Parents eventually come to find that raising a baby comes with its fair share of challenges. Whether you’re struggling with putting your baby to sleep, comforting them, or changing them, you’re not alone! One of the major challenges that parents often find themselves confronted with is feeding their babies.
Although they may be young and still learning about the world, newborns and babies have preferences when it comes to taste. Just because you’re in control of what you feed them doesn’t mean they’ll automatically like what they are tasting. We’re here to help you navigate through the challenges of feeding your little one for yours and your child’s sake!
Your Child’s Reactions to Foods
Your baby can react to foods in different ways. You may notice that your baby makes faces, pushes the spoon or fork out of their mouth, or turns their head to the side. All of this is normal. Although these are clear signs that your baby is not fond of the food, it could also mean that they are trying to understand what it is that they are eating. With that being said, you don’t have to lose hope when it comes to having your baby try new foods!
Offer Several Foods
Some parents may find themselves having a hard time feeding their babies. If this is the case for you, it might be best to consider looking at other foods. If you want to keep your child’s opinions on taste open, you have to throw in new cuisines! It’s always going to be trial and error with your little one, so you might as well broaden their meals and find what else they may like to eat!
Pay Attention to Textures
Babies may also have preferences when it comes to how the food feels in their mouth, not just how it tastes. In research, babies who were fed different textures had a greater appetite and a wide range of foods. For example, you can try moving them from spoon food to cooked vegetables to soften up the food, all while still providing them with a different texture they might like.
Serve Fruit as a Sweet Source of Food
People can grow a sweet tooth early on, many do so as newborns! If your baby is having a hard time eating, it may be because they have a tendency to eat sweet things. This does not mean to feed them snacks if they won’t budge with their meals. What you can do is cut up some fresh fruit, such as an apple or orange, and serve some slices along with their meals. This way, they’ll eat a healthier and more natural form of sugar and they might feel more inclined to finish most of their meal.
Throw Some Vegetables In!
People’s taste buds grow based on what they know and what they have been exposed to. The more that you feed your baby fruits and veggies, the more likely it is that they will like these foods as they grow older! If you want your baby to grow up and lead a healthy lifestyle, it’s important that you find the time to throw in fruits and veggies.
Focus on Taste, Not How Much Is Being Eaten
Forcing your child to eat as much as they can isn’t going to solve a feeding problem. Removing the pressure to chew and swallow the food immediately allows your baby to try more foods because they are given the opportunity to take their time with food. You can try serving your child very small amounts and see how they react to certain foods and if they don’t eat much of it, you can try doing the same with another food.
Set Your Preferences to the Side
Your baby will turn into their own person so they’re not going to like everything you like! If you find that your child isn’t eating a meal you make on the regular, you have to consider making a meal for them that they will eat and finish. Your habits may rub off on your baby, but it’s not guaranteed, so stay open to new cuisines for your baby’s sake.
Do We Perceive Tastes Differently From Babies?
To answer the question, it is very possible that the taste buds of babies interpret foods differently from us, grown adults. A baby’s senses are still developing, so they might not taste things the same way we do, which may explain their reactions to food. Despite your best efforts to make your baby like a certain food, you have to stay aware of the possibility that they just might not and that is okay!
Reach Out to Minis Pediatric Walk-In Clinic for More!
We’re here for your newborn’s health and yours. A newborn’s health starts with their parents, so it’s important that you know exactly how to care for your child. We want to help! Contact us today to learn more about how our services can address any concerns you may have.