Fish is one of the best foods we can eat as a family and for your growing kids. White fish and shellfish are super proteins, as is oily fish which has the additional benefits of essential fats (Omega 3s).
However it can be challenging to get our kids to eat fish, especially oily fish such as salmon or trout.
Ideas to increase kids fish consumption:
- The key is to use fish that’s freshly caught or frozen quickly and it should therefore have absolutely no ‘fishy taste or smell’.
- If the taste of the fish is too strong, use the fish in a well flavoured recipe such as curry, possibly substituting for another protein; such as chicken in chicken curry.
- If your kids don’t like the distinctive colour of salmon, offer another oily fish such as mackerel.
- If the texture of the fish such as salmon is too much, another great option is tuna, which is more ‘meaty’ in texture than some other fish.
- Think of what your kids like to eat and see can you offer fish using these ideas such as the super ‘meatball’ recipe below, using tuna.
This is a super recipe for fish, great for fussy eaters. I often recommend this as the best fish recipe ever as these are really delicious ‘meatballs’; using flavours such as cheese and cinnamon; all served as ‘meatballs’.
Ingredients:
400 g tuna (Fresh or frozen)
55 g pine nuts (optional)
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt & freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or mixed herbs)
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
100 g day old breadcrumbs (or very fne oats)
25 g Parmesan or other cheese, freshly grated
2 eggs
1 lemon (zest & juice)
Method:
Chop the tuna into small pieces, about 2.5cm/1 inch each. Pour some oil into a large frying pan and place on the heat.
Add the tuna to the pan with the pine nuts (if using) and cinnamon. Season lightly with salt and pepper and fry for a minute or so to brown the tuna on all sides (and toast the pine nuts, if using).
Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a bowl.
Allow to cool down for 5 minutes, then add the herbs, breadcrumbs (or oats), cheese, eggs, lemon zest and juice to the bowl.
Using your hands, really mix the flavours into the tuna, then divide the mixture and make it into meatballs, slightly smaller than a golf ball
If the mixture’s very sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs.
Aim to have the meatballs around the same size and place them on an oiled tray, then put them in the fridge for an hour to let them rest.
After this tie, place a little oil in a heated frying pan and add your meatballs. Cook them until they’re golden.
Serve with a tomato sauce and a wholegrain (like whole wheat pasta).
This recipe is courtesy of the fabulous Jamie Oliver ‘The best tuna meatball’
Note
- Canned tuna has almost no Omega 3s (as the heat from the canning process destroys them).
- Wild fish such as salmon is best quality, next is organic salmon; as farmed salmon can have high levels of pesticides.
- Limit large fish eg tuna, swordfish to once a week or eat smaller fish eg sardines.