AVERSION TO GREENS IS ALL IN THE GENES

GENETICS could be the reason your child hates vegetables.

A new study has explored how genes are linked to snacking behaviour and found that 80 per cent of children carry at least one genotype that makes them predisposed to poor snacking habits.

The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, revealed that children with the gene that made them prefer a sweet taste ate snacks high in sugar mostly in the evening.

Kids who love fatty foods were at risk of having low oral sensitivity to fat and end up consuming excess fatty foods without sensing it.

Those who had the genetic variant that made them hate the taste of green leafy vegetables turned to high calorie foods.

“Environmental influences also have a lot to do with what children eat. They simply copy their parents,” Brisbane accredited dietitian Kate Di Prima said.

Picture: NIGEL HALLETT Research reveals genetics could predispose Mudgeeraba girls Kiera Pledger, 3, and Esther Gardem, 3, to like sweet or savoury snacks.