Buffalo wing sauce has a unique flavor and an exceptional spiciness to it even among other hot sauces. Once you have it; that distinct taste can have a lasting recall and you want it again and again. These types of cravings are normal and will be heightened and intensified by hormones if you are pregnant.
Is Buffalo sauce OK during pregnancy?
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Buffalo wing sauce, like many hot sauces, is OK to consume if you are pregnant and it will not harm an unborn child. However, Buffalo wing sauces or chicken wing sauces are almost always milder in heat level, higher in calories and will have additional ingredients that most traditional hot sauces do not have. This is due to additives such as oil, butter or natural butter flavorings that give these sauces a rich texture and flavor.
Craving certain foods during pregnancy is very common, but you already knew that. Some cravings may be unfamiliar foods or foods that you don’t normally eat. Healthline.com states that it is normal to suddenly crave spicy foods like hot sauce or Buffalo sauce while you are pregnant. Taste buds can often change throughout pregnancy so these cravings can come on suddenly even if you do not regularly consume Buffalo wing sauces.
These cravings can begin in the first trimester in as little as 5 weeks and according to nhs.uk. they will usually last throughout the second trimester and dwindle as you reach the 3rd. Don’t believe the myth about hot sauce inducing pregnancy, there isn’t any evidence that shows a Buffalo sauce can cause childbirth. However, a sauce with an extreme heat level can cause heartburn or irritation and this can be elevated during pregnancy.
I eat spicy food during pregnancy, is Buffalo sauce OK also?
Buffalo wing sauce is OK to consume during pregnancy because it is milder than most hot sauces, less acidic than traditional hot sauces and will usually be consumed in smaller servings. Buffalo sauce should be consumed in moderation during pregnancy and consult your doctor if you have any doubts about eating a really hot sauce.
Healthline, aptaclub and UT Southern Medical Center state there is no concern with consuming hot sauce and spicy foods during pregnancy. Hot sauce does not come into contact with the unborn child and is absorbed by the mother. The consumption of Buffalo wing sauce has no adverse effects on the unborn child and there is little evidence that it causes heartburn during pregnancy, as many professionals suggest. If you already suffer from heartburn consult your doctor before consuming Buffalo wing sauce.
However, Buffalo wing sauce should be consumed in smaller servings versus a traditional sauce and choose the sauce wisely by reading the ingredient and nutritional label. Prepackaged Buffalo sauce will typically have a butter flavoring to it, high amounts of sodium and more calories than traditional hot sauce. It’s mainly the salt content that has negative effects in large servings and this is true whether you are pregnant or not. The butter or butter flavoring is usually responsible for the added calories. Eatthismuch.com states that a natural butter flavoring can have as much as 100 calories per serving. That can also be a source of about 20 carbs per serving.
Should I avoid hot sauce during pregnancy?
Aptaclub.com states that spicy foods, including hot sauce, can be consumed during pregnancy and should be included with a well-rounded diet. UT Southern Medical Center states that no evidence supports hot sauce is harmful to a developing fetus and suggest spicy foods are OK during pregnancy.
Although the amniotic fluid is passed to the baby, eating hot sauces will not be directly consumed by the unborn child. It could influence their food preference later as they start weening. Healthline.com also states that “Eating spicy food during pregnancy is 100% safe for your baby”.
Eating Buffalo sauce during the 1st trimester will not harm the baby
Cravings can begin in the first trimester or about 5 weeks into pregnancy but be cautious because some of the ingredients in Buffalo sauce can cause heartburn, especially if you are pregnant. Pregnancy is already susceptible to acid reflux so choose a sauce without tomatoes, garlic and one that is lower in sodium content than some others. Always consume the serving suggestion. Overeating can also be a cause of heartburn so don’t try and force a couple of dozen wings so you can just satisfy a craving.
According to parenting.firstcry.com eating hot sauce during the first trimester is OK and will not hurt the baby. Although the risks for pregnancy loss are higher during the first trimester, eating Buffalo sauce poses no risk to the development of the baby. Parenting.firstcry.com also states that it is safe for the baby too if the mother eats Buffalo sauce throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimesters but that increases the chances of acid reflux or heartburn increase during these stages. Surprisingly it is not the heat level that could cause heartburn.
