salad bar get Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, for listeria, and Check in the UK, where the NHS asks you to keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date. Doola has no Canadian or Irish source on ready-made salads yet, so its answer there follows the other countries'. A Greek salad adds feta, which New Zealand asks you to avoid.

Check any food in Doola Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Green salad made at home with fresh leaves

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Bagged salad leaves, washed and mixed at home

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Greek salad with feta, tomato, cucumber and olives

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaIrelandAvoidNew Zealand
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Can you eat salad while pregnant? What each country says.

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

  • United States

    Check
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source
    • CDCAvoid unheated queso fresco-type cheeses (queso fresco, queso blanco, requesón) even when made with pasteurized milk; heat to 165°F.Source
    • FDASoft cheese from raw milk can carry listeria.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Pasteurised; queso fresco-type fresh soft cheeses only when heated to 165°F, even if pasteurised.Source
    • USDA FSISAvoid soft cheeses not made with pasteurised milk.Source
    Ready-made salad from a shop, deli, buffet or salad bar
    • CDCAvoid premade deli salads such as coleslaw, potato, tuna or chicken salad; homemade is the safer choice.Source
    • FDAAvoid deli salads made on site without preservatives (ham, chicken, seafood salad).Source

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source
    • NHSPasteurised soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, burrata are safe.Source
    Ready-made salad from a shop, deli, buffet or salad bar
    • NHSLow risk, but ready-to-eat chilled foods may contain listeria.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source
    • CPSAvoid soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, even if pasteurized.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid uncooked soft, semi-soft and blue cheese even if pasteurized; fine cooked.Source

  • Australia

    Check
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Soft cheeses only if served cooked and hot.Source
    • FSANZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheese incl. brie, camembert, mozzarella, ricotta, feta, blue - unless baked to 75 °C.Source
    • NSW Food AuthoritySoft and semi-soft cheeses only if cooked to at least 75°C and eaten soon after.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No soft cheeses (brie, camembert, blue, ricotta, feta) unless cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.Source
    Ready-made salad from a shop, deli, buffet or salad bar
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid pre-prepared salads and other cold foods that will not be reheated.Source
    • FSANZAvoid pre-prepared/pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads incl. buffets and salad bars; eat freshly prepared.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, sandwiches or wraps.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pre-packed cold salads, including coleslaw.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, and cold meats from sandwich bars.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Green salad made at home with fresh leavesCheck
    • Bagged salad leaves, washed and mixed at homeCheck
    • Greek salad with feta, tomato, cucumber and olivesAvoid
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source
    • Health NZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, ricotta, blue and feta.Source
    Ready-made salad from a shop, deli, buffet or salad bar
    • Health NZAvoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads incl. buffets and salad bars.Source

  • Ireland

    Check
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
    • HSESoft cheeses such as brie and camembert only if cooked until steaming hot.Source
What to check

Before you eat salad.

  1. Wash the leaves under running water

    Separate the leaves and rinse them under running water, then dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel. The FDA says not to use soap, detergent or produce wash. The NHS says soil on salad can carry bacteria and toxoplasma. FDA

  2. Wash bagged leaves too, if you're in Ireland

    Ireland's HSE asks you to wash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating. The FDA says many bagged produce items are pre-washed and ready to eat, so in the US the label tells you whether they need washing. HSE

  3. Make salads fresh rather than buying them ready-made

    FSANZ asks pregnant women to avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, including from buffets and salad bars, and to eat salads freshly prepared. The CDC lists premade deli salads among foods to avoid. In the UK, the NHS asks you to keep pre-packaged salads chilled and eat them before the use-by date. FSANZ

  4. Check the feta in a Greek salad

    The FDA asks you to check soft cheese for the words made with pasteurized milk, and the NHS lists pasteurised feta among the soft cheeses you can have. Health NZ names feta among the soft cheeses to avoid, so in New Zealand a Greek salad shows Avoid. Health NZ

Questions

About salad
in pregnancy.

A salad you make and wash yourself shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries: the check is washing the leaves and vegetables. Ready-made salads from a shop or salad bar show Avoid in five countries and Check in the UK.

Bagged leaves you wash and mix at home get Check, like any salad leaves. Ireland's HSE asks you to wash pre-packed salads before eating, while the FDA says many bagged items are pre-washed. A ready-made salad bowl with its dressing and toppings already in it counts as a ready-made salad.

Health NZ and FSANZ name salads from buffets and salad bars among the foods to avoid, and NSW Food Authority says not to eat pre-prepared salads, sandwiches or wraps. Doola Scan shows Avoid for them in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the UK.

A Greek salad shows Check in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland, and Avoid in New Zealand, because of the feta. The US and UK ask for pasteurised feta; Canada and Australia ask for soft cheese to be cooked, and Health NZ names feta among soft cheeses to avoid.

Vinaigrette and olive oil show No known issues. Dressings made with raw egg, like a homemade Caesar dressing, have their own rules: the Caesar dressing page shows each country's line.

The guidance doesn't change by trimester. Washing raw salad and the advice on ready-made salads apply from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

Salad you make at home gets Check in Doola Scan in all six countries: wash the leaves and vegetables well under running water first. Ready-made salads from a shop or salad bar get Avoid in five countries and Check in the UK.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate, the menu or the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance, cheese and dressing included. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola Scan

Not sure about a meal? Scan it.

Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

Download app now
More foods
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.