Palate changes as you age?

I’m no longer craving super sweet foods

I don't like watermelon anymore.

My palate is a planet so I'm still fine.

I cannot handle spice like I used to and I loved spicy. I also cannot tolerate certain foods such as green peppers, as they give me terrible heartburn.

I used to love outrageously heat-packed spicy food, now, not so much. Especially some kind of spicy chip or snack food - the spiciness tastes the way tobacco water smells.

Who the fuck stops liking watermelon, R2?

R4 I also can't stand green peppers either anymore. Never hated the taste but they definitely do not agree with me now.

No, except that I like meat in even smaller portions than I used to do. A big steak was always too much for me and now even more so. The only other small change is that I have somewhat less capacity for binging on a lot of food at one sitting - I'm satisfied with less and sooner, though I still enjoy the taste of various foods and flavors as before.

Once away at college I rebelled against a childhood of the blandest and narrowest catalogue of American food. I took up the exotic and spicy and sometimes rich and have never again suffered from stomach ache, heartburn, indigestion, etc. That hasn't changed and fortunately I still have a cast iron stomach (though the steak I mentioned might me a bit queasy because it seems so fatty to me.)

[quote] It is not uncommon for our sense of taste to change, or diminish, with time. This is due to many factors. As we age, the number of taste buds that we have decreases. This usually begins to occur in our 40s if we’re female or in our 50s if we’re male...At the same time, our remaining taste buds also begin to shrink, or atrophy, and do not function as well. This results in decreased sensitivity to taste, typically affecting salty or sweet, and eventually sour or bitter foods. Around the same time, our sense of smell may also start to decrease, which can contribute to the loss of taste.

Oddly, I need spicy or things don't taste right, everything tastes bland.

Do you have wet AMD?

I have grown less fond of greasy food, especially pork, as I've gotten older. I enjoy things like bacon, breakfast sausage, and pepperoni much less now than I used to.

I wouldn't know.

I like things saltier as I age.

I love chocolate, cheap or expensive.

I now can only eat dark chocolate.

And, unfortunately, I like the expensive stuff.

So far no changes.

I've quit drinking white wine. Too tart and vinegary now. Even red has lost appeal. I've noticed I like a sweet at night. Ice cream is my favorite and it was something I used to not care for.

Just off the top of my head,I'm wondering if a reason for taste changes has to do with body chemistry that might be due to poor nutrition? And also how difficult it is for us, as we age, to absorb and/or manufacture many of the chemicals our bodies need. Perhaps, seeing how deficient we are in various vitamins and minerals, it may alter the composition of our saliva, which is so important to our sense of taste. Chronic dehydration may also factor into it, as certain compounds would become concentrated when we are low on H2O.

Any organic chemists/nutritionists out there care to chime in?

^ that’s a great hypothesis BAG.

I definitely have tracked that heavier (fatty) foods and/or acidic foods mostly repel me now. And yes, eating those types of foods upsets my system, so I strongly suspect it’s my body regulating itself.

For me, it’s not so much that my tastes have changed (67 here) but I find I need to be more cautious about what I eat and especially how much. Ice cream, wine, meat …still enjoy all of it but I need to consume smaller portions or it affects me badly the next day.

When I was a child, my parents pressured me to “clean my plate.” Perhaps they had good intentions but I think it’s a ridiculous habit. I ordered fish and chips at an Irish pub the other day. Delicious, but it was a family-size platter. Two massive pieces of fish and a huge basket of fries. I wish more restaurants would offer small portions of main dishes. Not all food travels well as leftovers.

Sorry for going off topic.

My Mom craved sweet stuff (she had dementia). She would ask for the sweeter flavors of Trident gum and have ice cream for dinner sometimes before we placed her in assisted living. Once she was there, she told the staff she couldn't eat the salad cold. I think they would put the prepared salad plates in the frig covered in plastic wrap. They had to nuke it a bit before she would eat it.

Personally, I like spicy stuff but always have. I have found that I now love roasted/sauteed vegetables like asparagus and broccoli. I couldn't swallow asparagus as a child but I think Mom boiled the shit out of it as was done in the '60s. I find that, like R20 and another poster, the portions are just other-wordly. I could easily get 2 or 3 meals out of what is served know. The shitty thing is that most of the food doesn't reheat well.

I've noticed my sense of taste has changed a lot. I can enjoy all the foods i always have, but sometimes I just can't taste them at all. Other times I have a heightened sense of flavors when I eat. This started before Covid, so I know it's not Covid related. I've had thyroid and other tests and it's not related to that. I just think it's plain old aging. Thank you everyone who also shared their experiences.

I think covid ruined my taste

[quote] I've quit drinking white wine. Too tart and vinegary now. Even red has lost appeal. I've noticed I like a sweet at night. Ice cream is my favorite and it was something I used to not care for.

A friend of mine was an alcoholic who quit drinking. During the years when he was drinking, I would see him eat sweets and ice cream, but not to a crazy degree. After he quit drinking, he told me he started eating a lot more ice cream.

^^ive heard that is a common trait in recovering alcoholic (sugar craving) I think I read it has something to do with how the body metabolizes alcohol.

I lost my love for potatoes about ten years ago. They require too much added fats and salts to remain tasty.

My tastebuds can identify bay leaf now and I enjoy adding it to my cooking. That goes with my increasing love for things that are experienced through the nose - horse radish, ginger, garlic, fish sauce.

Some foods I seldom ate now give me a rash - chickpeas, split peas, and salmon.

