But new findings suggest the roots of picky eating may begin much earlier than the toddler years. Young children are less likely to react negatively to the smell of vegetables they had been repeatedly exposed to before birth, researchers claim.
The study, led by Nadja Reissland of Durham University, followed children whose mothers had taken either kale or carrot powder capsules during pregnancy.
The children’s reactions were tracked at different stages: first as foetuses using ultrasound scans, then as newborns, and later at around age three. Those exposed to carrot in the womb reacted more favourably to carrot smells, while those exposed to kale showed a similar response to the latter vegetable.
The findings build on earlier work showing that babies can respond to flavours before birth. In 2022, researchers reported that foetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses, while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” expressions. A later follow-up found that newborns also responded more positively to smells they had experienced pre-birth.
For researchers, this suggests that flavour memories may form surprisingly early. “What we see over time is that the children are still more favourable to vegetables they were exposed to while they were in the womb,” Reissland told The Guardian.
The idea is that flavours from a mother’s diet can pass into the amniotic fluid, which babies swallow and inhale before birth. This may allow them to become familiar with certain tastes and smells long before they encounter them on a plate.
That does not mean pregnant women should start worrying over every meal. The study involved a small sample, and researchers say larger studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Still, the findings offer an intriguing possibility: children may be more open to healthy foods later if they encounter those flavours early.
Co-author Beyza Ustun-Elayan of the University of Cambridge said the findings opened “new ways of thinking” about early dietary interventions, suggesting that maternal diet during pregnancy may quietly shape how children respond to foods years later.
The researchers also believe the idea could be adapted across cultures: in places where fish, bitter greens or other traditional healthy foods are common, prenatal exposure may help children become more comfortable with those flavours after birth.
For parents, the takeaway is not that vegetables are guaranteed to win over future toddlers simply because mum ate kale. But it does suggest that healthy eating during pregnancy may do more than nourish the baby in the moment.
It may also help introduce the earliest hints of what “normal” food smells and tastes like. And perhaps one day, the battle over broccoli might involve a little less drama.