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My son is very picky, but luckily he does like apples, pears, carrots, celery, and lettuce, which he calls salad. He won't eat anything mixed with chopped lettuce, so it's just lettuce. He likes broccoli stems, not the flowerets, so I always steam those for him.
He would not be begging me for broccoli at the store, though.
My three are all different in regards to broccoli and veggies in general.
The oldest, my son, treats them like the plague. Though, he seems to hate just about everything, even most junk food. We can get him to eat some variety, but it's always a challenge.
The middle child, oldest daughter, absolutely loves veggies and will choose them over almost anything else. The only thing she absolutely hates is green beans. No idea why, but she will literally gag and spit them out as soon as she puts them in her mouth. We don't force it, if a kid eats brussel sprouts and cauliflower, but hates green beans, she obviously just doesn't like them.
The youngest is more of a meat eater, but likes her veggies too. She's a big fan of starches, but does like broccoli, however she will only eat the tops, leaving the stems in a neat pile on her plate.
I had originally put this post somewhere else, and it was moved to parenting, which I knew was a mistake.
To those who've been made to feel that they are bad parents because their kids won't eat broccoli---
Some of these kids who love broccoli may simply be lacking a certain taste gene. It runs in families, and to put it simply, they just can't taste the bitterness in broccoli and certain other foods and drinks.
Additionally, babies and young children are born with many taste buds that they slowly lose as they grow older. Children have far more taste buds than adults, and therefore tend to be pickier about what they eat. On the other hand - there are dirt eaters in all societies ( has to do with a need for certain minerals in the diet - don't worry about it, dirt won't hurt them)
True, in societies with fewer sweet or other food options, kids will grow up eating most or all their veggies simply because they've had no exposure to anything they might consider tastier.
Nah, not unusual at all. Most kids have some pickiness, but it isn't always vegetables that get the yucky face. My siblings and I never had any problems with our vegetables, quite enjoyed them with no butter or ranch or cheese necessary. But we had other no-no foods. One sister doesn't eat tomatoes to this day, one took years before being convinced to eat kiwi, another avoids pork. I'm the pickiest of all of them and won't eat any sort of seafood or most sandwiches, but bring on the veggies!
My coworker's little boy won't eat beef or chocolate (chocolate!) but loves his veggies. I don't know where kids get these eccentricities but it seems to be totally random from kid to kid.
My son goes ape sh*t for ponhaus. Most kids wouldn't touch scrapple with a 10 ft pole but he literally salivates for it. My daughter goes nuts for venison schnitzels.
Not much of a junk food family here.
I loved scrapple, which my best friend's mother used to cook for breakfast whenever I slept over. But, it certainly isn't a health food. I gave it up once I was old enough to read the ingredients list.
Three kids here, all love vegetables. Broccoli, spinach, carrots, peas... it doesn't matter. I have yet to make one they wouldn't devour.
My kids have never asked for broccoli and they have complained to their pediatrician once that I make them eat too many salads. But I've noticed that when they get back from friends' homes where no fruits or veggies are served they'll ask me to make them a fruit smoothie or they'll help themselves to some cut up veggies.
They'll usually say something like, "My body needs something healthy." I feel the same way after spending the week at my out-of-state mil's house where comfort food rules and fruits and veggies are a rarity.
The kid who was excited about the broccoli is probably used to eating very healthy. Good for him. Now, if only I could get my kids to say something like, "Wow, thanks for putting the yummy tofu in the cart mom."
I had originally put this post somewhere else, and it was moved to parenting, which I knew was a mistake.
To those who've been made to feel that they are bad parents because their kids won't eat broccoli---
Some of these kids who love broccoli may simply be lacking a certain taste gene. It runs in families, and to put it simply, they just can't taste the bitterness in broccoli and certain other foods and drinks.
Additionally, babies and young children are born with many taste buds that they slowly lose as they grow older. Children have far more taste buds than adults, and therefore tend to be pickier about what they eat. On the other hand - there are dirt eaters in all societies ( has to do with a need for certain minerals in the diet - don't worry about it, dirt won't hurt them)
True, in societies with fewer sweet or other food options, kids will grow up eating most or all their veggies simply because they've had no exposure to anything they might consider tastier.
I've never heard of this phenomenon where children are born with more taste buds than they have when they're adults. Is there some place I can read about that?
Also, I never at most or all of my veggies, if they were veggies I didn't like. I couldn't stand the smell of brussels sprouts or cabbage, and to this day I can't stand them. Just the idea of eating eggplant nauseates me. I'm one of those people who -can- smell "asparagus urine" but I love asparagus nonetheless. Cauliflower is gross, in my estimation, but I love me my broccoli, always have, and hopefully always will. I prefer it cooked but I'll eat it raw if there's a decent garlic dip around.
I've never heard of this phenomenon where children are born with more taste buds than they have when they're adults. Is there some place I can read about that?
When children are quite young their mouths just explode with growing tastebuds. As adults age, they start losing them, which may explain why my 64 year old hubby doesn't seem to like a lot of the foods he used to love a few years ago.
Here's an interesting article with a chart showing results of taste tests using children throughout France. Publications - Selected Bibliography
You might also find articles about tasters and non-tasters interesting, just google.
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