What's one food your children surprised you by loving? Win a £100 Rosa's Thai voucher!

[MaddyMumsnet]

We all have ideas about what our children will and won't eat... and then they completely surprise us.

Has your child ever loved a food you were convinced they'd refuse? Maybe they happily tucked into something spicy, developed a taste for olives, or unexpectedly became obsessed with curry or sushi!

If you're happy to share, we'd love to hear about it. Your story might even encourage another parent to try something new with their own child. 🍽

Leave your comments by 13/8/26, to be entered into the Rosa's Thai voucher draw.

Funnily enough, I ordered chicken satay recently, fully expecting to eat it in peace, only for my child to declare it was “their favourite food ever” after one bite and steal the entire portion. He demanded more peanut sauce, not exactly spicy but different from the usual demand of pizza and nuggets.

I asked my girls what they wanted for tea in the week as I was making the shopping list. The two things they really wanted: mussels and Thai red curry!

My children surprised me by loving sardines on toast and anchovies in pasta! I never thought I’d get them to eat fish like that yet both loved it

My AuDHD 14 year old son is really picky with food, I was gobsmacked when he enjoyed spicy food! Favourites have been homemade spicy fried chicken and curry

My kids have loved Thai since they were tiny. Green or jungle curry, pad thai and satay skewers are their favourites.

I have three children. Two of them loathe fresh tomatoes and won't touch them with a barge pole. The third adores that and his idea of a special treat us if present him with a beefsteak tomato

Risotto. They both love risotto, ever since they were tiny. I never liked it as a child so this always amazed me

Octopus - I’m still not sure where they got the idea from that they liked it, but I ordered it and they were right, they loved it!

Cucumber!

My 4 year old absolutely loves spicy food. He loves jalapenos (calls them spicy pickles) and will ask for them in a wrap. I'll put in the usual ham or cheese, some lettuce and he will pick them out and eat his 'spicy pickle sandwich.' He uses hot sauce instead of ketchup.

He also took a liking to kimchee... This from a boy who says he doesn't like potatoes and would rather starve than eat broccoli.

This is all great except means I miss out on the age old, 'you won't like it, it's spicy' when trying to safeguard my treats.

My very picky eater loves Japanese food and snacks, I think it’s the fun character packaging that encourages them

My ASD son, who is now 20, has never liked gravy/food cooked in sauces etc. The other week, I’d made steak and he decided he wanted to try the pepper sauce, went back for seconds and now loves it.

My DS is a really fussy eater. Even the lemon and herb flavour in Nandos was too spicy for him. Textures, strong flavours are all a no, as is a lot of mixed up food like stew or corned beef hash.
But he loves radishes, the stronger the flavour the better. And homous. Both things I thought he'd hate.

Sea food and black pudding!

Sucking on lemons!

My other DS (not the one in my previous post) eats lemons as a snack. He's weird though.

Broccoli! My boy adored it when he first started weaning at 6 months and I was convinced it was just because it was soft and easy to eat, he’s nearly 3 now and it’s still his favourite food, he would happily eat a bowl of it for his dinner and will often steal his sister’s as well 😂

Mine ate everything. I was surprised when they tucked into bitter gourd. That is hardcore.

My then 7 year old loved very rare steak which surprised me. He's now 14 and a fairly adventurous eater - his favourites are Thai curries, chicken satay and anything with noodles.

My son, who only ever wanted chicken nuggets or pizza, suprised me by saying he had been to a friends and had octopus which was now his new favourite and could I get it in Tesco!

Mine are very good eaters generally.
I still find it odd that they will eat frozen peas as a snack though.

BBQ eel (DS age 5). He also tried snails this year at a French place and ate 3 before palming the rest off on us. His dad had to eat two and me one. I think we all agreed that was a step too far!

Marmite, it is a common food, but with such a strong flavour, I was convinced my DD would hate it. She loved it and demanded marmite sandwiches every day for about a year when she was a toddler.

Ceviche! Tried at a friends house and an immediate hit

My kids love sushi. Dd asked for a big pile of sushi for her birthday instead of a cake.
They also love olives and calamari. We always have to order some calamari as a starter if we eat out.