We talk a lot on the blog about the importance of eating seafood to support your heart and brain health. What you may not know is that the nutrients in seafood are also critical for babies’ and children’s developing brains. Seafood is high in omega-3s, which can help improve attention, focus, and reading and memory function, all of which are important for kids when they head back to school. Additionally, seafood is rich in protein and vitamin D, which some children can fall short of. All in all, seafood is an incredibly kid-friendly protein source.
Here are a few of our favorite tips for incorporating fish into kids’ diets more often:
- Introduce pouched or canned tuna and salmon – or bite-sized pieces of cooked salmon – to babies and toddlers who are just starting on solids.
- For toddlers or young kids who like to dip their food, serve lightly breaded and baked fish sticks with a sweet honey-mustard or mild BBQ dip! If one of their favorite dipping sauces comes with the fish plate, picky eaters might be more willing to try something new!
- Make it fun! Serve grilled salmon or whitefish as the protein for make-your-own-taco-or-salad night.
- Fold canned or pouched tuna or salmon, or leftover cooked fish, into kid-favorite dishes like mac ’n’ cheese or quesadillas.
If you’re dealing with a challenging or picky eater, keep this in mind: Research shows that when kids are involved in shopping for and cooking foods, they’re more likely to eat that food.
- Take your kids shopping when you purchase seafood and ask them to pick out a fish or shellfish they want to cook that week.
- Give your kids age-appropriate tasks for helping you with meal prep, e.g.:
- Young children: opening pouched or canned tuna and salmon and scooping out, measuring, and mixing cooked or pouched seafood into cooled dishes.
- Older children: making a marinade for seafood, seasoning seafood, and serving cooked and already-portioned seafood onto plates.
- Teenagers: making their own recipes, making a bread coating for seafood, and cutting and serving cooked seafood.
Here are a couple more tips for seafood for picky eater’s:
- Introduce a variety of seafood to your kids, to see which flavors they prefer!
- Last, but certainly not least, just keep trying! Kids’ taste buds are fickle and what they hate today, they may love tomorrow!
Now, to get you and your little seafoodies on the path to enjoying more seafood more often, we’ve rounded up our best kid-friendly recipes for you below!
Tortilla Sushi Rolls
These wraps are a fun way to introduce your child to sushi at home!
Source: Kiddielicious Kitchen
Get this seafood for picky eater’s recipe here.
The “Crabby Patty” Crab Salad Sandwich
Even the pickiest of eaters won’t able to resist the look of these adorable crab sandwiches!
Source: SheKnows
Get this seafood for picky eater’s recipe here.
Crispy Fish Bites
Who doesn’t love finger food? We’re betting these crispy, crunchy bites will be a huge hit with the kiddos!
Source: My Cape Cod Kitchen
Get this seafood for picky eater’s recipe here.
Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole
A few pantry staples make this simple seafood supper a slam dunk!
Get this seafood for picky eater’s recipe here.
Tuna Melt Quesadillas
Two comfort food classics come together for one ooey-gooey dish!
Source: Garlic and Zest
Get this seafood for picky eater’s recipe here
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