How hot is a Buffalo wing sauce?
A Buffalo wing sauce can have a variety of heat levels. Many Buffalo wing sauces that want to emulate the origins of the original Buffalo chicken wing sauce will replicate each other with slight variations. Therefore, many of the well-known and better-selling brands of sauces use red cayenne peppers or cayenne pepper powder. While these are not considered mild, they are also not the hottest peppers in the world. Always check the label of a Buffalo wing sauce for the heat level and other added ingredient before consuming.
A red cayenne pepper has a SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) between 30,000 and 50,000 and this heat is diluted within the hot sauce. Just to give an idea where a red cayenne lies on the scale a bell pepper ranks 0 on the SHU scale, a jalapeno is 5,250 (average) and the world’s hottest, a Carolina reaper, is about 2,200,000. Don’t worry a dash of Buffalo wing sauce will usually have a diluted amount of heat from the cayenne pepper. If you are still craving Buffalo sauce and are unsure of your heat tolerance…get a mild sauce.
The heat of a hot pepper is caused by a compound called capsaicin which can offer health benefits during pregnancy. Capsaicin is made into topical creams and can be taken as a supplement but in this case, it is in the form of a hot pepper within the Buffalo sauce so the benefits will be minimal but will increase with a hotter pepper. The hotter the pepper…the more capsaicin it has. Read more here on the 25 Most Commonly Used Peppers in Hot Sauce.
What does capsaicin do?
It is capsaicin in the hot peppers that produces the heat or “burning” sensation, and this varies greatly from pepper to pepper. Some peppers such as bell do not have any, whereas others such as a Carolina reaper are some of the hottest in the world and are a couple of steps below law enforcement grade pepper spray. A typical buffalo sauce is nowhere near this amount of heat although some manufacturers get close.
There is NO BURN, blistering or inflammation from eating a hot sauce. The “burning” sensation created by the capsaicin in the hot sauce will not affect your unborn child during pregnancy. Capsaicin is absorbed by the stomach of the mother. The fiery sensation created from a hot pepper will have no negative effects on a pregnancy that it does not also have normally like hiccups and sweating. This sensation is not the cause of heartburn, acid reflux or GERD. According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), capsaicin is safe.
Is capsaicin addictive?
Some pepper heads suggest that it is the capsaicin that makes people “addicted” to these hot sauces because it releases endorphins, so if you are craving some hot Buffalo wings that is probably why. Although there isn’t evidence that supports that hot peppers, hot sauce or Buffalo sauce have any chemicals or compounds to cause them to be additive. Craving a Buffalo sauce is not a form of addiction regardless of pregnancy or not! However, this craving could be heightened or compounded due to pregnancy, and this is also quite common as well.
Reasons for craving buffalo wing sauce during pregnancy
Sensory changes
In an article from verywellfamily.com the author comments on the sensory changes that women go through during pregnancy and how it can affect their cravings (Wisner, W. Very Well Family, 2020). Hot sauce can have a very pungent and sharp aroma to it and can trigger sudden cravings, especially if it’s something you ate pre-pregnancy and you suddenly smell them at the local pizza joint!
Comfort food
Maybe you have always loved Buffalo chicken wings and you crave them now during pregnancy because something has triggered it. Possibly you gave them up for pregnancy and are craving them now because it is something you ate regularly. Pregnancy can force a change of eating habits that may cause you reaching for Buffalo wings as a way of comforting your restricted diet.
Need to cool down
Pregnancy can make a woman feel as though she needs to constantly cool down. Sweating helps cool down the body. One of the effects that hot sauce has on the body is that it can make you sweat and help cool down the body and this could be a cause of cravings. Hot buffalo wings are one of the most popular foods during pregnancy for this reason.
Does eating buffalo sauce during pregnancy cause heartburn?
Buffalo sauce may not be the cause of heartburn during pregnancy. It can however cause some adverse effects to you like hiccups and sweating. The sauce is made with hot peppers that are not acidic themselves but some of the ingredients they are made within a few brands of buffalo sauce that could be acidic.
