It’s a well-known fact that few children are fond of green vegetables, but parents are not guilty about it because of their upbringing or their culinary talents. Here’s the real reason, according to a scientific study.
Do you sometimes spend hours in front of the stove in the hope of seeing your child taste a spoonful of broccoli, green beans or peas? For Amandine, mother of Paul, 5 years old, it is always a challenge when it is time to sit down at the table. “He only wants pasta or potatoes… I have prepared several dishes in case he doesn’t like them, but it is often a failure: he doesn’t eat any vegetables”, the young mother tells us, disappointed. But then, why do children prefer certain foods over others and above all, why do they turn their noses up at green vegetables?
Parents can rest assured: the reason is in no way linked to the education they are given, nor to their culinary talents. According to a recent study conducted in England, there is a completely different explanation for the fact that children are difficult when it comes to food. To arrive at their results, scientists compared 2,400 twins in different age groups (born in 2007 between 16 months and 13 years). They then analyzed their eating behavior among identical twins and dizygotic twins, who share 50% of their genes. According to the researchers, the reason is primarily genetic: 60% in toddlers, and nearly 74% between 3 and 13 years.
“Frustration-related eating is common in children and can be a major source of anxiety for parents and caregivers, who often blame themselves for the behavior or are blamed by others,” study author Dr. Zeynep Nas said in a statement.
“We hope that our finding that food fussiness is largely innate can help mitigate parental responsibility. This behavior is not the result of child rearing,” he added. Still, children who are resistant to certain foods tend to remain picky eaters as they grow up, the study found.