Infant and Toddler Responses to Bitter-Tasting Novel Vegetables: Findings from the Good Tastes Study

Abstract

Background Infants are born with the biological predisposition to reject bitterness. Dark green vegetables contain essential nutrients but also bitter compounds, making them more difficult to like. Objective The Good Tastes Study was designed to determine whether reducing bitterness by adding small amounts of sugar or salt would alter infant acceptance of kale purées. Methods Caregivers (n = 106, 94% mothers, 82% Non-Hispanic White) and children (53% male, aged 6–24 mo) participated in a videorecorded laboratory visit during which infants were offered 4 versions of puréed kale: plain, 1.2% or 1.8% added sugar, or 0.2% added salt. Caregivers rated their children's liking for each kale version. Videos were coded for the number of tastes accepted and for children's behaviors and acceptance of each kale version. A multilevel ordered logistic model was fit for the number of accepted tastes and caregiver ratings of child liking of kale versions with age, breastfeeding history, order effects, and kale version as predictors. Results Infants 6 to <12 mo accepted more tastes (b = 2.911, P < 0.001) and were rated by caregivers as liking the kale more than older toddlers (≥18 mo; b = 1.874, P = 0.014). The plain kale was more likely to be accepted (P < 0.001); also, the first version offered was more likely to be rejected (b = −0.586, P < 0.007). Older infants (≥18 mo) exhibited more avoidant behaviors (b = 1.279, P < 0.001), more playing (b = 2.918, P < 0.001), and more self-feeding (b = 1.786, P = 0.005) than younger infants (6 to <12 mo). Children who were reported to have been breastfed more in the last 7 d were more likely to self-feed (b = 0.246, P < 0.001) and play with food (b = 0.207, P < 0.005). Conclusions Our findings support that there may be a sensitive period, during the early phase of complementary feeding, to improve success of introducing a novel, bitter, more difficult-to-like food. When low levels of sugar or salt were added, no advantage of bitterness reduction was observed. This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT04549233.

influência da dieta da gestante na preferência alimentar e saúde bucal do bebê: revisão integrativa

“…Estudos buscam comprovar, por meio da expressão facial, ainda no período de gestação, e mesmo no pós-gestacional a associação entre sabor e preferência alimentar do feto e do bebê 4,[12][13]29 . Interessante notar que recém-nascidos submetidos a estímulos gustativos de sabor doce, salgado, azedo e amargo antes do primeiro ato de amamentação expressaram feições faciais distintas para cada sabor, demonstrando que a expressão facial pode estar associada ao sabor e não necessariamente à preferência do paladar 30 . Por outro DOI 10.21727/rpu.14iEspecial.4116 Revista Pró-univerSUS.…”

“…De maneira geral, os estudos eleitos tendem a indicar uma predisposição de bebês à rejeição do sabor amargo e sugerindo uma preferência pelos sabores doces, salgados e umami 5,[29][30][31] .…”

Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviors in the Human Fetus

“…Regarding the taste of vegetables, the complex carrot flavor can be described by adult judges as "sweet" because of its sugar content but also sometimes as having "fruity," "woody," or even "petrol" flavors, likely a result of terpenoids present in carrot (e.g., β-carotene; Alasalvar et al, 2001). Kale was chosen because it conveys more bitterness to infants than other green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or asparagus ( Johnson et al, 2021).…”

Applying developmental science concepts to improve the applicability of children’s food preference learning research

“…Furthermore, food neophobia—the avoidance of new foods—increases during early childhood. Although new foods tend to be accepted readily before age 1, by the end of the second year, food refusals become common for many children (Johnson et al, 2021). Fortunately, children can learn to like and consume new and previously rejected foods with experience, according to extensive experimental research.…”