The Top Ten Most Exotic Foods British Kids Love

NEWS COPY

Millions of modern children have already had their first taste of olives, hummus – and quinoa before the age of five, a study has found.

Today’s youngsters are having more exotic and adventurous food from an early age than in previous generations, with many also having their first taste of curry, aubergine and even pak choy before their 5^th birthday.

One in twenty under-fives have even tucked into mussels – something many adults rarely or never eat.

And almost six in ten parents of under-fives even claim their child has a more varied diet than they do.

But the early exotic start could have a lasting effect with 72 per cent of parents believing a child who has a more varied diet will be more adventurous and willing to try new foods as they get older.

Kiddylicious (Kiddylicious.com) nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, which commissioned the research to mark the launch of My First Wafers, said: “Parents today have more choice than ever when it comes to foods they can feed their babies, meaning youngsters are eating far more exotic and adventurous foods from an early age.

“Olives, quinoa and cous cous are foods which weren’t readily available in previous generations but are now staple items in a lot of households, with this reflected in the diets of young children.

“Moving babies onto solid food is an important milestone and is all about experimenting with different tastes and textures.

“The foods offered at this stage set the tone for future food preferences and patterns of eating so it’s great to see so many children are eating such a varied diet at such a young age.

“But it’s not just about nurturing adventurous eaters – all finger foods, whether it’s an exotic avocado, an asparagus spear or wafers, are important to help children develop their pincer grip, learn how to self-feed and also develop the jaw muscles they need for speech and language.”

The study of 2,000 parents – 1,000 who have an under five and 1,000 who have children aged 20 and over, found one in ten of today’s under-fives have already tried olives - double the one in twenty who had done so by the age of five in previous generations.

And 37 per cent of under-fives have already had curry compared to just 12 per cent of their older counterparts.

And almost one in ten youngsters today have had their first taste of quinoa before their 5^th birthday.

Other foods growing in popularity with young children include sweet potatoes, cous cous, hummus and asparagus.

The study also found eight in ten parents believe the diets of babies and toddlers have changed over the years with today’s youngers being weaned onto rice cakes, mango and even avocado instead of the more traditional toast, porridge and rusks

Eighteen per cent more children are given rice cakes as first finger foods today than 20 years ago, while 17 per cent more are fed avocado – compared to just two per cent in previous generations

The number of children being fed sweet potato as a first food has risen by 22 per cent, while the introduction of pears has increased by 11 per cent.

Wafers, kiwi fruit and courgettes have also seen an increase in popularity in recent years.

In contrast, rusks have suffered the biggest decline of all foods – with 32 per cent LESS children eating them now compared to 20 years ago.

Children of today are also far more likely to go straight to whole or finger foods during weaning, with 14 per cent of modern day parents offering solid options such as carrot sticks or rice cakes, compared to just three per cent of previous generations.

A spokeswoman for Kiddylicious added: “The vast choice now offered to weaning babies has led to our most successful launch - Wafers, of which 3 million are now eaten every month.

"Made with rice flour and subtle hints of real fruit and vegetable, they contain significantly less sugar than a standard rusk giving parents peace of mind.

"They are also light and dissolve easily in the mouth, so make the ideal first finger food, and also encourage taste bud development, develop jaw muscles for speech and hand-eye coordination for self-feeding.

Kiddylicious.com are also running the #WaferMoment campaign, supported by this weaning trends survey.

Top 10 exotic foods eaten by under-fives:

1. Sweet potato
2. Curry
3. Mango
4. Baby sweetcorn
5. Butternut squash
6. Garlic
7. Courgettes
8. Spinach
9. Avocado
10. Cous cous
11. Hummus
12. Nuts
13. Aubergine
14. Mangetout
15. Olives
16. Asparagus
17. Kale
18. Gherkins
19. Brie
20. Guacamole

ENDS