R17 here. The sugar thing is interesting but I never considered myself an alcoholic. I just figured I was turning into my parents who eat ice cream every night.

A friend who is much older than me has Alzheimers and won't eat much of anything except sweets. She also used to be obsessive about food temp even before she was diagnosed. Constantly complained it wasn't warm enough and nuked everything over and over.

R27 I posted that about sugar, but I don’t have a clear source to cite, I am sure there are multiple reasons we can crave sugar more frequently. I only mentioned it because alcohol was brought up.

It just means your body is shutting down and you are one step closer to death.

I've always loved sweets but I have less tolerance for super sweet things. Less is more and more is too much nowadays.

I like a cake or pie or chocolate where the sweetness underwhelms me.

R30, I was a huge sweets lover (and a fat kid, go figure). I have an Italian bakery near me and find that I prefer their cookies to most store-bought brands. Their cookies aren't overly sweet but are somehow satisfying.

Another thing I hated when I was younger was key lime pie. I found it too tart. Now, I prefer that over NY-style cheesecake which was always my go-to desert.

HA! R29, you are adorable, and wise.

Empanadas, egg rolls, pizza rolls and other handheld snacks. I don't know why but the breading hits me the wrong way these days.

Food taste is greatly affected by smell, and it is a fact that many people have diminished olfactory sense as they age.

I used to add lots of garlic to everything. I don't think I offended anyone, since eveybody ate lots of garlic! But now, in middle age, I can't believe how strong even one clove can be.

Look up presbyosmia.

R27, I wasn’t saying you were an alcoholic, just saying that the body seeks out substitutes.

When I quit caffeine, I craved sugar.

Stealth $cat thread!!

The breakdown of alcohol into ethanol causes a similar blood sugar spike. That high/low blood sugar rollercoaster is habit forming.

As I get older I find I’m more aware of and dislike certain food textures. Any kind of beef and most chicken. Meat in general. I have perfect, natural teeth so it’s not because I have dentures.

I’ve developed a love of applesauce!

I’ve never liked coffee or red wine, but this year (in my mid-40s), I decided to try both again. Coffee still tastes disgustingly bitter to me, but red wine is absolutely delicious. It’s really the one type of booze I can imagine over-consuming…

I can only tolerate coffee when in Seattle.

When you’re in Seattle, you have to find SOMETHING stimulating.

The only thing my 89yo father could taste was Winn-Dixie Butter Pecan ice cream. Better stock up OP.

Pancake syrup, watermelon and pineapples as well.

When I got sick in November—probably covid—I lost my taste for coffee. I've made myself a few cups lately in the morning, but I really don't like it anymore. I drink tea instead now. I made two different pasta sauces in the past month, and discovered I liked them more without the pasta, even though I mix the nearly-cooked pasta in a pan with the sauce. I don't just pile it on top.

I don't like standing long enough for doing much cooking nowadays—a function of age—and I've been eating Stouffer's, fruit, and/or salads at most meals. A friend suggested frozen salmon filets from WFM, and I think I'll try those next time I go shopping.

Not liking pasta is strange for me. It's been my favorite food since childhood, and now, meh!

I like bitter flavors more, now.

Never liked coffee until my 30s.

No longer like or drink beverages other than water, coffee or alcohol. Then I quit alcohol.

Started liking super hot and spicy foods later in life.

Used to hate the smell of fish sauce & couldn't imagine putting it in food. I still don't like the smell, but I think fish sauce adds a ton of flavor to food.

I always liked it but now I love anything vinegar tasting.

When I was a kid, I used to hate my mom's salmon patties. Now that I'm a 60-something adult, in search of heart-healthy eating, I've been trying salmon again and actually sometimes like it. I'm sure preparation makes a big difference, as I find that the spicier the glaze on it the better because it hides the fish taste. I still won't cook it because I don't want that fish smell in my house. So, I'll let restaurants treat me.

r14 I've noticed that as well. I don't know if it had anything to do with my mother cooking with no/very little salt which I was fine with, but now I gravitate towards salty snacks. I also find my sweet toothiness is waning (thankfully). I still do enjoy cakes, ice-cream etc., but I no longer buy/crave chocolate bars and stuff like that. Hmmmm.

Use some lemon, R49.

[quote]I still won't cook it because I don't want that fish smell in my house.

I roast fish in the oven. In my very standard oven, it's ten minutes per inch @ 375. It doesn't stink up the house the way pan-frying it does.

OP As I get older I have begun to lose my sense of smI will drink the occasional glass of dry white wine. I drink Green tea now. I probably over season certain foods because I cant taste them as well as I used to. I am a former smoker. That accelerates the loss of taste and smell.

One thing I have lost tolerance for are really sweet drinks....well anything that is too sweet but especially drinks. Fruit juice with tons of sugar or non diet soda just turns me off now. I sweeten my tea/coffee but very minimally. One teaspoon at most.

I grew up loving pork but now it just smells and tastes funny to me and I have started avoiding it.

[quote]I've been trying salmon again and actually sometimes like it. I'm sure preparation makes a big difference, as I find that the spicier the glaze on it the better because it hides the fish taste.

Soak it in milk.

Lost my desire for french fries some years ago.

I used to love gin and tonic. Now I can’t stand it. I never drank coffee when I was younger. Now I have one cup every morning. I have tea every afternoon. I was addicted to Diet Dr Pepper. Now I never drink any sodas - just water. I was a big meat eater. Now I’m vegan. What a change!

The older I get, the more open I am to trying anything.

The only thing that I still can't do - and I have become much more averse to this as I age - is mayonnaise-based foods. Gross.