According to Keck Medicine of USC in an article published by Forbes, hot sauce does not cause reflux disease or GERD. Heartburn can be more prevalent if you are pregnant but hot sauce isn’t always the culprit. All foods can lead to acid reflux. The stomach secrets acid and the food consumed buffers it. Once the food leaves the stomach the acid secretion will continue without and sustenance of food to neutralize it. (Pai, Deanna. Keck Medicine.org. 2021)
Hot peppers themselves are not acidic and are not the culprit of heartburn. In fact, they contain nutrients and antioxidants that are good for you. Many ingredients that may cause heartburn are also some of the same ingredients in hot sauce. Recent publications from webmd.com state that hot sauce does not cause acid reflux but some of the ingredients can irritate the stomach.
Other ingredients in a hot sauce may cause heartburn
Many traditional hot sauces made with vinegar and hot peppers are acidic and consumed in large quantities can increase the stomach’s acidity and this can lead to heartburn. Although they are hot, Buffalo wing sauces are usually not as acidic as a traditional hot sauce, therefore don’t create the same acids in the stomach. Because of some of the ingredients that a Buffalo wing sauce may contain such as garlic, tomatoes and citric, some can irritate the stomach. Foods that are low in pH, like a traditional hot sauce, are not always creating an acidic environment in the body.
If you are concerned about the acid levels of a Buffalo wing sauce and want a sauce leaning more toward alkaline levels make your own using butter, a common ingredient in Buffalo chicken wing sauce. Butter is considered neutral but will raise the pH of a sauce toward the alkaline side of the scale but this same ingredient can also cause unwanted calories.
An alkaline Buffalo sauce is difficult to find
Many hot sauces are on the acidic side of the pH scale or below 7. Foods that have a higher pH are on the alkaline side of the scale and can help to offset stomach acids. However, it can be difficult to find a hot sauce that is on the alkaline side of the scale. Simply adding ingredients like fruits and vegetables doesn’t always raise the pH level as much as you would think.
An alkaline diet during pregnancy is healthy
Recent revelations in certain eating habits state that the foods consumed should be 60% alkaline and 40% acidic. While pH regulation is important during pregnancy, consuming Buffalo wing sauce, even large servings, will not change the body’s pH level. Food cannot change the pH level of your blood unless you suffer from other diseases.
In an article posted in Nourish by Webmd.com, the author states that there isn’t anything that you can eat that will change the pH level of your blood and that includes Buffalo wing sauce. Although foods that are on the alkaline side of the scale will be healthier during pregnancy, a hot sauce or Buffalo sauce is typically not one of them.
What is Buffalo sauce made of?
A Buffalo wing sauce is made of a traditional hot sauce, vinegar, butter or natural butter flavorings, garlic and salt. The hot sauce used in a traditional Buffalo sauce will have a base that includes red cayenne peppers. Some variations of the sauce will include tomatoes or tomato paste and other ingredients like salt, sugar and paprika.
Hot sauce
Listed as the first ingredient in most Buffalo sauces is either hot sauce or the ingredients of a traditional hot sauce; red cayenne peppers, vinegar and garlic, salt. None of these ingredients are unhealthy for you during pregnancy but the added butter or butter flavors could add additional calories to your diet. Health experts agree that you need some of these extra calories during pregnancy.
Furthermore, if garlic and/or tomatoes are used (foods said to cause heartburn during pregnancy) in a Buffalo sauce they are usually of minimal amounts. If the serving suggestion of each sauce is followed, usually 1 tsp, you will not be consuming much that could cause acid reflux. However, if the sauce is slathered all over some deep-fried chicken wings, then it could be the skin, the method of cooking, or the large amount of sauce that cause heartburn.
Red cayenne peppers
All peppers have health benefits that they can provide whether they are hot or not. Red cayenne peppers are no exception and provide health benefits in many forms. Like other fruits and vegetables, they provide vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. The capsaicin in the peppers is believed to boost metabolism and lower blood pressure. Capsaicin in the form of a cream can also relieve muscle and joint pain but don’t expect to achieve this type of relief from Buffalo sauce!
