Department of Psychological Sciences, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA,
Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2020;95:78-87. doi: 10.1159/000511516. Epub 2020 Nov 9.
To understand the development of children's flavor preferences, it is important to consider the context of the feeding environment. Although children are predisposed to prefer sweet-tasting foods and beverages and to avoid bitter-tasting foods such as dark-green vegetables, parents can play a central role in shifting these innate food acceptance patterns throughout development. Beginning before birth, the fetus detects the continually changing flavor profile of amniotic fluid, which reflects the mother's diet. After birth, if mothers choose to breastfeed, these sensory experiences continue. Through this process of familiarization, women who maintain a healthy diet throughout pregnancy and lactation prepare their infants to like healthful foods. Upon the introduction of solid foods, repeated exposure to a variety of healthful foods promotes acceptance for these foods and for novel foods. In addition to providing sensory exposures to a range of healthful foods, parents can shape children's flavor preferences by modeling healthy eating behaviors and by creating supportive feeding environments. The degree to which parents engage in these practices is influenced by demographic and societal characteristics. Considering the context in which children and families live will encourage the development of evidence-based strategies that more effectively support children's healthy eating habits.
为了理解儿童口味偏好的发展，考虑喂养环境的背景是很重要的。虽然儿童天生喜欢甜味食物和饮料，而避免苦味食物，如深绿色蔬菜，但父母可以在整个发育过程中发挥核心作用，改变这些先天的食物接受模式。从胎儿在子宫内开始，胎儿就能检测到羊水不断变化的味道特征，这反映了母亲的饮食。出生后，如果母亲选择母乳喂养，这些感官体验会继续下去。通过这个熟悉的过程，在整个怀孕期间和哺乳期保持健康饮食的女性会让她们的婴儿喜欢健康的食物。在引入固体食物后，反复接触各种健康食物会促进对这些食物和新食物的接受。除了提供一系列健康食物的感官体验外，父母还可以通过模仿健康的饮食习惯和创造支持性的喂养环境来塑造孩子的口味偏好。父母参与这些实践的程度受到人口统计学和社会特征的影响。考虑到儿童和家庭生活的背景，将鼓励制定基于证据的策略，以更有效地支持儿童的健康饮食习惯。
