Taste the difference, Marlou Lasschuijt

Eating behavior and food preferences develop early in life and shape long-term dietary patterns. As infants grow and weaning period starts, they are introduced to varying food texture which plays a key role in forming one's dietary patterns. However, current dietary recommendations for infants and toddlers are focused on nutritional value of foods with limited information on age-appropriate food texture. Proper timing and providing the suitable type of food texture are crucial to weaning infants as they can influence the development of future eating habits. It is therefore important to optimize early sensory exposure of infants and toddlers to help establish a healthy eating behavior.