Hannah has been introduced to foods which tasted sweet (e.g. pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, fruits), sour (e.g. yogurt and apple) or a little bitter (e.g. spinach and eggplant). Salt has been left out in her diet as it is not recommended for her age.
I remembered reading about umami (also considered as the fifth taste) in certain foods. Some referred it as savoriness. Protein-rich foods heighten the umami-ness of taste. It has something to do with the presence of certain amino acids and ribonucleotides in these foods that stimulate the taste buds to encourage the body to consume them. Examples of foods that impart umami-ness are mushrooms, meats including fish and other seafoods, cooked tomatoes and dairy products. When mixed with other foods, they make the dish really delicious.
Since salt is not used in cooking for Hannah, I try to incorporate some umami-ness into her meals so that eating is a pleasant experience. If her meal is already rich in sugar (e.g. sweet potato puree) I don’t bother about the umami aspect. But if the sweetness level is very mild (e.g. porridge or mashed potato), I will include a meat to boost the yumminess index. :)
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