As we discussed earlier in Your Toddler’s Sense of Smell, taste is somewhat less than refined when your baby is born. Their taste buds are still developing and they are resistant to changes – even those of the sweet kind until they are ready. You’ll notice a reticence in tasting some foods when their sense of smell begins expanding and the same can be said for their sense of taste.
Toddlers are, by their very nature, finicky. One good rule of thumb to get into where eating and new tastes are concerned is to let them sample flavors. Never fix a new dish for them and expect them to eat the whole thing. Instead, let them sample flavors from your plate while giving them something they are already comfortable with.
Also, since trailblazing is not something your toddler is likely to do with their sense of taste, they will go through phases where favorite foods will suddenly become anathema to them. It’s also not unusual for them to discover a new taste or texture and fall in love with it.
At this age, the texture of the food, the color of it and what it touches on the plate will also have a lot to do with your toddler’s interest in it. Have you ever heard anyone tell you something tasted ‘green’? Or red? I know plenty of adults that don’t like vegetables and their excuse is that it tastes green – they don’t like any food that mushrooms touched – whether the flavor is there or not – so it’s hardly surprising that your toddler will go through the same things.
To help them explore their taste buds – create sampler platters and even the Taste of the Family in your very own kitchen. Talk it through with your toddler and if they are able to give you simple word descriptions for the flavors, you’ll quickly learn what they like, what they don’t like and what they may learn to like. There will be some foods that your toddler will steadfastly refuse to try – go easy on them and just make sure they are available for them to try on another time.
Don’t be surprised if they suddenly want something they’ve refused before or if a different presentation is more enjoyable – my daughter doesn’t like apple pie, but she loves apples and she loves raw carrots, but doesn’t care for them cooked.
How did you introduce tastes to your toddler?
Related Articles:
The Sense of Sight – Looking at the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses
The Sense of Touch – The World is at Their Fingertips
Baby’s 5 Senses and How They Develop over the First Year