A reason why you might have a picky eater
Do you have a picky eater in your household? Are you a picky eater? There are so many reasons why someone may be a picky eater: it could be a lack of exposure as a child, a texture-aversion, a psychological obstacle, being an obstinate 8-year-old who chooses to not eat something because they're independent now (cough cough my child cough), or sooo many other reasons. Or, is it because they're a supertaster?
Have you heard of supertasters before? These people have a very high concentration of taste buds on their tongue making the flavours they taste, particularly bitter compounds, extremely intense compared to normal-tasters or low-tasters. Things like brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli (think green things that kids [or some adults] generally don't like) are almost unbearably bitter to them. Supertasters account for about 25% of the general population, 50% of the population are normal-tasters, and 25% of the population are low-tasters. Low-tasters have a "deadened" flavour experience compared to normal-tasters because their density of taste buds is much lower. Fret not if you are a low-taster (or a normal-taster wanting to up flavour satisfaction), there are a myriad of ways to boost your palate given the taste buds you have, like these tips from a chef right here. The word "palate" refers to a person's ability to discern different flavours and nuances of food. It's a skill and like any skill, it can be learnt and improved upon, so practice up!
Want to know if you or the people in your household are supertasters? Watch this video and try it out! We tried it out in our household and it turns out my oldest and I are super-tasters and my husband is a low-taster. The toddler just ate the paper. If you try it, share it on social media (if that's your thing) and tag me in it on Instagram (@a.new.view.nutrition)-- I'd really love to know!
Side note: as a child, did you ever blindfold friends and get them to taste a whole bunch of different foods and get them to guess what they were? Maybe my friends and I were just weird, but it is SO much fun. After you determine what type of tasters you all are in your household, why not spend the afternoon playing this game? I think we may just try it as well. One word of caution: give kids a tiny spoon and tell them that they can only give a tiny amount. You may end up with a tablespoon of mustard in your mouth if you don't. But otherwise, I hope it's a fun time!