Health Update: Sweet veg

PEAS and sweetcorn are children's favourite vegetables probably because they contain relatively high amounts of sugar, research from Australia has indicated. A study of 600 children found that tomatoes, mushrooms and broccoli are quite popular, but cauliflower and sprouts come bottom of the list, says a report in New Scientist. The researchers, from the University of Western Sydney, also suggest that children head for salty snacks and sweets to compensate for an immature taste mechanism: the flavours they experience may be more bland than those tasted by adults.