Association of sweet preference and food selection among four to five year old children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of taste preference for sweet to the food selections and preferences of a sample of 31 four‐year olds. The children who preferred the sweetest sucrose solutions in the taste test chose sweeter apple juice samples for snacktime. This relationship was not as pronounced in the peanut butter samples selected for snack. Children who preferred the sweetest sucrose solutions tended to have a generalized preference for sweet foods, as reported by parents on a dietary questionnaire.