A healthy, balanced diet provides your little adventurer with all the essential nutrients they need for daily explorations and to learn a little more each day. Some foods, like fruits and vegetables, aren’t very popular with young children—so how can you make these healthy options a bit tastier for your child’s palate? In this article, you’ll learn why it’s normal for young children to be hesitant about certain foods and how you can positively influence your young gourmet’s taste preferences.

How does the sense of taste develop?

The sense of taste is innate; it begins to develop as early as the tenth week of pregnancy. A few weeks later, thanks to their taste buds, your baby experiences their first taste impressions. During the third trimester, their sense of taste is already so developed that they can perceive variations in the flavors of the amniotic fluid. At birth, your little adventurer can initially distinguish sweet, bitter, and sour flavors, and then salty flavors around four months of age. By three years old, the development of the taste organs is fully complete.

How do taste preferences develop?

Did you know that our taste preferences are already present in our genes? We owe our inclination for sweetness and fat to our ancestors, who lived by hunting and gathering. They recognized ripe, edible fruits by their sweetness, and fats provided vital energy. Today, the preference for these comforting tastes is still ingrained in us—especially in children, whose preference for sweetness is very pronounced. Compared to adults, young children have very little taste experience. For this reason, they rely more on genetic information.

New preferences, then, must be learned—and this generally happens during the first years of life. While breast milk or formula may match these familiar tastes during the first months, your baby will discover new ones during food diversification, as new flavors are introduced through everyday foods.

In this way, your little explorer’s taste memory gradually develops.

Why doesn't my little one like this?

Even if introducing new foods initially seems promising, many parents notice sooner or later that their child becomes increasingly skeptical about food. This phase is completely normal and has several reasons. First of all, many children from around 18 months to about three years enter a phase called neophobia: the fear of trying new foods. During this phase, they’re cautious about anything unfamiliar and may reject foods they don’t know. This isn’t surprising when you consider all the new discoveries they make each day! Still, the familiar taste of a favorite dish can reassure them. At the same age, toddlers also begin to assert their independence—and that often shows up at mealtimes. In addition, children may reject certain foods because they perceive tastes more intensely than adults do. As a result, some foods may seem especially bitter, sour, or too salty.

Even if, for now, your child only wants to eat plain pasta without sauce, their tastes will likely settle over time, and they’ll learn to enjoy more and more foods. Keep in mind that the atmosphere at the family table is just as important, and your role as a model also plays a big part in helping your little adventurer develop healthy eating habits!

Why are family table meals so important?

In many families, mealtimes at the table are part of a daily ritual. Everyone gathers, spends time together in a calm environment, and eats in a relaxed atmosphere. From the beginning, your child learns that mealtime is a pleasant shared ritual that’s worth taking time for. From around one year old, your little one can sit at the table and join family meals. With food diversification, you can vary many recipes by offering your child a portion of the family meal. You simply need to prepare a lightly seasoned portion, chopped or cut into very small pieces, depending on what you’ve cooked. Remember not to over-salt or over-spice your child’s dish.

At around two years old, your child will be able to eat at the family table almost like the older children. Specific recipes aren’t necessary as long as you offer a healthy, varied diet in an amount appropriate for their age. Your little adventurer can eat like the rest of the family. However, salt, sugar, and processed foods should be used sparingly. Some hard foods that are difficult to chew or swallow, such as dried fruits and fish with bones, should be avoided. It’s also important that your child drinks enough.

9 tips for meals with your little one

1. Lead by example

If your child regularly sees you eating fresh foods, they’ll become curious and want to try them too.

2. Involve your little one in the preparations

Show your budding gourmet new foods and ask them what they’d like to eat. If they have a say in what’s on their plate, they’ll enjoy mealtimes more. You can also involve them in meal preparation in many ways. From harvesting vegetables to helping with recipes to setting the table, they’ll feel proud to have played a part.

3. Create eating rituals

Eat with your child in a calm atmosphere, without distractions from television or other media. Your little one will naturally associate eating in a relaxed environment with a positive feeling and will be more receptive at mealtimes.

4. Suggest vegetables to eat with your hands

Offer a plate of bite-sized vegetables (cucumber, carrot sticks) during or between meals. This way, you encourage your child to eat different kinds of vegetables in a fun way. This technique is also ideal within the framework of the .

5. Offer your little one foods prepared in different ways

If your child completely refuses certain foods, try offering them prepared in a different way. For example, you can serve vegetables raw, finely grated, cooked in boiling water or steamed, fried, , in soup, or in a smoothie. Texture and mouthfeel can have a significant influence on how a food tastes.

6. Let your child decide for themselves how much they eat

Even if the amount your child eats varies from one meal to another, self-directed eating helps them learn to listen to their natural hunger and fullness cues. Restrictions and pressure can have the opposite effect, and your little one may refuse their meal.

7. Appeal to the eyes

Did you know that we also eat with our eyes? A beautifully arranged plate can make your little adventurer eager to dig in! Bright colors like red, yellow, or orange (bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.) can also stimulate the appetite. To play with the color of foods, you can add spices to your little one’s dishes. We tell you more in our article "".

8. Arm yourself with patience

On average, a new ingredient needs to be tried 16 times before it feels familiar and tasty to our palate. For this reason, be patient and offer small amounts of new foods several times, without forcing your child to eat them. Parents of young children know this well: what isn’t appreciated today may become a favorite tomorrow!

9. Stay calm

Hunger and appetite can vary in toddlers. They may sometimes eat less or even refuse a certain food for a period of time. In most cases, they make up for it in the following days. In these situations, stay calm—your little adventurer will return to their usual eating habits on their own.

Furthermore, did you know that our food preferences can change throughout our lives? Some parents use the opportunity of introducing their children to a varied diet to reconsider—and possibly adjust—their own eating habits, in order to provide their child with a healthy, balanced diet. By setting a good example and showing patience, a fine gourmet will soon be sitting at your table. We wish you and your little adventurer bon appétit!