Taste Buds in Training: Tips to Introduce New Flavors to Your Baby

Understanding Your Baby’s Taste Buds

Angelo Monroy, MD
Section Head of Pediatric Otolaryngology. Head and Neck Surgery Saint Luke’s Medical Center, BGC

Hey there, moms and dads! Did you know that your baby’s taste buds start developing way before they even arrive in the world? That’s right! From the very early days in the womb, babies begin to experience different flavors. When you eat, those flavors mix into the amniotic fluid, and your little one gets a taste of what you’re munching on!

Once your baby is born and breastfeeding starts, they continue to explore flavors through breastmilk. The great thing is, if you eat a variety of foods—especially veggies—your baby will get used to those flavors and might be more open to trying new foods later on. Studies show that babies who are breastfed tend to accept new tastes, especially vegetables, more easily than those who are formula-fed.³

Breast milk has different taste compounds that make it sweet, salty, or even a little bitter.⁴ Babies naturally love sweet tastes—think of it as their way of seeking out the yummy, calorie-rich goodness of your milk. On the flip side, they might turn their noses up at bitter flavors, which is a natural protective instinct to avoid potentially harmful stuff.

Expanding Your Kid’s Taste Buds

As your baby grows, around the 6-month mark, they’ll need more than breastmilk alone to meet their growing nutritional needs. This is when you can start introducing a variety of foods with different textures and flavors. Offering veggies early on can help shape their taste preferences for healthier eating habits down the road.⁵

What to Do if Your Kid Doesn’t Like a New Taste

Now, don’t worry if your baby is a bit picky about bitter or sour tastes at first. With a little patience and repeated exposure, they can learn to accept these flavors. It’s all part of the process! Don’t despair, while on the average most parents give up trying unwanted food tastes after 2-3 tries, it is recommended that a mere exposure to this new and unfamiliar food taste of at least 8-10 times increases the chance of new food acceptance with their child. Other strategies such as rewarding food intake or pairing together liked/disliked food (flavor-flavor pairing) will increase chances of success.

If you’re using a new milk formula, keep in mind that different brands have different flavors. Some might taste a bit sour or even cereal-like, while others can have a mix of sweet, sour, and bitter notes. Babies will get used to the flavors in their formula, so it’s all about what they’re exposed to. Remember don’t prematurely give up in 2-3 tries as a baby’s taste can be influenced.

Shaping Your Child’s Food Preferences for Life

You’ll be surprised to know that babies and young children have more taste buds than adults. Infants are born with about 10,000 taste buds while adults have about 6,000 to 8,000 taste buds. This makes young kids even more sensitive to changes in food tastes.¹⁰  

Allowing your baby to experience a wider variety of tastes during weaning can help them accept new flavors and foods in the future.  Studies even suggest that by age 2-3 years old or at the 1000th day of life, a child’s food preferences and choices can predict what their preferences are later in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Taste imprints that have developed as a child remain stable into adulthood.

Pay attention to how your baby reacts to different tastes. If they seem overly sensitive or unresponsive, it might be worth checking in with your pediatrician to ensure everything is on track.

High Screen Time May Lead to Poor Eating Habits

Worth mentioning, in the last few years, use of media devices such as tablets, phones, television, laptops influence the eating patterns of children and adolescents. Prolonged use of media devices is a significant contributor to poor eating habits in children – these kids have a higher inclination to consume sweets and fatty foods with reduced intake of fruits and vegetables. It is also associated with sedentary lifestyles leading to obesity.

Conclusion

So remember, the journey of taste starts from the womb and continues as your little one grows. By introducing a variety of flavors early on, you’re setting the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Be a good example to your child’s food and taste preferences.  School programs and health professionals can also educate kids about proper food choices. To a healthier taste adventure, happy feeding and bon appétit!