Raising Adventurous Eaters: Why We Start with Savory, Not Sweet

From the moment babies start solids, every spoonful is wiring their brains for what “food” should taste like. Yet most commercial options lean heavily on fruit purées and added sugars, reinforcing the sweet preference humans are already born with.

The result? Toddlers who reject vegetables, grade-schoolers hooked on ultra-processed snacks, and parents locked in nightly dinner negotiations.

Taste Training™ flips that script. Developed with neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Avena and grounded in NIH research, this savory-first approach exposes infants to vegetables, herbs, and mild spices during the critical 6-to-12-month window when flavor acceptance is most malleable. By introducing complexity before sweetness, we help children build a balanced palate, reduce future sugar cravings, and make family meals easier for everyone.

So what exactly is Taste Training? Think sleep or potty training, but for flavor. During the 6- to 12-month window, babies’ brains are primed to file away new tastes. Taste Training uses that window to:

• introduce a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and mild spices before solo-sweet foods
• repeat each flavor enough times (8-10) for it to feel familiar
• gradually layer more complex blends so the palate “muscle” grows stronger week by week.

And why lead with savory? Humans are born loving sweet; breast milk proves that. Savory, bitter, and aromatic notes take coaching. Train them now and your child won’t need sugar-heavy foods to feel “safe” later.

Built with Science (and Dr. Nicole Avena)

Dr. Avena’s neuroscience research on sugar preference and food addiction underpins our plan:

• Sweet bias is automatic; savory acceptance is learned.
• Early diversity predicts later variety. NIH studies show infants exposed to ≥10 veggies before nine months eat more vegetables at preschool age.
• Sugar restraint matters. High-sugar diets in infancy are linked to higher BMI and metabolic risk.

Bottom line: a veggie-first, spice-friendly infancy can reshape cravings for life.

Why Taste Training?

Nutritional Wins

• Nutrient-Dense Diet: Leafy greens bring iron & calcium for bone growth; orange veg supply vitamin A; herbs add antioxidants.
• Lower Obesity Risk: Kids who love whole foods are less drawn to ultraprocessed snacks.

Developmental Boost

• Brain Power: Iron, omega-3s, and choline in our blends feed rapid neural wiring.
• Sensory Growth:  Repeated aroma–taste pairings build robust taste-smell circuits, improving overall food acceptance.

Behavioral Peace

• Fewer Mealtime Battles: Repetition turns their fight against certain foods into a more normalized mealtime.
• Less Stress, More Joy: Meals shift from coaxing to exploring; everyone eats the same dinner.

Real-World Perks

• Dining-Out Flexibility: Taste-trained kids order from the main menu, not the beige kids’ menu.
• Family Unity: One meal for all = less cooking, more connection.
• Cultural Awareness: Early shawarma spice, cumin, or paprika sparks curiosity about the cultures behind them.

The Taste Training Roadmap

Phase	Bundle	Flavors	Purpose
Explorer	Start Week 1	Peas & Mint • Squash & Kale w/ Turmeric • Beets, Fennel & Kale	Gentle greens & herbs build a veggie baseline.
Voyager	Weeks 2-3	Beets, Fennel & Kale • Shawarma, Artichoke & Cauliflower • Curry Vegetable Mango	Introduce warm spices & earthy aromatics.
Globetrotter	Weeks 4-5	Shawarma, Artichoke & Cauliflower • Mango Paprika • Apple & Ginger	Pair savory with naturally sweet fusion so sweetness never stands alone.

Six Simple Steps

1. Start Early (≈6 mo). Confirm readiness with your pediatrician.
2. Begin Mild. Offer Peas & Mint for three consecutive days.
3. Build Complexity. Move to Beets + Fennel, then Shawarma spice.
4. Add Sweet in Context. Sweet notes arrive only alongside herbs or spices.
5. Repeat, Repeat. Expect up to 10 tries before true acceptance. Totally normal!
6. Celebrate Wins. One extra lick = victory dance

Parent Hacks for Success

• Warm it slightly—aromas bloom at body temp.
• Model munching—eat the same pouch or matching veggie yourself.
• Let them mess—sensory play helps familiarity.

Safety & Quality You Can Taste

• Veggies-First (up to 70 %). Fiber, minerals, and phytonutrients packed in.
• Zero Rice Fillers. Lower arsenic risk.
• Organic & Traceable. Partner farms test soil and water.
• Every Batch Heavy-Metal Tested. Because trust shouldn’t be guesswork.

Ready to Begin?

1. Grab the Voyager, Explorer & Globetrotter Bundles
2. Clear ten magic minutes a day for tasting practice
3. Watch Dr. Avena and Danny’s Table Talk series to hear about the science of heathy eating

Your baby’s first spoonful of minty peas today can pave the way to lentil curry tomorrow. Here’s to raising adventurous eaters, one savory bite at a time.