Taste and food preference changes across the course of pregnancy

Abstract

The present study investigates taste and specific food consumption changes across the course of pregnancy. These variables could potentially play a role in excess pregnancy-associated weight gains. Pregnant and postpartum women were asked to consume a series of everyday foods in the laboratory. Consumption and taste perception of each food were measured. In contrast to the self-report literature on cravings and aversions during pregnancy, which emphasizes changes in the first trimester, this study found that women in the second trimester consumed significantly more sweet food, but not salty or non-sweet/non-salty food, as compared with women at any other point in pregnancy. Subjects were restrained eaters, and so possibly refrained from daily consumption of excess sweet foods. This study suggests that psychological variables may interact with behavioral and physiological variables to control food preferences and eating in pregnancy.