Development of taste perception and complementary foods: A review

Abstract

Breast milk meets the needs of a 6-month-old child in macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) almost entirely, while in minerals and trace elements only partially. Complementary feeding is the stage of development of the child's eating behavior when its diet expands due to the introduction of additional products. The model of human eating behavior is formed in infancy and early childhood when stable taste preferences and attitudes to eating (regimen, serving size, table culture) are established. The European and North American Nutrition Committees, in their resolution (2008), noted that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods for breastfed and bottle-fed infants should be the same: no earlier than week 17 and no later than week 26. The age to introduce complementary foods in Russia is 4-6 months and 5.5 months in breastfed infants. Due to the intensive growth and increased physical activity of the child, it is advisable to use milk porridges as one of the main types of complementary foods necessary for children at 4–5 months to provide an additional (relative to human milk or its substitutes) amount of protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins. In recent years, ready-to-use liquid cereals have become popular. Due to the carbohydrate component of cereals, which promotes longer satiety, they can be given to young children before bedtime.