Learning to eat something after your second year of life? ‘That’s damn hard’
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‘I don’t like it!’, ‘Iel, dirty!’ and ‘I’m really not going to eat that!’ are phrases often heard by parents at the dinner table. But no matter how big the battle for food is, according to science expert Martijn Peters it is important to continue to offer different food products.
“If you haven’t been exposed to a particular flavor by the time you turn 2, chances are you won’t like it.”
External factors
There are important, external factors why we don’t like things. That already starts in the womb. “In the womb, the fetus mainly inhales and breathes amniotic fluid. And that amniotic fluid is flavored by the mother’s dietary habits. You also continue to ingest flavors through breastfeeding. At that point, you don’t have aversion to a particular ingredient or dish,” says Peters. It is therefore important to eat a varied and healthy diet during pregnancy.
Super taste
Furthermore, smell, texture, cultural background and emotional context influence your taste. For example, if you vomit after eating a new food, the food is often to blame. A small part of your taste is genetically determined. “This is how your genes influence the taste buds on the tongue. As a result, some people have little taste, an ordinary taste or even a ‘super taste’.”
Also read – Does a child have to finish their plate? This is what you think! >
Offer food 10 to 15 times
Continuing to eat in the first two years of a child’s life can therefore be rewarding. But this does require some patience and perseverance. According to studies, you have to offer food ten to fifteen times before a child can get used to it.
Learning to eat step by step
If you want to try this at a later age, it is important to offer food step by step. “Start by getting the food that your child thinks is super gross. Then let your son or daughter put the food in their mouth, without swallowing it. This way they can get used to the taste or texture. The last step is to swallow it.”
But don’t worry if you don’t like the battle around food anymore. A study shows that it is not so bad if the child does not like something. “It is healthier if people do not oblige themselves to eat something, but think about what they do like to eat.”
Source: AD.nl.
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