Can pregnant women eat chicken, honey, peanuts, soy milk, kombucha, saffron and chocolate? Quick answers for Singapore

Can pregnant women eat chicken, honey, peanuts, soy milk, kombucha, saffron and chocolate? Mostly yes. Chicken is fine when it's cooked through and served hot; honey is fine for you, because the honey rule is for babies under one; peanuts are fine unless you're allergic, and avoiding them won't prevent allergy in your baby; soy milk and tofu are a good protein and calcium source; chocolate counts towards your daily caffeine. Kombucha is the one to skip, because it's unpasteurised and carries traces of alcohol, and saffron milk taken as a remedy is best checked with your doctor. Here are the quick answers, with what Singapore's hospitals and HealthHub say about each.

Quick answers

For the full list of foods to skip, such as raw fish, soft cheese and high-mercury fish, see our guide to foods to avoid during pregnancy in Singapore. This page covers the everyday foods people ask about one at a time.

Chicken and other poultry

Yes, eat it, as long as it's cooked properly. HPB's pregnancy nutrition booklet lists raw or undercooked meat, poultry and seafood, and raw or half-boiled eggs, among the foods to avoid. A KKH dietitian explains why: undercooked meat and eggs can carry the bacteria behind food poisoning, such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. The UK's NHS says cooked poultry should show no trace of pink or blood.

The Singapore catch is the hawker centre. The same KKH dietitian warns about pre-cooked food left at room temperature for a while, naming steamed chicken rice, Indian rojak and nasi padang, and says cooked food should be served hot. Roast or steamed chicken that's been hanging in the stall for hours is the risk, not chicken itself. Pick a busy stall, ask for the chicken freshly cut, or choose a dish cooked to order.

Chicken essence is a common gift in pregnancy. KKH's obstetricians, writing for Families for Life, say traditional foods like chicken essence and bird's nest are considered safe in moderation.

Honey

Honey is safe for you while you're pregnant. The well-known honey warning is a baby rule: HealthHub lists honey among the foods not to give a baby, and the NHS explains that honey can occasionally carry bacteria that produce toxins in a baby's gut and cause infant botulism. A healthy adult gut deals with it. The US CDC says adults with a serious gut condition are more at risk, so if you have one, ask your doctor.

Two things still apply: honey is sugar, so count it if you're watching your blood sugar, and keep it away from your baby until their first birthday. Our guide to starting solids in Singapore lists the other foods to hold back.

Peanuts and other nuts

Yes, unless you're allergic to them. A KKH dietitian, busting common pregnancy diet myths, says the evidence doesn't support the belief that avoiding foods such as eggs, milk and nuts during pregnancy will reduce your baby's chance of allergy. The NHS says peanuts are safe in pregnancy unless you have an allergy or your doctor tells you otherwise.

A handful of peanuts, a peanut butter sandwich or kacang puteh is a handy snack with protein, so there's no reason to cut them out. After the birth, HealthHub's advice is to introduce common allergy foods such as peanut by 12 months, because delaying them has been shown to raise the chance of allergy. Our allergy-friendly eating guide covers how to do that.

Soy milk, tofu and other soy foods

Yes. HealthHub calls soya beans and soya products such as calcium-fortified soya milk and tofu a complete plant protein, and a KKH dietitian lists high-calcium soy bean milk among the calcium sources for pregnancy, when you need 1,000mg of calcium a day, and taukwa and tau huay count too.

Two worries come up a lot. The first is that soy will lighten your baby's skin; KKH's dietitian says there's no evidence that soy or avoiding dark foods changes your baby's complexion. The second is the plant oestrogens in soy. The Singapore advice we found separates food from pills: in an article on soy and breast cancer, a KKH dietitian says concentrated soy supplements should be avoided, while soy foods stay part of a normal diet. Stick to soy as food, and pick calcium-fortified soya milk if you drink it instead of dairy milk.

Kombucha and other fermented drinks

Best skipped while you're pregnant. No Singapore body has a ruling on kombucha itself, but it breaks two rules that do exist. It's usually unpasteurised, and a KKH dietitian advises against unpasteurised drinks such as fresh juices because they may contain harmful bacteria. It's fermented, so it can contain a little alcohol, and SingHealth's pregnancy advice is that there is no known safe amount of alcohol.

If you miss the fizz, try soda water with lime or calamansi, or a pasteurised, bottled drink.

Saffron and saffron milk

No Singapore source we found warns against saffron used as a spice, in the pinch a biryani or dessert recipe calls for. Saffron milk (kesar doodh), taken daily as a pregnancy remedy, is different, because it's being used for its effects. No Singapore hospital or HealthHub page we found mentions saffron. KKH's obstetricians say there haven't been enough studies on herbal supplements or botanicals with medicinal properties for doctors to recommend them during pregnancy, and to check with your doctor.

So: a little saffron in cooking isn't flagged anywhere we looked, but ask your doctor before drinking saffron milk regularly, and skip saffron supplements. Our prenatal vitamins guide covers other herbal products, such as ginseng and dang gui.

Chocolate

Yes, in moderation. SingHealth's pregnancy advice is to keep caffeine under 200mg a day, and it lists chocolate alongside tea, cola and energy drinks as a source. A table published by a KKH dietitian puts a 45g chocolate bar at 9 to 30mg of caffeine, so a bar won't break the limit on its own, but it adds up with a kopi or two. Local kopi is made with Robusta beans, which the same dietitian says carry about twice the caffeine of Arabica.

Sugar is the bigger issue. SingHealth's diet advice for pregnancy is to have sweets like chocolate as a small portion once or twice a week. If you have gestational diabetes, follow your dietitian's plan. Our guide to coffee while pregnant adds up kopi, teh and bubble tea against the 200mg limit.

If you think something made you sick

Food poisoning is more serious in pregnancy. SFA counts pregnant women among the groups more prone to foodborne illness, and SGH's doctors say Listeria rarely makes healthy adults ill but can be fatal for pregnant women. See a doctor promptly if you have diarrhoea with a fever, vomiting you can't keep fluids down through, or symptoms such as a stiff neck, headache, confusion or loss of balance, which SGH lists for Listeria infection of the nervous system. Our guide to food poisoning while pregnant explains what to do.

Frequently asked questions

Can pregnant women eat chicken rice?

Yes, if the chicken is freshly cooked and served hot. KKH's dietitian warns about steamed chicken rice left at room temperature for some time, so choose a busy stall or a freshly cut portion.

Is honey safe during pregnancy?

Yes. The honey warning is for babies under one, because of infant botulism. It's safe for you, though it counts as sugar.

Should I avoid peanuts while pregnant to prevent allergy?

No. KKH's dietitian says avoiding nuts and other allergy foods in pregnancy doesn't reduce your baby's allergy risk. Eat them unless you're allergic.

Can I drink soy milk every day when pregnant?

Yes. HealthHub calls calcium-fortified soya milk a complete plant protein, and KKH lists high-calcium soy milk as a calcium source; it's concentrated soy supplements you should avoid.

Is kombucha safe in pregnancy?

Best avoided. It's usually unpasteurised and can contain traces of alcohol, and SingHealth says no amount of alcohol is known to be safe in pregnancy.

Can I drink saffron milk while pregnant?

Check with your doctor first. No Singapore body has a ruling on saffron, and KKH's obstetricians say there isn't enough evidence for doctors to recommend herbal remedies in pregnancy.

How much chocolate can I eat while pregnant?

A little. A 45g bar has 9 to 30mg of caffeine, against SingHealth's limit of under 200mg a day, and SingHealth suggests sweets only once or twice a week.