Vinegar
Vinegar is very acidic but not all of them are the same. Distilled white vinegar, used in the hot sauce to make Buffalo sauce, is lower in acidity than apple cider vinegar. Vinegar can be a heartburn trigger because of its low pH value, especially if you already are prone to heartburn or have GERD. Just like any food or beverage too much of any substance, in this case vinegar, can upset the gastrointestinal tract.
Garlic
Garlic is a common ingredient in many types of Buffalo sauces and poses no negative effects during pregnancy aside from heartburn according to Healthline. It is actually considered safe and can have benefits such as lowering the risk of preeclampsia that effects many pregnant women.
Butter
Usually, only a homemade Buffalo sauce will use butter instead of a butter flavoring in the sauce. Hot sauce manufacturers don’t always put butter in their hot sauces because it decreases the shelf life and would need other more complex methods of packaging. This ingredient then becomes “natural butter flavoring” and this is commonly what is found in a Buffalo sauce.
What is natural butter flavoring?
Manufacturing facilities create natural butter flavorings to be used in other products like cakes and cookies because the ingredient is easier to use and less expensive than butter. In this case, it is a hot wing sauce. The information about ingredients and processing of this flavoring is very difficult to get a hold of and could be considered a manufacturer’s “Trade Secret”.
According to bakerauthority.com flavoring ingredients and extracts are exempt from nutritional requirements 21 CFR 101.9 (J) (4). This would pose another question: Are these natural butter flavors OK during pregnancy?
This product may or may not contain dairy but could also contain other unwanted ingredients. The “natural butter flavor” in Franks RedHot is derived from other sources than dairy. These compounds that may be found in natural butter flavoring could also be found in solid butter or microwave popcorn to offer the same flavoring. These natural butter flavors will most likely use a compound called diacetyl.
Diacetyl
For example, diacetyl is commonly found as a component in natural butter flavors and is used in minimal amounts due to its pungency. Diacetyl is created naturally from fermentation from cultured cream or buttermilk. Although there are links to diacetyl having negative health effects to the workers in manufacturing plants and as a vaping agent it is safe to consume in a flavoring by the FDA.
The amount of diacetyl used in flavorings is for it to be noticed is 2 mg/L. A standard 12 oz bottle of Franks RedHot And the amount of this flavoring used in a buffalo wing sauce is may only be a few drops. If you consume the serving suggestion that used a natural butter flavoring, then you are consuming a minimal amount of diacetyl.
If all of this scientific mumbo jumbo makes you not want to consume Buffalo sauce the FDA has set rigorous standards to regulate and control the use of these substances and diacetyl is recognized as being safe to consume.
If you are unsure of consuming some of the ingredients in a manufactured sauce, make your own. However, the butter you use will most likely have the same flavorings in it as some hot sauces. A homemade Buffalo wing sauce can be made with three ingredients: hot sauce, garlic and butter. These are some of the same common ingredients in some other well-known brand-name buffalo wing sauces. According to Nutritionix, the majority of these calories in a homemade buffalo sauce comes from butter. These isn’t any evidence that a natural butter flavor will cause heartburn but other common hot sauce ingredients may.
What ingredients in a buffalo sauce can cause heartburn during pregnancy?
Garlic should be avoided in large amounts
Many hot sauces contain some form of garlic and this includes just about every wing sauce on this list. Garlic contains fructans that can not be fully digested by humans. Therefore the undigested substances can create problems with digestion and this could lead to acid reflux if consumed in large quantities. According to babygaga.com garlic should be avoided during pregnancy. However, garlic is usually used in minimal amounts in a hot sauce.
Tomatoes can cause acid reflux
Tomatoes are very acidic and can aggravate the lining of the stomach therefore causing heartburn. It is not uncommon for a wing sauce or hot sauce recipe to contain tomatoes and this ingredient is more likely to cause acid reflux. Sauces that contain tomatoes are usually salsa, barbecue and spicy ketchup but there are a few brands of buffalo sauce.
