How to get your kids to eat more fish
With recent data from the Tassal ‘Switch up your Diet’ Report conducted by YouGov, showing that just 25% of Aussies eat two or more serves of fish each week and 9 out of 10 Aussie parents believing that it is important that children have fish in their diets regularly, it appears that many Aussie families would benefit from including more fish in their weekly meal repertoire. And while some members of your family may love fish, for others, especially young children fish can be a hard sell.
So if you know that your family is not getting enough fish each week, and more specifically Omega-3 rich fish such as Tassal Atlantic salmon, here are some practical ways to increase your family’s fish consumption.
1. Switch it in
Family friendly meals including spag bol, schnitzel and stir fry feature frequently on many family’s meal time roster. An easy and simple way to increase the family’s intake of fish in general and specifically Omega-3 rich fish is to switch the protein base of the meal for Tassal Atlantic salmon. Light, delicious and easily incorporated into schnitzels, stir fry and pasta dishes, just a single serve of salmon will significantly increase your family’s weekly intake of Omega-3’s.
2. Get them cooking
If there is one thing that helps to encourage children, especially small children to eat a greater variety of foods, it is to get them involved in the cooking process. Crumbing fish or chicken, making their own sushi using Tassal smoked salmon and even planning the family’s meals for the week ahead can go a long way in increasing the variety of foods they enjoy but also building valuable food preparation skills that will last a lifetime.
3. Have a couple of ‘build it yourself recipes’
While having small hands and bodies in your kitchen may not be the most practical option for busy families, there is nothing kids like more than ‘building’ their own dinner. Whether this is a pizza with cut up pieces of cooked Tassal Atlantic smoked salmon and veggies, fish tacos or salmon burgers, again you will be surprised how much more likely kids are to eat the foods when they build their own plates from a range of healthy ingredients.
4. Don’t talk about it
Have you ever noticed that it is common for parents to insist that children finish everything on their plates, or eat all their vegetables whilst never begging them to eat their ice-cream or treats? The food behaviours parents focus on persist, which means if you are nagging kids to eat fish and veg, to maintain attention levels from parents, kids are less likely to eat the fish and veg. On the other hand, if you make a delicious plate of crumbed salmon and veggie chips, serve it in bite sized pieces with a yummy dipping sauce without saying a word other than ‘fish and chips’ for dinner, you will be surprised how much easier it is to get kids to eat the healthier meals.
5. Serve it with sauce
If you keep in mind that children, especially small children do not need a lot of food, and that fish (and veggies) are not the sweetest flavours, it is not surprising that veggies and proteins are commonly rejected. For this reason, serving your fish with a sweeter sauce, or dipping sauce, can be an easy way to boost consumption. Think sweet chilli, mayo or a little soy for a tasty way to flavour any fish based meal.
Check out our favourite kid-friendly recipes below:
Any views and opinions expressed in this blog belong solely to the original author of the opinion and can’t be attributed to the business or their blog.
This blog has been written by Susie Burrell.