Expectant mothers overestimate extra calories needed during pregnancy
PRQuick.comA new poll by the UK’s leading discount and voucher code website has found that 52% of women eat an extra 400 – 500 calories per day when pregnant and a further 37% eat an extra 500 – 600 calories. 1 in 3 of the mothers asked admitted to using pregnancy as an ‘excuse’ to eat more.
The UK’s leading discount and voucher code website, http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk asked 1,109 mother across the UK how many extra calories they consumed per day when they were pregnant, compared to their normal calorie intake on an average day.
The poll, by http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, found that on top of the recommended 2000 calories per day, 52% of the respondents consumed an extra 400 – 500 extra calories a day when they were pregnant and a further 37% had an extra 500 – 600 calories.
4% of the mothers asked by http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk estimated that they consumed double the recommended calories per day during their pregnancy. 12% of the respondents claimed they simply ‘ate what they wanted’.
More than 1 in 3, 34% , of the mothers asked used pregnancy as an ‘excuse’ to have more calories in their diet and a further 39% ate food they believed to be ‘indulgent’ when pregnant. Less than 1 in 10, 8%, claimed they didn’t change their diet at all.
When asked the multiple-choice question by http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk ‘what food did you mostly eat during your pregnancy that you wouldn’t have eaten before your pregnancy?’ the most common answer was chocolate with 37% agreeing, followed by sweets, 21% and ice cream with 14%.
Of those asked, more than a quarter, 26%, admitted to experiencing cravings for certain foods during their pregnancy; 12% of which cited that their cravings were for ‘savoury’ foods compared to 42% who claimed they craved ‘sweet’ food.
The poll found that only 12% of the respondents were aware of the extra amount of calories recommended by the NHS, which were needed to be consumed during their pregnancy.
According to the NHS website, a pregnant woman doesn’t need to consume extra calories until the final trimester when the recommended amount is approximately an extra 200 calories per day.
Andy Cole, parenting expert at http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said the following about the findings;
“Pregnant women are bound to experience different feelings when they are pregnant and they certainly experience their body changing, so I think I can understand why they may want to indulge in a few extra calories. As the NHS recommends an extra 200 calories a day in the final trimester of pregnancy, I would suggest mothers try to follow their advice.”
He continued,
“Pregnancy can be an expensive experience, especially when you consider all those extra calories some women consume. Sites such as MyVoucherCodes.co.uk offer great discounts on products such as baby clothing, toys and nursery furniture.”
LINK http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk
***ENDS***
Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £30 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.
Mark appeared as a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4, in which he donated £115,00 of his own money to worthy causes.
MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year
Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009.
MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.
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