Want to Avoid Having a Picky Eater? Start Exposing Your Kids to Veggies Super Early—in the Womb
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A recent study suggests that exposing fetuses to certain flavors, like bitter kale, may influence their taste preferences later in life. Researchers found that 3-year-olds who were exposed to kale in the womb showed less aversion to its scent compared to unfamiliar foods. This research indicates that maternal diet during pregnancy could play a role in shaping children's food preferences.
- ▪Children exposed to bitter kale in the womb were less averse to its scent at age 3.
- ▪The study involved tracking children's reactions to food exposure from fetuses to toddlers.
- ▪Mothers consuming specific foods during late pregnancy may influence their children's taste preferences.
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Want to Avoid Having a Picky Eater? Start Exposing Your Kids to Veggies Super Early—in the Womb In a new study, 3-year-olds who were repeatedly exposed to the taste of bitter kale as fetuses appeared to be less averse to the leafy greens’ scent than they were to a food smell they hadn’t experienced in utero Margherita Bassi | Daily Correspondent May 19, 2026 10:00 a.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source Researchers tracked children's reactions to particular food exposure when they were fetuses, newborns and then 3-year-olds. Image by freepik Children can often be extremely picky eaters, frustrating parents and even leading them to hide veggies in their kids’ food.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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