Pregnant Britons Are Consuming 530 Calories More Per Day In Their Third Trimester Than Is Recommended

New research into how British women cope during pregnancy has revealed that, on average, pregnant women eat 2,930 calories per day during their third trimester which is 530 more than the recommended amount. What’s more, some of the weirdest food cravings were uncovered, with some craving pickle with a Mars bar and others craving salt & vinegar crisps with toffee ice cream.

 Whilst may say that pregnant women are ‘eating for two’, pregnant women are eating over 500 calories more per day than is recommended during their third trimester. Furthermore, it was found that three quarters of pregnant women now find that the foods they loved make them feel sick.

Study

 The team at www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk conducted the research as part of an ongoing study into how Britons cope with pregnancy. For the purposes of the study, 2,298 British women aged 18 and over, all of whom stated they were at least six months pregnant, were quizzed on how their pregnancy was going thus far.

Initially all respondents were asked what food group they believed they ate the most of whilst they are pregnant, with ‘carbohydrates’ (27%) topping the list, followed by ‘fats’ (19%) and ‘fruit and vegetables’ (13%).

When asked if they’d had any weird or unusual cravings so far, over a third of respondents (36%) confessed that ‘yes’ they have. When asked to state the weird and unusual things they’ve found themselves craving, some of the more bizarre responses were revealed as:

 

  • Pickles with a Mars bar
  • Salt & vinegar crisps with toffee ice cream
  • Rubber
  • Popcorn with cheese
  • Pizza with ice cream

 

Furthermore, all respondents were asked whether there were any foods they used to love that now make them feel sick, to which almost three quarters of respondents (74%) stated this was the case.

When asked if they spend more money on food now that they are pregnant, two thirds (67%) felt this was the case, with 71% guessing they spend roughly £20 more each week.

Researchers then asked all those involved in the poll to guess how many calories they consume on an average day, since becoming pregnant. Once all responses were collated the average was revealed as 2,930 calories, which is 530 more than the recommended 2,400 calorie daily allowance for women in their third trimester.

Finally, all respondents were asked if they knew how many calories they were meant to be consuming, with 68% admitting that they ‘weren’t sure’.

Advice

George Charles, spokesperson for www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, made the following comments:

“Keeping track of the amount of calories you’re meant to be consuming, even when you aren’t pregnant, can be challenging. It’s especially easy to get carried away when you’re carrying a baby, with some taking the phrase ‘eating for two’ to the extreme. I think as long as a pregnant woman is eating a balanced diet then it should be fine. It was definitely good fun reading through some of the cravings answers; some of the combinations are absolutely disgusting. Although those craving rubber should be aware they may have an iron deficiency.”