Why don’t kids like brussels sprouts?
A liking for foods which taste sweet is present at birth – breast milk is sweet. Brussels sprouts don’t come into the sweet range. We also are born with a dislike for bitter or sour tastes and, at certain ages – particularly from three to about six or seven – most children really hate trying new flavours. Also, they very quickly pick up parental messages, for example, ice-cream is a reward food, vegetables are duty foods.
Children are like adults – they prefer rewards but, unlike most adults, they don’t take into account the health aspect of the food they eat. So, even though brussels sprouts are undoubtedly good for us, they often are rejected by children. However, studies have shown that if children are offered foods initially rejected time and time again, they will eventually get to like some of them.