Wing sauces that contain tomato
Pain is Good #37 Honey Habanero Screamin Wing Sauce
Stubs Original Wicked Habanero Pepper Wing Sauce
Torchbearer Buffalo Wing Sauce
Citrus is very acidic
Like the other ingredients on this list citric in the form of lemon or lime juice is also common in a hot sauce but not as common in a buffalo wing sauce. Avoid a buffalo sauce that lists it at the beginning of the ingredient label…but chances are they don’t contain much citrus.
Too much sodium can have a higher risk of heartburn
According to parenting.com cutting off the intake of sodium is not necessary but cutting down on sodium intake during the 3rd trimester is a good idea. The maximum recommended salt intake should be 2,300 mg (milligrams) a day, whether you are pregnant or not (Leonard, Amanda. Babycenter.com, 2021).
Of the buffalo sauces that are on the top ten best-selling sauces on Amazon the average amount of sodium is 305 grams per serving so that is over 13% of the daily recommended intake. If there are concerns with sodium intake during pregnancy consult your doctor.
There are many brands and recipes for buffalo wing sauce and it tends to have a higher caloric content than a traditional hot sauce of just hot peppers and vinegar. However, according to verywellfamily.com your need for additional calories during pregnancy is needed.
Amazon Best Selling Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauces
This list was compiled from the top selling Buffalo Wing Sauces on Amazon and are not ranked in any particular order. The criteria to rank the best sauce during pregnancy were ingredients, availability and low sodium content and FLAVOR. **This table contains affiliate links to Amazon**
Each sauce gets special recognition for being lowest in calories or gets a red flag for being highest in sodium and calories. The sauces profiled on this list include only the “hot” version and there are some slight differences between mild and medium sauces from the same manufacturers.
Choose a sauce based on your dietary needs during pregnancy and consult your doctor before consuming. These sauces are great poured over any plain chicken wing but of the 10 sauces surveyed to be the best hot buffalo chicken wing sauces to consume during pregnancy three are offered in restaurants across the US.
Franks RedHot Wing Sauce
Franks RedHot has been making hot sauce for about 100 years. Their secret is in the aging process of the red cayenne peppers. The amount of taste isn’t always associated with the most ingredients and Franks can pack a lot of flavor into a single bottle with just a few ingredients.
| Franks RedHot Wing Sauce | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Distilled vinegar, aged cayenne red peppers, salt, water, canola oil, paprika, xanthan gum, natural butter type flavor and garlic powder. |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 5 |
| Sodium | 400 mg |
| Total Carb | <1 g |
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray’s is well known for their thick and rich BBQ sauce and their wing sauce is just as rich. This sauce has added oil and that is where it gets its calories from. It looks like a long list of ingredients but common for hot sauces.
| Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Aged cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, water, salt, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, contains less than 2% of vegetable oil, (soybean and/or canola) garlic powder, paprika, propylene glycol, alginate, xanthan gum, citric acid, soy lecithin, oleoresin paprika (color), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), natural and artificial flavor, beta carotene (color), contains soy. |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 20 |
| Sodium | 390 mg |
| Total Carb | 1 g |
| Other | Vitamin A 4%, Vitamin C 2% |
Anchor Bar Original
In case you didn’t know the Anchor Bar is in Buffalo NY and is credited with inventing the Buffalo Chicken Wing so this sauce is the “original” original. Many have since duplicated it to be accepted as a competitor. With only a few locations around western NY and Canada, you may have to travel quite some distance to get wings. However, Anchor Bar Original is offered in Wegmans and Walmart stores or get it here from Amazon.
| Anchor Bar Original | *Lowest Sodium, **Lowest Calories |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Cayenne pepper concentrate (pepper, vinegar, salt), water, margarine (soybean and hydrogenated soybean oil, water salt, monoglycerides, soy lecithin, sodium benzoate, artificial flavor, beta carotene, vitamin A palmitate), vinegar, salt, xanthan gum, garlic, potassium sorbate and potassium benzoate as preservatives. Calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor, contains soy. |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calories** / tbsp | 0 |
| Sodium* | 190 mg |
| Total Carb | 0 g |
Buffalo Wild Wing Hot
This sauce contains lemon juice, a citrus-based juice, which is more prone to cause heartburn during pregnancy. Although the amount of lemon juice consumed in one sitting is minimal (if you followed the serving suggestion), be aware that it is in there. There are over 1,200 Buffalo Wild Wing locations in 920 cities having the most of any wing joints in this article and you can also find this sauce in many retailers. Click here to locate a Buffalo Wild Wing near you.
