Scientists claimed children form ideas about the foods they enjoy from a very early age.

A study at the University of Birmingham said babies weaned on rusks are more likely to go on to prefer beige foods later in life.

Researchers said children build up a visual prototype of favoured foods, and babies exposed to fruit and vegetables, by the age of one, went on to show a greater preference for those products later on.

The study said children’s vision of the kind of food they liked would lead them to reject products that did not fit into their categories, without even tasting them.

The scientists said this could explain why so many children initially reject green foods like vegetables.

Dr Gillian Harris, a clinical psychologist at the university, told the BBC: "There is so much parental anxiety these days that parents don't feel that they can give their children broccoli, for example, and feel that food out of a jar or packet is a safer option for their child.

“There is uncertainty and a lack of education about how children should be fed and this can lead to children's preferences being set at a very early age.

“I would recommend that where possible, parents give their children the same food that they are eating provided it is a balanced diet containing fruit and vegetables, to introduce them to new colours, textures and shapes.”