But Queen's High School pupil Chanelle Carter may have found a solution to the age-old problem.
The 17-year-old budding chef has invented a recipe of her own which makes cauliflower the "hero of the dish", and it has been selected as a finalist in the 2011 Great New Zealand Vegetable Dish - Hospitality Standards Institute junior hospitality challenge.
Her "cauliflower medley" consists of three cauliflower dips: ranch dressing with cauliflower; cauliflower with parmesan cheese and chives; and cauliflower pickle - all served with soda bread to dip into it.
Cauliflower is low in carbohydrate but high in dietary fibre, folate, water and vitamin C.
It possesses a high nutritional density important for young bodies and Chanelle hoped her recipe would be a winner with children.
"I think the cauliflower with parmesan and chives is really nice. I would like to see anyone resist eating it."
Waitaki Girls' High School pupil Rakayla McGartland's "cauliflower tasting plate" was also selected as one of the 13 finalists from around the country.
The highly competitive contest includes entries of "decadent" cauliflower soup with roasted red capsicum puree and toasted sunflower seeds, cauliflower cake, cauliflower souffle with blue cheese and nutmeg and curried cauliflower with cardamom and mustard served on yellow rice.
A professional chef will recreate the finalists' dishes for a judging panel to taste and consider.
It is hoped the three place winners will be announced later this month.
