The Development of Healthy Eating and Food Pleasure in Infancy

The early development of taste and food pleasure plays an important role in children and has long-lasting influences on subsequent food preferences and choices. Infants are born with a surprisingly sensitive sense of taste - they have more widely distributed taste buds (about 10,000) than adults. Thus, preferences for a variety of food flavors and textures develop early, through milk-related flavor exposure, or even during pregnancy, allowing for an easier acceptance to healthy foods. Breastfeeding favors the acquisition of a taste for a variety of foods. This process can continue throughout weaning and into childhood if infants are repeatedly exposed to a variety of healthful foods, even if they initially dislike them. Factors favoring the development of food acceptance at the beginning of complementary feeding include, in particular, the role of early variety, repeated exposure, timing of introducing the foods, and the sensory properties (texture, taste, and flavors). These early-life sensory experiences establish food preferences and dietary patterns that set the stage for lifelong dietary habits. This review provides the foundation for evidence-based recommendations to help parents promote healthy eating habits to their children.