| Buffalo Wild Wings Hot | *Contains lemon juice |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Cayenne pepper, water, vinegar, soybean oil, salt, spice, modified corn starch, xanthan gum, natural and artificial flavors, lemon juice concentrate, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, corn syrup, molasses, caramel color, sugar, tamarind, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor* |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 25 |
| Sodium | 500 mg |
| Total Carb | 1 g |
| OTHER | Vitamin A 4%, Vitamin C 2% |
Texas Pete’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
Texas Pete is another zesty traditional wing sauce. This sauce is their signature sauce with added butter flavor. On this list, this sauce has the highest sodium content and the most carbohydrates per serving.
| Texas Pete’s Buffalo Wing Sauce | *Highest sodium |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Vinegar, aged peppers (peppers, salt, vinegar), water, xanthan gum and benzoate of sodium (to preserve freshness and flavor), natural butter type flavor, vinegar, salt, sugar, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness and flavor. Manufactured on a line the produces products with soy allergen. |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 15 |
| Sodium* | 638 mg |
| Total Carb | 3 g |
Mitch’s Best Buffalo Sauce
Simple ingredients but great flavor. Mitch’s is the only sauce on the list that contains wheat. It’s used as a thickening agent. Also, the only sauce on the list with butter instead of a natural butter flavoring.
| Mitch’s Best Buffalo Sauce | *Contains wheat |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Hot sauce (aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water salt, garlic powder), water, butter (cream), wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid) salt* |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 10 |
| Sodium | 260 mg |
| Total Carb | 1 g |
| OTHER | Vitamin A 4% |
Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce
The protein in this sauce is coming from the cashews. Although it is minimal it is a step toward getting the minimal amount of protein a day. That’s probably not a worry if you are going to slather it over chicken wings.
| Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, garlic), organic cashew butter, avocado oil, organic garlic powder, organic paprika. Contains tree nuts (cashew) |
| Fat | 3.5 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 35 |
| Sodium | 370 mg |
| Total Carb | 1 g |
| OTHER | Protein <1 g |
Hooters Wing Sauce
Hooters is another location where you can get their signature sauce over wings in a sit-down establishment. There are over 420 locations in the US, but this sauce is the highest in calories on the list. Add the wings and it could push the limit.
| Hooters Wing Sauce Hot | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Hot sauce (cayenne peppers mash, water, vinegar, salt), pasteurized cream, water, soybean oil, palm oil, spices and spice extracts, contains less than 2% of salt, buttermilk solid, mono and dyglycerides, soybean lecithin, artificial flavor, beta carotene (color), vitamin A palmate, butter, cultured whey protein concentrate, maltodextrin, proplyne glycol alginate, xanthan gum, paprika extract (color), preservatives (potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, calcium disodium EDTA. Contains milk, soy |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Calories* / tbsp | 120 |
| Sodium | 290 mg |
| Total Carb | 1 g |
| OTHER | Cholesterol 15 mg, potassium 15 mg |
Wing Time Hot Sauce
Included in this list of ingredients is tomato paste and according to thebump.com it is the acidity in tomatoes that can trigger heartburn during pregnancy. Wing Time doesn’t use any preservatives in their buffalo sauce.
| Wing Time Hot Sauce | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Hot sauce (cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt), soybean oil, tomato paste, water, spices, red chili peppers salt, xanthan gum (natural thickener), natural butter flavor |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 25 |
| Sodium | 280 mg |
| Total Carb | 2 g |
| OTHER | Vitamin A 4%, Vitamin C 2% |
Tabasco® Buffalo Style
Tabasco® has a long tradition of making a great-tasting hot sauce with just a few ingredients. This buffalo sauce has the least ingredients on the list and the least amount of sodium. However, even Tabasco® recommends mixing it with butter to get that true buffalo wing experience.
| Tabasco® Buffalo Style | *Lowest sodium |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Red cayenne pepper, distilled vinegar, water, salt, garlic |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calories / tbsp | 0 |
| Sodium* | 190 mg |
| Total Carb | 0 |
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
There are usually long lists of foods to avoid during pregnancy due to various conditions they may cause. Unfortunately, Buffalo sauce is almost always used on chicken wings and that includes two of the top foods on the lists of foods to avoid…fatty foods and fried foods. Your craving for Buffalo sauce may be met through dipping fresh vegetables into small servings.
