Peas in our time! Growing number of children are eating their veg and opting for trendy superfoods such as kale and celeriac

• A survey of 1,000 children found youngsters enjoying superfoods such as kale
• One quarter of all children aged between four and nine have tried out kale
• Around 22 per cent have tried aubergine with 16 per cent eating celeriac 
• Two third of parents said it was easier to try out food with the entire family  

It is the dinner table battle that has frustrated generations of parents, but young children may finally be finding an appetite for fruit and vegetables.

According to a survey of 1,000 children aged up to nine and parents, a growing number of youngsters like nothing more than munching trendy superfoods such as kale and celeriac.

It suggests young foodies are more daring, prepared to try a wide and exotic range of vegetables that would have triggered tantrums among previous generations. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of children aged four to nine have eaten kale, 22 per cent have tried aubergine, 16 per cent celeriac and one in ten has tackled an artichoke.

Young children are more likely to eat vegetables according to a new survey, especially brightly coloured vegetables such as carrots, peas, sweetcorn and broccoli

A third of parents (32 per cent) say their children will try any vegetable put in front of them – more than the proportion (29 per cent) who say they struggle to get their offspring to eat their greens.

Brightly coloured veg such as carrots, peas, sweetcorn and broccoli are most popular, the survey for frozen food firm Birds Eye found, followed by peppers, cauliflower and green beans. Some youngsters named cabbage, spinach and even Brussels sprouts as their favourite.

Some youngsters named cabbage, spinach and even Brussels sprouts as their favourite

More than two thirds (67 per cent) of parents said it was easier to persuade children to try new foods when the family sat down together to eat.

Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, a clinical psychologist and star of Channel 4’s The Secret Life Of 4, 5 And 6 Year Olds, said: ‘It is no surprise that children are becoming more adventurous with the vegetables they eat. Healthy eating has become a huge part of popular culture.

‘Children learn through observation and are heavily influenced by what they see adults around them doing.

‘We know that if parents have a varied diet and an adventurous approach to food then it’s likely to rub off on their children.’

However, a significant proportion of parents are still wrestling with youngsters who are fussy about their food.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said their children avoid certain colours of food and more than a third (34 per cent) admit to serving the same small menu of dishes every week.

To encourage the comsumption of fruit and vegetables, 31 per cent of parents tricked their offspring into believing they have eaten it before, almost a quarter (24 per cent) used bribes of extra time in front of computers or TV and 12 per cent offered extra pocket money.

 

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