Children inherit their taste for meat and fish but when it comes to vegetables and desserts it's more nurture¹ than nature, according to a study.

Scientists who compared the food preferences of identical and fraternal twins found that some tastes are inherited while others are acquired.

Mothers of 103 pairs of four and five-year-old identical twins and 111 pairs of non-identical twins were given lists of 77 foods in different categories and told to rate how much their children liked them.

Identical twins share all the same genes² while fraternal twins share only half, so comparing their food preferences highlights which tastes are inherited and which are influenced by environmental factors.

Although the researchers said it is not clear which factors influence a taste for fruits, vegetables or desserts, they suggested availability or the influence of parents could play a part.

中文翻译：
　　一项研究表明，儿童遗传了爱吃鱼肉的习惯，但是对于蔬菜和甜品，与其说是自然的需要，还不如说是出于对营养的考虑。

　　科学家把同卵生和异卵生的双胞胎对食物选择的指数进行了对比，发现，一些口味是遗传的，而其余的是后天形成的。

　　科学家给103对4-5岁的同卵生双胞胎和111对异卵生双胞胎的母亲，提供了77种不同种类的食物，并让她们评价自己孩子对这些食物的喜爱程度。

　　同卵生双胞胎拥有相同的基因，而异卵生双胞胎只有一半的基因相同。所以，比较它们对事物的喜爱指数就可以推断出哪些口味是遗传的，哪些是受客观环境的影响。

　　虽然研究人员称目前还不知道哪些情况影响了人们对水果，蔬菜和甜品的喜爱，但是，他们暗示父母的影响可能会使一个原因。