30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Kids are notorious for beingpicky eaters. Whether it’s the way something looks, how it tastes, or just an unexplainable ‘nope,’ once they decide they don’t like it, good luck convincing them otherwise.

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Spaghetti. As a kid growing up my dad cooked it at home and never bothered to drain the water off the noodles, so a plate-full of noodles floating in water plus his home-made sauce was just awful. When spahetti was served at school for lunch it wasn’t much better. Now as an adult I’ve found good spaghetti and love it.

Spaghetti with tomatoes and vegetables in a pan, featuring a food people started loving when they grew up.

Soup, nothing like a warm bowl of soup especially when you’re sick.

Hands holding a bowl of soup with cilantro and cream, representing foods people love as adults.

Tell me why it feels like everyones mothers boiled the sht out of vegetables up until like 2010. I swear everyone hated vegetables and then we all collectively realized “oh wait, if you roast them with even the smallest bit of seasoning, theyre delicious.“Why were we all eating barely salted boiled sht?!

30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Of course, having an aversion to certain foods isn’t the same as being a picky eater. We all have our own tastes—I, for one, can’t stand boiled beetroot unless it’s in borscht, and I have a weird dislike for ripe bananas. I actually prefer them when they’re still slightly green. Other than that, there’s not much I wouldn’t try.

Olives 🫒💚.

Hand selecting green olives from several bowls, a food people started loving when they grew up.

Sweet potatoes. It was the only food I refused to eat as a kid. And when I refused, my dad would make me stand and stare at the corner for 20 minutes until I was allowed to come back. Then I still could not leave the table until I had ONE bite of the sweet potatoes.So ridiculous. Imagine knowing your child hates one particular food, so you make it anyway then punish them for not eating it. S**t like that is why I have anxiety as an adult.Now that I’m older I like sweet potatoes simply because I researched the nutritional value of them and prepare them in a way I enjoy.

Sweet potato fries on a baking sheet, a food commonly loved more in adulthood.

Cabbages. As a kid it was just mush to me. But then once I found it it was inside eggrolls - I started to give it a chance and as an adult like to eat it so many ways now.

Person slicing a purple cabbage on a cutting board, highlighting foods loved later in life.

But why do some kids flat-out refuse to eat anything beyond their handful of “safe” foods while others will happily try whatever’s in front of them? Pediatric dietitianEmma ShafqattoldBored Pandathat there are plenty of reasons.“Genetics can play a role, as some kids are naturally more sensitive to tastes, textures, and smells. Feeding experiences early in life also make a difference—negative associations with food, illness, or pressure to eat can lead to avoidance,” she said. “I know my little girl had multiple allergies and reflux, and this affected her relationship with food. I feel it was responsible for her struggling with fussy eating.”Some children also experience sensory processing challenges, making certain textures or flavors overwhelming, Shafqat noted. Others may struggle with the motor skills needed for chewing and swallowing. “It’s important to remember that picky eating isn’t just a behavioral issue, it often has underlying causes,” she said.So while picky eating can be frustrating for parents, there’s usually more to it than just stubbornness.

“Genetics can play a role, as some kids are naturally more sensitive to tastes, textures, and smells. Feeding experiences early in life also make a difference—negative associations with food, illness, or pressure to eat can lead to avoidance,” she said. “I know my little girl had multiple allergies and reflux, and this affected her relationship with food. I feel it was responsible for her struggling with fussy eating.”

Some children also experience sensory processing challenges, making certain textures or flavors overwhelming, Shafqat noted. Others may struggle with the motor skills needed for chewing and swallowing. “It’s important to remember that picky eating isn’t just a behavioral issue, it often has underlying causes,” she said.

So while picky eating can be frustrating for parents, there’s usually more to it than just stubbornness.

Spinach. But, I won’t eat it cooked. I liked fresh garden peas when I was a kid, now they make me gag.

A hand holding fresh spinach leaves on a dark surface, illustrating foods that people started loving when they grew up.

Eggs. It was a sudden and permanent change, too! Absolutely love them now…especially with potatoes and cheese and hot sauce.

Three eggs frying in a pan, showcasing foods people started loving as they grew up.

Broccoli.

Bowl of fresh broccoli on a wooden board, representing foods that people started loving when they grew up.

Brussels sprouts, my grandma use to make us eat them couple days a week especially in summer time they grew crazy in the garden, I couldn’t leave the table if I didn’t eat atleast half, now it’s my favorite with a little hot sauce and I buy tons every time at store and grow them in my own garden.

30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Avocado.. I swear they weren’t a thing when I was a child😂 or my mum just never brought them, I think I first tried one in my mid 20’s and now have one every single morning.

Person scooping avocado into a bowl, featuring a variety of grown-up favorite foods.

Curry. Paternal side is Indian. Go figure.Once you move out of home, you kinda want to eat what you didn’t want previously.

Paneer curry with cilantro over white rice on a plate.

Peas, now I love them in soups, salads and tagine, just everywhere.

Fresh sugar snap peas on a pink plate, highlighting foods that people started loving when they grew up.

Beans. My parents used to force me to stay at the table to eat even one bean. Then I hit 17, became a vegetarian, and thought that maybe I should start eating beans. Two years later and I’m absolutely obsessed. All I want is black beans every day.

Bowl of red kidney beans, highlighting foods people started loving as adults.

Does coffee count? I also used to hate marcipan now I love it.

Two glasses of iced coffee with milk swirling, showcasing a food people started loving when they grew up.

Tomatoes. My parents always bought super ripe mushy tomatoes. I think it was more of a consistency thing.

30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Wait for it…beef steaks.i grew up in a family that didn’t really BBQ much and my mom likes her steaks beyond dead, so whenever we cooked steaks they were dry and almost inedible. And then I went to a friend’s house who’s father cooked them properly when I was about 16 and my life was changed.

30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Artichokes- Been having them every week since spring. It’s the end of season now and I will miss them. We steam them, roast them, grill them. Anyway we cook them they’re wonderful.

Artichokes garnished with herbs on a blue plate. Foods people love as adults.

Birthday cake. As a kid, I really couldn’t stand frosting for some reason. I still don’t like chocolate frosting at all, but give me a white raspberry cake with vanilla buttercream and I will merge molecules with it instantly.

Slice of cake with white frosting and colorful sprinkles, featuring foods that people grow to love as they mature.

Sushi/Sashimi.

30 Foods People Wouldn’t Eat As Children But Can’t Live Without As Adults

Mashed potato. It was made so lumpy.

Mashed potatoes with herb butter and basil leaves on a dark plate.

Horseradish. Specifically, horseradish sauce on beef in any form, and catsup and horseradish (typically a shrimp cocktail sauce) is good on a lot of things. When I was young I decided that anything called horseradish had to taste nasty.

Sliced and whole daikon radish on a plate, a food people often start loving as they grow up.