Why We have Favorites in Food

“What is your child’s favorite food?” KidandParent asked this question to Moms on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KidandParent.

We sincerely thank the Moms who provided us details of the favorite food of their children. It is heartening to note that the Chicken topped the list with Aalo parantha second and the Paneer in various avatars stood third in list of kids’ favorites across all ages from 2 to 12.

As expected, milk was the most favored food at ages one and half and two. Maggi and pizzas are in a neck-to-neck fight with Idli Sambhar and Daal Roti. To know about the best nutritious choices for your child, please visit http://www.kidandparent.in/videos/nutrition/home

“Why Does Your Child Favor A Particular Food?”

This is a tricky question.

Let us find answers to why do we have favorites in food . .

Reason Behind Having Favorites

According to the researchers, the taste buds of the baby can identify different tastes by halfway through the pregnancy and the taste buds keep developing. We have nearly 10,000 taste buds in the mouth. Taste buds are present on the roof and sides of the mouth and in the throat as well.

Some researchers believe that what a child likes really depends on what her mother ate during pregnancy. These flavors are passed through amniotic fluids and later through breast milk, possibly signaling to the baby that if the Mom ate it, it must be readily available and safe.

According to the research, taste does not depend only on taste buds. It is also an outcome of how the brain reads the signals. According to scientific research, the combination of taste, olfactory senses and reaction in the throat sends the brain the information to act against or in favor of a particular food.

The capability of a person to smell and taste also depends on his genes. As we see around, some of us are really sensitive to strong flavors while others are not.

To make it simple, we can say what you have been eating during pregnancy, is perceived by the child’s brain as safe and no wonder, those foods go well with the child and top the list of favorites even after birth. Isn’t it amazing to know . . . Of course, there are exceptions to this theory as well. Many parents who are pure vegetarians see their children love eating non-veg or other way round.

Some Interesting Issues Related to Food

Is Your Child A Picky Eater ?

Kids usually do not like things like onions, garlics, chillies and prefer less intense flavors. But as adults, we sometimes continue to carry that baggage with us. It is true that taste is really a personal choice and we get accustomed to certain ideas overtime without reanalyzing them.

Believe it or not, some people continue to be a picky eater even as an adult. They do not remember the taste of a particular food, still continue to avoid it because they hated it as a kid. How many foods do you avoid, just because you did not like them as a kid ?

How to Overcome Dislike to A Particular Food

Having favorites is great. But totally avoiding certain foods which are needed for the body may not be a good choice. If your child refuses to eat vegetables or fruits at all and continues with his Paneer or Chicken Tikka, you should encourage him to eat veggies as well.

Here are some tips to overcome your child’s dislike to a particular food:

• Value of the Food: You should tell your child about value part of that particular food often. Suppose, he does not like carrots, tell him about the vitamins in carrots and what they do to the body.
• Keep Trying: You should continue serving him that particular item. Try preparing in different ways. Do take it as a habit that he will not eat it.
• Small Quantities: Even if you give a teaspoon of disliked food, it serves to overcome the dislike. Every time he bites into it, the taste buds become more acclimated to that particular item.
• Be Patient: Do not acknowledge it as a fact, “ he does not like carrots” this will register in his mind. Make light of it and keep trying. You will see how his aversion will mallow down.

Why Kids Love French Fries

In our survey, we saw children were having French fries or sweets in their list of favorite foods as well. According to some scientists, these foods can be termed as pleasurable foods and if not restricted can become addictive. According to Ann Kelley, a neuro-scientist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, " Mere exposure to pleasurable tasty foods is enough to change gene expression and that suggests that you could be addicted to the particular food.”

Dr. Kelley did research on the behaviour of rats after they were given sweet, salty and fatty foods.
She found a link between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food.
She found that rats can eat up to six times than their normal intake. However, Dr. Jeane Randolph, from the University of Toronto, dismissed this theory. She said fast food causes blood sugar to peak and then plunge, creating a natural desire for another snack. According to the scientist, craving for junk food can be term as an evening binge but should not be called an addiction.

Few Taste Related Facts

• Both male and females have similar amount of taste buds, but researches suggest that the females have better sense of taste.
• Insects have taste organs on their feet, antennae, and mouth and their sense of taste is very highly developed.
• Fish do tasting work with their fins, tail and their mouth.
• Taste buds are at a sensitive peak in the morning. (No wonder, people get addicted to their morning coffee or tea).
• As we age, the taste buds begin to disappear from the sides and roof of the mouth, leaving taste buds mostly only our tongue reducing the taste sense.
• With aging, the remaining taste buds become less sensitive.
• Taste is considered to be the weakest of the five senses.
• Tastes can be roughly grouped into four or five main categories such as - sweet, sour, salty and bitter or savory.