The flavor and texture of foods
Taste, smell, color are the main qualities we look for when buying food. All of these are qualities we can perceive without being close to the food and they give us information about the product’s quality, evoking feelings and memories... for adults.
Our little ones are the joy of our home, deserving the best, which is why we strive to choose the best to feed them. But... what can they tell us? They cannot choose foods based on taste, smell, or color because these are skills they will develop throughout life.
Their preference will be determined by something else, more basic qualities: taste and texture. Our children don’t compare; they have an all-or-nothing response. They either like it or they don’t.
Taste
It is our duty to educate them and offer a variety of flavors so they improve their palate and enjoy food. Pediatricians and pharmacists recommend starting with essential flavors.
These flavors are very easily distinguishable and at the same time pleasant to a child’s palate. These flavors will vary and become more subtle throughout their life. Therefore, the general recommendation is to start with fruits that have pleasant flavors such as pears and apples, adding citrus so the child’s underdeveloped palate can establish clear differences. Then we continue with banana and add cereals. This way, the child sets clear flavor guidelines in their brain. Traditionally, more attention has been paid to taste than to textures.
Texture
A child needs to know the texture of the fruit because it is a memory they will use for the rest of their life. It is obvious that a four-month-old infant cannot eat an apple slice, but it is important that they eat a consistent puree in which textures can be distinguished.
More and more experts recommend using "traditional blenders" instead of food processors or juicers. The reason is that high-power blending breaks fibers and even cell walls, causing us to lose the texture quality and leading children’s palates to think that an apple and a banana have the same mouthfeel.
In conclusion, it is always necessary to use high-quality foods free of all kinds of chemicals for children, but it is also very important to give children flavors and textures that provide correct information about the foods they will use in their future for better development.