From breast milk to favorite foods: taste development in children

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

About breast milk:During breastfeeding, babies notice even more what mom eats. Flavor- and color-intense foods like beetroot, carrots or spinach, in addition to transferring taste, can even affect the color of breast milk. Also, breast milk is slightly sweet. This also explains why sweets and treats later become some of children's favorite foods.

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

Provide variety: To help your child get to know as many tastes as possible, you should ensure variety in their diet. Even if it may still be: "I don't like it", at least you've tried it.

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' delight) prefer to nibble on a carrot. However, some dishes are very popular among the majority of children:

• Pasta, especially spaghetti

• Pizza

• French fries

• Mashed potatoes

• Fish sticks

• Hamburgers

• Pancakes

As you can see, fruit and vegetables are less popular. That doesn't mean that your children'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 eating: the phase of children's favorite foods

In every family there is a phase when only the favorite food is supposed to be served. Unknown or less popular ingredients are pushed aside by your child with little interest, and they would prefer to have pasta every day without a side dish. Many parents then worry that their child would eat too one-sidedly,not enough vitamins or other important nutrientsto get and live unhealthily.

The good news: In most cases, your child knows for themselves how hungry they are and what they feel like eating.Trust your child and be patient– the phase of one-sided favorite foods usually passes faster than you think. Keep offering your child a variety of foods and at least negotiate small portions. If your child, despite the current eating phase, remains active, has a healthy complexion and seems lively, you don't need to worry.Forcing children to eat a particular food doesn't help muchor even has the opposite effect. However, if your child appears listless, pale and eats little or only certain foods, you should get to the bottom of it.

Trying new recipes together: alternatives to the favorite food

If you want to encourage your child to eat more varied foods, it can help toinvolve them in cooking and preparation.Small children can, for example, help set the table, while older ones can pour drinks or stir and season the sauce. Those involved in cooking look forward to the meal more. In addition, children are more motivated to try new things when they are allowed to have a say in what's on the table. Together with your child, create ameal plan for the weekthat you design nicely. Hung up in a visible place, your child can look forward each day to the respective recipe and help you 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 food and not very willing to experiment? Then it's worth a try to adapt that dish so it becomes more balanced. We show you a few typical children's favorite dishes that you can turn into healthier main meals for the whole family with simple ingredients.

Vegetable pizza with a spelt crust

Pizza is one of children's absolute favorite dishes. To make this dish healthier without losing the delighted looks on your children's faces, it's best to bake the pizza yourself. Usewhole-grain or spelt flour for the doughand top the pizza with fresh vegetables instead of sausage. Inmushrooms, bell peppers and cherry tomatoesyou'll find many important vitamins for the little ones! If you like it playful, you can arrange the vegetables into a smiling face — for even more fun when making pizza!

Fish stick sandwich with whole-grain bread

Crispy fish sticks are not only tasty with fries as a side. Try something new and build a delicious fish stick sandwich together with your child. Take two slices of whole-grain bread and spread a thin layer of remoulade on the inside. Then place a leaf of crisp lettuce, a slice of fresh tomato and oven-baked fish sticks on it. This creates a new favorite dish in no time that you can vary a lot with additional vegetables.

Spaghetti with vegetable bolognese

Always just pasta? No problem if you secretly hide vitamin-rich vegetables in the sauce. Cut carrots, zucchini and eggplant into small cubes and sauté them with ground meat or a vegetarian meat substitute. The finely chopped vegetables disappear into tasty tomato sauce and aren't noticeable on the plate! Perfect for kids who tend to complain when there's too much green on their plate.

Image credits

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

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