When you think about it, a healthy diet is not made of “simple” flavours such as sweet or salty, but of a multitude of savours which are mixed, creating multiple combinations of the 5 basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami). All kids with no exception are able to enjoy spicy dishes, even bitter or sour ones, if they learned to eat them from an early age.

Adding condiments, herbs and spices helps you to vary the taste of a same dish in different ways: carrots complimented with curry, carrots with cumin, carrot soup with coriander, carrot and parsnip purée with nutmeg, etc. 

Giving tasty food to your child and varying the seasonings only has benefits:

• he gets used to mixes of flavours (and smells!),
• he is not afraid to taste new foods (since he is already used to them),
• he learns that food can be eaten in different ways and
• he will become an adult who enjoys all sorts of recipes & cuisines.

Baby's taste development: conclusion

After reading this article on the development of taste in babies, you will now understand the importance of this: Yes, a child who has eaten deliciously seasoned products throughout his or her childhood will then be more likely to choose a healthy diet and to avoid food that is limited to providing a sweet or salty taste and that often rhymes with junk food. Taste can be learned. Have you already discovered our healthy and delicious meal ideas for babies and toddlers?

Article by Gisèle Gual, pediatric dietitian.