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Umami and Why Kids Need It The Unsung Taste Hero: Umami and Why Kids Need It What if the reason your child doesn’t like vegetables...is not your cooking, nor your child’s pickiness? There is a fifth taste that many parents have never heard of. This core taste is called umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee). Umami might just be the missing link that your child needs to enjoy a plate of delicious, satisfying food. Children grow up with plenty of sweet and salty foods. When feeding children, sweet and salty foods often steal the spotlight. Occasionally, we throw in a sour food for fun or try to sneak in bitter greens. But there is a fifth official taste, ‘umami’, that does not get much attention, despite its powerful role in flavor development and nutrition. Umami is neither sweet nor salty. Umami is the deeply savory flavor that tells our brains, “Hey! this is delicious, this is worth eating.” When children get exposed to umami, the deep satisfying savoriness can completely change how children experience food. Often described as “savory” or “meaty,” umami rounds out dishes and makes food deeply satisfying. For growing kids, especially those learning to enjoy a variety of foods, umami can be a surprising, and delicious way to nurture both taste exploration and nourishment .
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