Can You Eat Chinese Takeaway When Pregnant?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against NHS foods-to-avoid guidance · Last updated 28 October 2026
Chinese takeaway is fine in pregnancy when freshly cooked and piping hot. Eat rice dishes fresh, and refrigerate leftovers within an hour if you keep them.
Why is chinese takeaway safe in pregnancy?
A freshly cooked Chinese takeaway is safe during pregnancy. The dish-specific points: eat rice while fresh and hot (Food Standards Scotland says to chill cooked rice within an hour and eat it within 24 hours); make sure meat is fully cooked; raw beansprout garnishes should be avoided. We found no UK pregnancy guidance on MSG; the EU's EFSA sets a general acceptable daily intake for added glutamates and says nothing about pregnancy in the summary we read.
You can also check the calorie content of chinese takeaway alongside its safety information. Also check medication safety during pregnancy if you're managing any conditions.
Dish by dish: a Chinese takeaway menu against the NHS rules
The NHS pages do not mention takeaways as a category, so a safe Chinese takeaway is built from the rules for individual foods on the foods-to-avoid page (reviewed 15 June 2026). This table applies those rules to a typical menu (our reading, with the source for each rule).
| Menu item | Rule that applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Egg fried rice, boiled rice | Food Standards Scotland: chill cooked rice 'as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour'; eat within 24 hours; reheat until steaming hot; never reheat more than once | Eat on the day it arrives; refrigerate leftovers promptly |
| Sweet and sour chicken, chicken chow mein | NHS: thoroughly cooked chicken with 'no trace of pink or blood' | Check the middle is white and hot |
| Crispy duck, roast pork | NHS: thoroughly cooked duck and pork, no pink | Fine if hot and cooked through |
| King prawns in sauce, prawn dishes | NHS: cooked shellfish including prawns is safe | Fine hot; see prawns |
| Spring rolls, chow mein, Singapore noodles | Raw bean sprouts are not recommended; see beansprouts | Ask for no sprouts, or check they are cooked until steaming hot |
| Egg dishes with runny yolk, eg fried egg on rice | NHS: Lion eggs may be runny; others should be cooked through | Ask for it well cooked if unsure of the egg |
| Cold meat in a starter platter or cold prawns | NHS: cold cured meats cooked until steaming hot; chilled foods eaten before use-by | Skip cold items or heat them |
| MSG in sauces | We found no UK pregnancy guidance. EFSA (reported 12 July 2017) set a group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kg body weight per day for added glutamates and says diets high in them may exceed it; the report does not mention pregnancy | No UK rule to apply; this is an unanswered question, not a reassurance |
The leftover problem is the rice
Food Standards Scotland says to chill cooked rice within one hour of cooking, keep it for no more than 24 hours and never reheat it more than once. A takeaway rice tub that sat on the table through dinner and then went into the fridge late falls outside that. Our reheating rice page and left out overnight page give the full rules.
Ordering: three quick asks
- Ask for no raw bean sprouts or other raw garnish.
- Ask for dishes cooked fresh and served hot, and check chicken and pork are cooked through with no pink.
- If the egg is not cooked through and you do not know the egg's source, order rice or noodles without it.
Sources checked
Everything in the sections above was checked against these pages on 28 October 2026.
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (page last reviewed 15 June 2026) — thoroughly cooked chicken, pork and duck; cooked shellfish; Lion eggs; cold cured meats; takeaways not mentioned
- Food Standards Scotland: Rice (food safety at home; no date shown) — chill rice within 1 hour; eat within 24 hours; reheat steaming hot; once only
- Food Safety News: Sprouts named as cause for S. Bareilly outbreak in UK (30 September 2010) — HPA advice to cook all bean sprouts in pregnancy
- FoodNavigator: EFSA sets safe intake level for MSG and glutamate additives (12 July 2017) — group ADI 30 mg/kg bw/day; no mention of pregnancy
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Check Price →Chinese Takeaway: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| Reheating | Yes — if stored properly |
| Left out overnight | No — definitely not (limit about 1 h) |
Common questions
Can I eat chinese takeaway in the first trimester?
Yes — chinese takeaway is safe at every stage of pregnancy, including the first trimester.
Is a small amount of chinese takeaway OK during pregnancy?
No limit applies. Chinese Takeaway is not on the NHS list of foods to avoid or limit in pregnancy.
I accidentally ate chinese takeaway while pregnant — what should I do?
No action needed. Chinese Takeaway is safe during pregnancy.
Is cooked chinese takeaway safe in pregnancy?
Yes. Chinese Takeaway is safe in pregnancy. Only the usual rules apply: cook it properly where it needs cooking, keep chilled food chilled, and eat it before the use-by date.
Is MSG safe in pregnancy?
We found no UK pregnancy guidance on MSG. EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kg body weight per day for added glutamates in 2017, and its summary says nothing about pregnancy. We cannot give a source-backed 'yes' or 'no'.
Can I eat egg fried rice from a takeaway?
Yes if it was freshly cooked and is hot. Food Standards Scotland says to chill leftover rice within an hour and eat it within 24 hours.
Are spring rolls safe when pregnant?
Check whether they contain bean sprouts, and that they are cooked until steaming hot. Raw sprouts are not recommended; see our beansprouts page.
Related answers
Primary source: NHS foods-to-avoid guidance.
General information only, not medical advice: see the medical disclaimer. Feeling unwell after eating something? Contact NHS 111 or your GP.