Plants evolved to either encourage their consumption by tasting sweet or turn herbivores away by tasting bitter.  Humans taste buds evolved to detect which foods were nutritious and safe to eat. Sweet foods typically have a higher energy content than bitter foods, so it is of no surprise that people are drawn to sweet tasty treats.  However that is not the end of the story. 

 It turns out that there are two different gene sequences that make up our bitter taste buds.  Once sequence allows the compound that makes up bitter taste to pass unnoticed, while the other sequence will cause the bitter taste to be apparent.  So it is no wonder that some children will not think twice about eating a plate full of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.  For those children who are labeled picky eaters it is not a picky disposition.  They truly do not like the taste of veggies, and it is due to genetic make up.

 If you or your spouse were a picky eater as a young child, there is a good chance your child will be too.  What is parent to do with a child that simply does not like their vegetables?  Cut your children a little slack, but make sure you still offer a variety of wholesome choices.  You can also resort to adding vegetable purees to food that you know they will like.  Some of our favorites are scrambled eggs with pureed cauliflower, pasta sauce with pureed sweet potato or carrot, and pancakes with pureed beets.

 Most importantly remember that in the end you learned to like vegetables, and your child will too.   A healthy dose of patience as well as repeated exposure to new foods, textures, colors, and smells is the best way to encourage your child to expand their palette.

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