Can You Eat Ham While Pregnant?
Cooked ham is fine (heat deli slices until steaming); avoid uncooked cured hams like prosciutto and Parma ham unless heated.
The full answer
There are two kinds of ham. Cooked ham (the pink sliced kind) is safe, but as a chilled ready-to-eat meat it can carry a small listeria risk, so the cautious advice is to heat deli slices until steaming before eating them straight from the fridge — in a hot toastie they're fine. Dry-cured, uncooked hams — Parma ham, prosciutto, serrano, and other air-dried hams — aren't cooked, so they can carry listeria and toxoplasma; the guidance is to cook them until steaming (for instance crisped on a pizza) or to avoid them. Cooked ham, hot in a meal, is the easy safe option. As with all cured meats, ham is salty, so keep portions modest.
How to eat ham safely
- Cooked ham: heat deli slices until steaming before eating cold
- Cured hams (Parma, prosciutto, serrano): cook until steaming, or skip
- Cooked ham in a hot toastie or meal is fine
When to avoid: Avoid cold cured/air-dried ham unless heated until steaming; heat cold cooked ham too if you want to be cautious.
Ham by trimester
| Stage | What changes |
|---|---|
| First trimester | Cooked ham served hot is fine. Cold sliced ham falls under the ready-to-eat meat caution, and cured or Parma-style ham is treated separately again because it isn't cooked at all. |
| Second trimester | Unchanged. Heating until steaming hot is the practical answer for cold cuts. |
| Third trimester | Same guidance throughout, since listeria risk doesn't diminish. |
Common questions about ham in pregnancy
Can I eat ham sandwiches while pregnant?
Cold sliced ham falls under the ready-to-eat meat advice, so heating it until steaming hot is the usual recommendation — which makes a toasted ham sandwich a straightforward option.
Is Parma ham or prosciutto different?
Yes, and it's treated more cautiously. Those are cured rather than cooked, which raises toxoplasmosis alongside listeria. Cooking them — on a hot pizza, for instance — addresses it.
Does freezing cured ham help?
Freezing is sometimes mentioned as reducing toxoplasmosis risk in cured meats, but it isn't a substitute for the general advice and doesn't address listeria. Cooking is the more reliable answer.
The general rules on listeria, mercury, caffeine and alcohol are in our pregnancy safety guide, and you can track your pregnancy with the How Far Along Am I? calculator and the week-by-week guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you eat ham while pregnant?
- Cooked ham is fine (heat deli slices until steaming); avoid uncooked cured hams like prosciutto and Parma ham unless heated. There are two kinds of ham. Cooked ham (the pink sliced kind) is safe, but as a chilled ready-to-eat meat it can carry a small listeria risk, so the cautious advice is to heat deli slices until steaming before eating them straight from the fridge — in a hot toastie they're fine. Dry-cured, uncooked hams — Parma ham, prosciutto, serrano, and other air-dried hams — aren't cooked, so they can carry listeria and toxoplasma; the guidance is to cook them until steaming (for instance crisped on a pizza) or to avoid them. Cooked ham, hot in a meal, is the easy safe option. As with all cured meats, ham is salty, so keep portions modest.
- Why is ham something to be careful with in pregnancy?
- There are two kinds of ham. Cooked ham (the pink sliced kind) is safe, but as a chilled ready-to-eat meat it can carry a small listeria risk, so the cautious advice is to heat deli slices until steaming before eating them straight from the fridge — in a hot toastie they're fine. Dry-cured, uncooked hams — Parma ham, prosciutto, serrano, and other air-dried hams — aren't cooked, so they can carry listeria and toxoplasma; the guidance is to cook them until steaming (for instance crisped on a pizza) or to avoid them. Cooked ham, hot in a meal, is the easy safe option. As with all cured meats, ham is salty, so keep portions modest.
- When should I avoid ham during pregnancy?
- Avoid cold cured/air-dried ham unless heated until steaming; heat cold cooked ham too if you want to be cautious.
Sources
This answer was checked against the following public guidance. Advice can differ between countries; your midwife, doctor or pharmacist can apply it to you.