Getting Our Kids to Eat Their Veggies!
Our tongues have five (5) different taste buds that give us information about the food we eat (sweet, salty, bitter, umami and sour). Throughout history and evolution we have learned to enjoy and trust foods that are sweet and salty. These specific functions have allowed us to thrive and live as long as we have because foods that are sweet and salty have been the safest to consume. Our sense of taste has two purposes: one is evaluating food toxicity (detected by the bitter and sour regions of our tongue), and the second is to prepare the body to metabolize what was consumed (Paul A.S. Breslin, “An Evolutionary Perspective on Food and Human Taste”,Current Biology,Volume 23, Issue 9,2013).
We over develop our sweet and salty taste buds and only stimulate our bitter and sour taste buds when food is going bad or not yet ready to eat, creating an adverse reaction to certain foods. Think about the last time you smelled a rotting orange, did it smell appetizing? Or did it smell more like vinegar? Did the smell of it make you want to eat it? See, its easy to assume that something sour or bitter is unappealing, but that is not the case for all foods.
Although we can have a negative association with bitter and sour foods we can learn to appreciate them for their health benefits; fermented/ cultured foods like blue cheese, wine, yogurt, kimchi and apple cider vinegar are high in probiotics which promote good gut health. And bitter foods help promote digestion.
Did you know that Umami exists on our tongues? Umami taste buds occupy the most space on our tongue and is a savory flavor that gives us a sense of satisfaction when eating our food.
Source:https://www.reddit.com/r/foodscience/comments/8b6x1d/tongue_map_tell_me_if_i_should_look_to_another/
Now, think about when our kids give us difficulties during meals, they are actually not being combative, their taste buds are still under development. Kids are visual eaters. If it does not look good or smell good, they are most likely not going to eat or try it. Our children tend to enjoy candy because of their delicious taste and appealing look. So how can we make healthy foods more pleasant to our children’s eyes?
Glad you asked!
Have you ever tried to eat the rainbow?
By adding more color to your meals you are increasing the nutrient density of the meal which has a direct impact on the growing brain. What a wonderful way to light up our children’s brain!
Remember, our relationship with foods as adults is directly impacted by our childhood relationships to food. When introducing new foods to our children we should consider:
Making an agreement to try at-least once before declaring you don’t like it!
Providing options, example: eat a bunch of broccoli now or have it in your smoothy
Allowing kids to help you prepare your meals
Being mindful of the language you use around your kids, example: It is green and feels firm, and it is juicy (so our kids now what to expect)
Think back to when you were a small child, the grown-ups that offered food to you shaped the way you [now] react towards food as an adult. The early years of childhood are a great opportunity for young minds (and taste buds) to explore flavors and foods, and develop the desire to eat healthily which will last into their adulthood.
When you think of food, what is something that comes to mind? What do you look forward to? What do you hope you don't see?
