The power of taste: A scoping review about how taste experiences shapes dietary habits and health from pregnancy to adolescence.

Taste influences food preferences and consumption, potentially contributing to dietary choices across the lifespan. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as biological and cognitive development during childhood and adolescence, may alter taste perception, sensitivity, and preferences, with possible implications for diet and health. This scoping review aimed to map evidence on how taste experiences vary across critical life stages (pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood, and adolescence) and how these changes affect dietary behaviours, food choices, and health outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to September 2025. Human studies examining taste perception, sensitivity, or preferences, reporting diet- or health-related outcomes, were included. Peer-reviewed articles in English or Portuguese were considered; conference abstracts, reports, and unpublished manuscripts were excluded. Data were extracted on the life stage examined, measures of taste sensitivity or perception, taste preferences or hedonic responses, and reported associations with dietary behaviours and health outcomes. Findings were grouped by life stage and taste-related constructs for descriptive synthesis, and the strength and consistency of evidence were assessed. Of 1206 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence suggests that taste experiences may influence dietary behaviours and food choices across these life stages, though studies are limited and heterogeneous. Altered taste perception and sensitivity may reduce the appeal of nutritious foods, highlighting the need for targeted strategies. Taste may be leveraged to promote healthier eating through nutrition education that emphasises enjoyment of healthy foods and through industry reformulation that maintains palatability while improving nutritional quality. Further research is needed to clarify underlying mechanisms and long-term effects.