From breast milk to favorite foods: taste development in children

Before birth: In the womb, the fetus begins to taste at around the second month. Your unborn baby not only drinks the sweet amniotic fluid, but also receives different taste impressions from the mother's diet. If the Nutrition during pregnancy is already as varied as possible, the baby will also be more likely to enjoy different foods after birth.

Through breast milk: During breastfeeding, little ones become even more aware of what mom eats. Flavor- and color-intense foods like beetroot, carrots or spinach, in addition to transmitting flavor, even affect the color of breast milk. Breast milk is also slightly sweet. That also explains why sweets and treats later become children's favorite foods.

Taste is learned: Your child's taste buds first have to get used to different flavors. Unknown foods simply don't taste good on the first try. On average, an unfamiliar food needs to be eaten 14 times before your child becomes accustomed to it. At first, however, foods that are too bitter are generally disliked by children.

Offer variety: To help your child get to know as many flavors as possible, make sure their diet is varied. Even if they still say, 'I don't like it', at least you've tried.

Typical favorite foods of children

What children like and dislike naturally varies. While some children's eyes light up at the sight of salami, others — probably to their parents' relief — would most like to nibble on a carrot. However, some dishes are highly favored by the majority of children:

• Pasta, especially spaghetti

• Pizza

• French fries

• Mashed potatoes

• Fish sticks

• Hamburger

• Pancakes

As you can see, fruit and vegetables are less popular. That doesn't mean that your child's favorite foods immediately make their entire diet unhealthy. What's important is that not only unhealthy main dishes end up on the plate, but that you make an effort to encourage your child toward a balanced diet in the long term.

One-sided diet: the phase of children's favorite foods

In every family there is a phase when only the favorite dish should be served. Unfamiliar or less popular ingredients are listlessly pushed aside by your child, and they would prefer pasta every day with no side dish. Many parents then worry that their child wouldnot get enough vitamins or other important nutrientsand live unhealthily.

The good news: In most cases your child usually knows how hungry they are and what they're craving.Trust your child and be patient— the phase of one-sided favorite foods usually passes faster than you think. Continue to offer your child varied meals and at least negotiate small portions. If your child remains active despite the current eating phase, has a healthy complexion and seems alert, you don't need to worry.Forcing children to eat a particular food doesn't help muchor may even have the opposite effect. However, if your child seems listless, pale and eats very little or only certain foods, you should get to the bottom of it.

Trying new recipes together: Alternatives to favorite foods

If you want to encourage your child to eat more varied foods, it can help toinvolve them in cooking and preparation.Young children can, for example, help set the table, while older ones can pour drinks or stir and taste the sauce. Those who take part in cooking look forward more to the later meal. Additionally, children are more motivated to try new things when they get to help decide what goes on the table. Together with your child, create ameal plan for the weekthat you design nicely. Displayed in a visible place, your child can look forward to the respective recipe each day and lend a hand with the preparation.

Recipe ideas for new favorite dishes for children

With new recipe ideas you motivate your children to try other dishes and thus bring more variety and diversity to your meal plan. Is your child strongly attached to their favorite dish and not very adventurous? Then it's worth a try to adapt that dish to make it more balanced. We show you a few typical children's favorite dishes that you can transform into healthier main meals for the whole family with simple ingredients.

Vegetable pizza with a spelt crust

Pizza is one of kids' absolute favorite foods. To make this dish healthier without losing your loved ones' delighted looks, it's best to bake the pizza yourself. Usewholemeal or spelt flour for the doughand top the pizza with fresh vegetables instead of sausage. Inmushrooms, bell peppers and cherry tomatoesare packed with many important vitamins for the little ones! If you like it to be fun, you can arrange the vegetables as a smiling face — for even more fun when baking pizza!

Fish finger sandwich with wholegrain bread

Crispy fish fingers are tasty not only with fries as a side. Try something new and, together with your child, make a delicious fish finger sandwich. Take two slices of wholegrain bread and spread the insides thinly with remoulade. Then place a leaf of crunchy lettuce, a slice of fresh tomato and oven-baked fish fingers on it. In no time you'll have a new favorite dish that you can vary a lot with additional vegetables.

Spaghetti with vegetable Bolognese

Only pasta again? No problem if you secretly hide vitamin-rich vegetables in the sauce. Cut carrots, zucchini and eggplant into small cubes and fry them with minced meat or a vegetarian meat substitute. The finely chopped vegetables disappear into the delicious tomato sauce and won't be noticed on the plate! Perfect for kids who like to complain when there's too much green on the plate.

Image credits

Child eating spaghetti from a plate with finger and fork © Tomsickova - stock.adobe.com

Serving of fish sticks on a wooden background © HandmadePictures - stock.adobe.com