Fatty foods
Deep-fried chicken wings will stay in the stomach longer, therefore, taking longer to digest and will become uncomfortable. If you already have a sensitive stomach due to pregnancy adding hot Buffalo sauce to wings certainly won’t help it. Consult your care provider if the cravings don’t subside.
Fried foods
Fried foods also have the same effect on the stomach as fatty foods so deep-fried chicken wings could be a culprit of indigestion. Baking or air frying are great options for your chicken wings and it also leaves the option of plenty of buffalo sauce. Chicken is a great source of protein when you are pregnant.
Does buffalo sauce have too much fat during pregnancy?
A traditional hot sauce made with hot peppers and vinegar will have 0 to 5 calories per serving. A Buffalo wing sauce will be between 5 and 120 calories depending on the brand. Specialty wing sauces like garlic parmesan or honey barbecue can be between 70 and 130 calories per serving.
How many calories should you have during pregnancy?
According to whattoexpect.com, you should have about 2000 calories a day during pregnancy, and this would need to be increased throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Eating several servings of Buffalo sauce alone (who eats just the sauce?) would still limit your calorie intake but what about the wings.
What about wings?
The calories of the sauce are one thing but add the wings and calories increase. Pregnancy demands about 350 extra calories a day but not in the form of sugar or sweets and this only increases throughout pregnancy to about 500 a day. Protein is a key source of nutrients during pregnancy along with carbs, fats, calcium, vitamins and minerals state Food Insights. This means women should be consuming about 70 grams of protein a day minimum during pregnancy.
According to parenting.firstcry.com chicken is one of the most recommended foods to consume and will provide protein, vitamins and minerals. A single chicken wing will provide about 6.4 grams of protein and 42 calories. Do the math on that one and you should be able to consume a dozen Buffalo wings during the 3rd trimester without the worry of extra calories. Consult your doctor for the best advice.
Typically, a buffalo sauce is slathered over chicken wings but it doesn’t always need to be to satisfy a craving. Try it on other edibles first like baby carrots or celery to satisfy your craving, if you are overly concerned about calorie intake.
Healthiest buffalo wing sauce
Like any product, there are “healthier” versions and that goes for buffalo wing sauces as well. There are a few bottled buffalo wing sauces available but the healthiest may be one you make for yourself. Some of the Buffalo wing sauces that are highest in calories are the Buffalo Wild Wing brand sauces.
Eating Buffalo chicken wings during pregnancy
Staying hydrated
Intermounainhealthcare.com states that there are many benefits to drinking liquids for both you and the baby and that some expecting mothers may have difficulty consuming enough liquid. Eating hot sauce could provide you with the need to drink some of these liquids.
Staying hydrated during pregnancy by drinking a lot of water is important but water will not necessarily cool the areas of the mouth affected by hot sauce burn. There other forms of liquid that will provide the water needed and will soothe the mouth from burning such as milk.
Some negative (just a few) effects of hot sauce (during pregnancy)
Sweating
According to whattoexpect.com sweating during pregnancy is normal. The hypothalamus is confused by hormones but it is not the same sweating caused by eating hot sauce. Eating hot sauce captain triggers the nerves that make you feel warmer so the body produces sweat. This is normal if you are pregnant or not.
Hiccups
A hot sauce can cause hiccups upon consumption because the heat from the capsaicin irritates the diaphragm, whether you are pregnant or not. Hiccuping can be normal during pregnancy and there isn’t any evidence that it harms the baby. Sometimes a few deep and steady breaths of air after some hot wings can calm and steady the diaphragm.
If you can tolerate the heat and don’t mind sweating and hiccuping during a meal, then enjoy a serving of buffalo wings. So if you are craving those zesty wings during pregnancy…eat in moderation and you are fine.
