Vegetables as first solid food for toddlers

There’s no way around it: people are creatures of habit. Even when they’re very young. Taste preferences of small children are shaped from the very first bite. And if this is broccoli, spinach or cauliflower – all the better. According to nutrition experts at University College London, these vegetables lead to less finicky food choices later on in life. But if a toddler gets lots of bananas and other sweet foods, it could develop a sweet tooth. The nutrition expert Alina Leitinger knows very well: » We are basically born with a preference for sweet tastes, but people can learn taste preferences. It’s much easier with children than it is with adults.« Researchers therefore recommend that green vegetables and tart fruits such as cherries or plums be offered to the little ones.

And if the parents then set a good example and fully enjoy the vegetables in front of their children, then nothing stands in the way of a lifelong healthy diet.