Starting solids? Don’t miss the ‘flavor window’

Did you know that kids have a “flavor window” between the ages of 6 and 18 months? During this crucial period, parents have the opportunity to influence the way their child(ren) will eat for the rest of their lives. Providing them with an abundance of flavors (very few ingredients are off limits!), textures (children should be learning to chew their food vs. “drinking” it out of pouches), and spices (saffron, cinnamon, cumin, just to name a few!) from the very beginning can be wildly impactful in preventing future picky eating—a scenario many parents hope to avoid, but may not necessarily know how.

This is why I’m a mom on a mission. I had grown tired of the bland options being offered to my babies via grocery store shelves… so I decided to do something about it. I founded Globowl, an all-natural baby and toddler food company focused on international flavors, early allergen introduction and oral motor development, all with a conspicuous lack of added sodium or sugars.

With my first child, I was hesitant to give him texture, flavor and spice. Not just hesitant, downright scared. But why was I inherently terrified of giving my baby the same food as I was eating? Isn’t that counterintuitive? Why would I be giving him food I wouldn’t actually eat instead? Why did I think that baby food had to be dumbed down when—get this?—babies aren’t dumb?! My fearful hesitance led my son to eating organic chicken nuggets with a side of raspberries and Havarti cheese for dinner every single night for the past five years.

A recent study found that most of the baby food available on store shelves failed to meet recommended nutritional guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) for infant and toddler foods—and were heavily reliant on “deceptive labeling” that left parents in the dark about the nutrients their kids were actually getting, or not getting. Though picky eating is known to be genetic in some cases, regularly feeding kids bland food devoid of spice, texture and flavor—not to mention nutrients—doesn’t help ward off picky eating tendencies.

As a quintessential culinary nerd, cook, food entrepreneur and wife to a hospitality professional, food has always been a huge part of my life, so I wanted to understand why this was happening—and, hopefully avoid a second picky eater. My husband and I shuddered at the thought of having another little “foodie” who rejected the very idea of Pad Thai. So I did what every nerd does best: referred to the scientific research.

What is the ‘flavor window’?

Infants are born with a natural predilection for sweet flavors (likely an evolutionary adaptation to encourage breastfeeding), but their taste receptors continue to develop throughout the beginning months and years of life. There are even studies that indicate the flavors infants absorb through amniotic fluid and breastmilk help them accept more varied foods later while weaning—so diversity of palate is integral for moms even before the baby is born.

During the “flavor window”—conveniently aligned with the doctor-recommended timeline for introducing solids, around 6 months of age—these receptors become more complex and diverse; therefore, there is a heightened sensitivity to taste, making it the optimal time for introducing a wide range of textures, flavors and spices. Studies show that taking advantage of this window can help mitigate fear of new foods (neophobia) and picky eating, even taking it one step further: it encourages adventurous dining in childhood, during the teenage years, and for the rest of their adult lives.

This is not a no-fail strategy. We have to practice what I lovingly refer to in parental speak as “pleasant persistence.” Repeated exposure—as in eight to 15 times—to a particular flavor or ingredient increases the chances that the baby will like it in the future (known as the “exposure effect”). If you want to introduce ricotta cheese, for example, serve it in myriad ways. Spoon it into a bowl with chopped up strawberries or raspberries, in the batter of a fluffy pancake, fill it inside molti manicotti, spread it on top of toast with avocado, or mix it into pasta sauce. A plain spoonful can work well, too.

I founded Globowl after serving my daughter coconut shrimp curry as her very first food in an attempt to avoid having a second picky eater. Our lineup helps introduce babies to cultural favorites like Pad Thai for Tots, Baby Spice’s Bean Bowl, Veggie Tikka Masala and Yaya’s Medi-Bowl during the coveted “flavor window.” Cuisine from around the world is inherently full of robust flavors, herbs and spices (not to mention allergens!)–and regular exposure can help kids learn to accept a wider variety of foods, potentially avoiding picky eating.

After their first 18 months, you might be surprised to learn that toddlers become set in their ways (yes, I’m being sarcastic and yes, I’m preaching to the choir). They may start displaying more defiant attitudes or surprisingly sassy personalities, but they also start to reject the unfamiliar, especially as it pertains to eating. So that speck of cayenne pepper your baby enjoyed in Globowl’s Baby Spice’s Bean Bowl or your own homemade chili that you never thought about again… well, now when they try mole sauce for the first time, it won’t be a surprise. Their tongue recognizes it. And they are more apt to embrace it.

Past the flavor window timeline?

If your child’s “flavor window” has closed, there’s no need to stress. Although kids may be more selective at this point, remember: kids continue looking to us as role models and tend to imitate what we do. So below are a few ways to encourage adventurous eating and a more robust appreciation for food in general.

How to help kids become adventurous eaters

Showcase healthy eating habits in front of your kids

If they see you eating a rainbow of colors and shapes (i.e. salad with tomatoes, red onion, sprouts and carrots; or a sweet potato topped with broccoli, cheese and bacon), they’ll be interested in trying it too.

There’s no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen

Bust out the stepstool, aprons and toddler-safe knives and let little chefs get to work. There is nothing more rewarding to a child than enjoying the tangible fruits of their labor (pun intended). Have them chop, stir and mix, then proudly serve us parents their creations.

All of our senses are connected

And though our kids may think they’re appalled by miso-glazed cod, their sense of smell could say otherwise. Allow them to enjoy all of the glorious scents of cooking, and explain to them in a non-emotional, scientific way that if they like the smell of something, they will more than likely enjoy the taste. The nerd in me tells the nerd in you that this is (practically) fool-proof.

So whether your kids are just embarking on their lifelong adventure of culinary enjoyment, or if they’re a bit further along, keep trying to open that (flavor) window of opportunity. It’s always best to introduce a diverse range of foods as soon as possible to encourage early adoption and mitigate future picky eating. Whether you’re Gordon Ramsay’s protégé or the G.O.A.T. at ordering Uber Eats, our work around food introduction is never done. So pleasantly and persistently… keep on trying.