What to Avoid During Pregnancy: A Nourishing Traditions Perspective

Pregnancy is one of the most sacred and transformative times in a woman’s life. It’s a time to nourish deeply—not only to support your own body but to lay the foundation for your baby’s lifelong health. According to the Nourishing Traditions books and the pioneering research of Dr. Weston A. Price, what you avoid during this season can be just as important as what you embrace.

Dr. Price, a dentist and nutrition researcher in the early 1900s, traveled the world to study traditional cultures and found a direct link between the health of parents (especially mothers) and the vitality of their children. His work emphasized nutrient-dense foods and the dangers of modern processed diets. Here are the top things to avoid during pregnancy according to this philosophy:

1. Modern Industrialized Foods

Highly processed and refined foods are devoid of the nutrients that traditional diets provided in abundance. Avoid:

• White sugar and refined sweeteners (high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, etc.)
• White flour products
• Factory-made vegetable oils (canola, soy, corn, cottonseed)
• Artificial additives like MSG, food dyes, and preservatives

These items not only displace nourishing foods in the diet but can also create imbalances in blood sugar, hormones, and inflammation—none of which support a healthy pregnancy or growing baby.

2. Low-Fat Diets

Conventional advice often encourages low-fat eating, but according to Nourishing Traditions, this is a dangerous myth—especially during pregnancy. Healthy fats are essential for hormone production, brain development, and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

Avoid:

• Skim or low-fat dairy products
• Margarine and fake butter spreads
• Fat-free processed snacks

Instead, embrace whole, traditional fats like butter from grass-fed cows, egg yolks, coconut oil, liver, cream, and pastured meats.

3. Soy Products (Especially Unfermented)

Soy is often marketed as a health food, but traditional cultures only consumed soy in small, fermented amounts (like miso, natto, or tempeh). Unfermented soy products can disrupt hormones due to their high phytoestrogen content and can interfere with the body’s absorption of important minerals. This means it mimics estrogen in the body. Soy products can be detramental to a growing male fetus, affecting his testerone levels. If his levels are affected at that age, they will be hindered at puberty. This is where key nutrients that build testosterone come into play, such as: egg yolks, whole raw milk, fermented cod liver oil, & grass fed beef liver.

Avoid:

• Soy milk
• Soy protein isolate (commonly found in protein powders and bars)
• Tofu (especially from non-organic sources)
• Soybean oils, & lecethins

4. Pasteurized, Homogenized Dairy from Conventional Sources

Dairy is a wonderful source of calcium and fat-soluble vitamins—when it’s clean and unprocessed. Raw milk from grass-fed cows or goats is ideal in the Nourishing Traditions approach, but if raw milk isn’t accessible or legal in your area, seek out low-temp pasteurized, non-homogenized, organic dairy.

Avoid:

• Ultra-pasteurized milk
• Homogenized milk
• Flavored yogurts full of sugar and additives

5. Conventional Prenatal Supplements with Synthetic Ingredients

Not all supplements are created equal. Many commercial prenatal vitamins contain synthetic or poorly absorbed forms of nutrients. Nourishing Traditions recommends getting the bulk of your nutrients from whole foods and supplementing with whole-food-based or naturally-sourced supplements when needed.

Avoid:

• Prenatals with synthetic folic acid (instead of methylfolate)
• Isolated iron supplements that can cause digestive issues and oxidative stress
• Vitamins with artificial colors or additives

6. Environmental Toxins and Hormone Disruptors

Our modern world is full of unseen chemical exposures that can interfere with the delicate hormonal balance of pregnancy and fetal development. This includes everything from personal care products to plastic food storage.

Avoid:

• Plastic containers and bottled water (especially heated plastic)
• Conventional cleaning products
• Chemical-laden shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics
• Non-organic produce (especially the “Dirty Dozen”)

Choose glass, stainless steel, and natural products whenever possible and prioritize organic foods to reduce pesticide exposure.

7. Excessive Caffeine and Alcohol

While some cultures traditionally allowed moderate use of certain herbal teas or small amounts of fermented beverages, Nourishing Traditions emphasizes caution.

Avoid:

• Caffeinated sodas and energy drinks
• Alcohol, especially in the first trimester
• High daily intake of coffee or black tea

Instead, enjoy mineral-rich herbal infusions like nettle, red raspberry leaf, and oat straw (with the guidance of a trusted herbalist or midwife).

8. Tap Water

Standard tap water has floride and many other additives to make it “safe” to drink. But these “purifyers” do more harm than good. Instead drink spring or well water. If neither are an option, then atleast invest in a good quality filter to filter your tap water. Yes, they can run pretty high, but you can pay grocery bills now, or hospital bills later.

Final Thoughts

Pregnancy is a time to return to the wisdom of our ancestors. The Nourishing Traditions approach reminds us that traditional cultures prioritized fertility and pregnancy nutrition with deep reverence, avoiding modern food and lifestyle pitfalls that can compromise the health of both mother and baby.

By steering clear of processed foods, industrial fats, synthetic chemicals, and hormone disruptors—and embracing a diet full of nutrient-dense, traditional foods—you’re not just growing a baby. You’re building a legacy of health.

Written by: Katelyn