Number 15 · Winter 2010
Eating well
to
grow well
We all know how taste plays an important role in the
appreciation of food, but we often forget about the other
senses that are involved. We also eat with our eyes, nose,
fingers, even ears! In addition to our sense of taste, our other
senses - sight, smell, touch, and hearing – also play an integral
role in the discovery of foods.
With The Team of Registered Dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada
Sense-ational Food
Explorations!
Let’s talk about taste
Our taste buds, which are situated on our tongue, the insides of our cheeks,
and our palate, allow us to differentiate between the different flavours
of foods. Of the four primary flavours—sweet, salty, bitter, and sour—
newborns have a preference for sweet tasting foods, while they have
an aversion to bitter tasting foods. This innate dislike for bitterness is
actually linked to a survival mechanism as several toxic substances
and spoiled foods have a bitter taste. Nevertheless, this aversion is not
always a good thing. Sometimes, children will reject nutritious foods
such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus and olives because of their
stronger bitter taste.
Do you hear what I hear?
All of our senses play a role in the discovery of foods:
• Our sense of sight provides information on the appearance, shape, and
colour of foods, allowing us to anticipate how they will taste, and thus
influencing our desire to eat them.
• Our sense of smell is responsible for 80% of our perception of foods.
Indeed, without the nose, taste buds have a very hard time differentiating
flavours. You have likely noticed that foods have less flavour or even taste
completely different when you suffer from nasal congestion.
• Our sense of touch allows us to identify a food’s texture (purée, soft,
smooth, crunchy).
• Our sense of hearing allows us to hear the sounds that foods make when
we eat them (like crunching or squeaking noises), bringing back memories.
Take for example the sound heard when eating a piece of cheese.
Supertasters
Foods do not taste the same nor to the same degree for all children.
In fact, due to their genes, certain children have a more sensitive sense
of taste than others. They are often referred to as “supertasters”.
As “supertasters” perceive flavours, particularly bitter flavours, with
much more acuity, it may take them longer to accept a new food.
“Supertaster-kids” who are selective in the foods they eat will not
necessarily be selective eaters for the rest of their lives! Contrary to
what one might think, the environment in which children grow up in has
a much bigger impact on food preferences than genes. For example, the
way their families behave and the foods children are exposed to will have
an important influence on their eating behaviours. Taking the time now
to encourage good eating habits with these children is well worth the
effort. When they grow up, they will thank you for having exposed them
to such a variety of foods!
r
Recipe Corne
zas
Holiday Pita Piz s
g
Makes 8 servin
Preparation
).
to 350°F (180°C
ree-shaped
• Preheat oven
e a Christmas-t
us
or
s
le
ng
ia
ds into tr
t.
• Cut pita brea d lay them on a cookie shee
an
,
er
tt
cu
cookie
until pita breads
12 minutes or
to
10
en
ov
in
• Bake
let cool.
are crispy, then
covered
e cookie sheet
rg
la
a
on
ds
ea
• Place pita br
t paper.
,
with parchmen
ble (bell pepper
toppings on a ta
nt
re
ffe
di
e
th
• Arrange
eese).
corn, tomato, ch
ds.
their pita brea
n to decorate
re
ild
ch
e
th
te
!
elp
• Invi
4 minutes
pita pizzas 3 to
l
oi
br
Children can h erly washed their hands, invite thademe
d
an
l,
oi
br
eese is melted.
• Set oven to
ients m
d bubbly, and ch
have prop
ed
an
n
t
gr
re
in
ho
e
ild
is
th
g
ch
in
e
ith
pp
nc
O
zzas w
or until to
, and accompany
se)! While they
eir own pita pi
to a serving dish
rn, tomato, chee
to decorate th
as
co
zz
,
pi
er
ta
em
pp
pi
th
pe
e
l
th
be
el
(b
descri
• Transfer
available to them pizzas, ask the children to
m on the side.
d hearing.
ta
an
pi
r
h,
ei
uc
with sour crea
th
to
g
l,
el
tin
sm
t,
are ea
gh
si
e,
st
senses—ta
using their five
approximately
at pita breads,
he
w
le
ho
w
2
•
er
) each in diamet
16 cm (6-½ in
n bell pepper
mL) diced gree
• ½ cup (125
mL) kernel corn
• ½ cup (125
ato
mL) diced tom
• ½ cup (125
zarella cheese
shredded Moz
L)
m
50
(2
p
cu
• 1
L) sour cream
• ¼ cup (60 m
s!
y
a
d
li
o
H
y
p
p
a
Yummy! H
is for “Se
nse-sation
al”!
Encoura
gin
preferen g young children
ces is do
ing them to widen their r
• Regula
epertoir
a huge fa
rly intro
e of food
vour.To
duce new
accomp
• Vary th
lish this,
foods in
e textur
th
you can:
e, shape
• Offer t
, and colo eir diets;
hem a n
u
e
r
w
o
f
fo
may be n
foods on
od sever
e
their pla
al times
• Help th cessary before t
tes;
(15 expo
hey like
em use t
s
u
res or m
a new fo
heir five
ore
they like
od);
sens
a
• Encour nd don’t like in a es to identify wh
age them
at
food;
to taste
without
, smell a
forcing t
nd touch
hem to
an avers
a new fo
eat it, as
ion to n
od,
this cou
ew food
ld reinfo
s.
rce