The texture of food for infants and young children

The weaning period is a transition from milk to family foods and is a critical phase for the development of food acceptance and eating habits of children. The texture of the complementary food introduced plays an important role in shaping preferences. It is known that early introduction of solid food and experience in difficult-to-chew textures could enhance later food acceptance. Texture acceptance follows the developmental sequence of oral functions and infants are more likely to accept texture they can manipulate in mouth. The development of these functions (mainly chewing) is thought to depend on the texture infants are exposed to. Infant refusing foods that require significant chewing …