The top 20 most exotic foods British kids love

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 fifth birthday.

One in 20 under-fives have even tucked into mussels – something many adults rarely or never eat.

And almost six in 10 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% 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 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 10 of today’s under-fives have already tried olives – double the one in 20 who had done so by the age of five in previous generations.

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

And almost one in 10 youngsters today have had their first taste of quinoa before their fifth birthday.

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

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

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

Top 20 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