From quinoa to octopus: The adventurous foods millions of children are trying

Whether they liked it or not, nearly two in three were brave enough to try food they'd never tasted during their last holiday, research claims

A study of 1,500 parents of children aged 2-16 found an adventurous one in five have tasted kangaroo at least once while 23 percent have tried an oyster.

Even though they may not have liked it, other brave youngsters have also sampled crayfish, kale and sushi, as well as curried goat, octopus and avocado.

It also emerged 53 percent of parents reckon their children are more likely to try a new food than they were at the same age, with 68 per cent putting this down to youngsters being more likely to travel abroad.

In fact, half of mums and dads reckon holidays see their children tasting delicacies they wouldn’t dream of touching at home.

The study, commissioned by Hilton to mark its 'Kids Stay and Eat for Free' package, also found almost one in four parents would describe their children as adventurous eaters, saying their offspring will give pretty much anything put in front of them a go.

Thirty-seven per cent even went as far as to say they would describe at least one of their children as a ‘foodie’.

It also emerged more than two-thirds of children have tucked into Indian dishes, while three-quarters enjoy Chinese food.

Three in 10 youngsters have tried Thai cuisine and almost a third have sampled a French meal.

Almost half of parents also admitted to choosing holidays based on the food they are likely to find there to broaden their family’s horizons.

But it appears to work with 63 per cent of parents saying their children tried something they hadn’t eaten before on their last holiday.

And two-thirds of parents deem their children as ‘brave’ when it comes to trying new food abroad.

Patricia Page-Champion, senior vice-president and commercial director at Hilton, said: “With our ‘Kids Stay and Eat for Free’ package, parents can enjoy a hassle-free holiday at hundreds of properties across Europe, Middle East and Africa so that the everyday heroes of the family can have a break too.”

Hilton has partnered with Disney to celebrate The Incredibles 2. Guests will receive a £10 Disney Store voucher when booking Hilton’s ‘Kids Stay and Eat for Free’ package.

Top 10 unusual or exotic foods children under the age of 16 have tried, with percentage who have tried it at least once

1. Kangaroo – 21%

2. Oysters – 23%

3. Curried goat – 24%

4. Crayfish – 28%

5. Octopus – 30%

6. Jambalaya - 30%

7. Edamame beans - 31%

8. Lobster - 32%

9. Squid - 32%

10. Mussels - 33%

11. Quinoa - 34%

12. Crab - 38%

13. Sushi - 39%

14. Kale - 44%

15. Brie cheese - 46%

16. Thai curry - 48%

17. Gherkins – 51%

18. Asparagus - 53%

19. Hummus - 54%

20. Olives - 54%

SWNS