{"id":6966,"date":"2019-04-02T21:33:04","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T01:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eatrightpa.org\/?p=6966"},"modified":"2021-10-30T03:37:44","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T03:37:44","slug":"help-kids-say-hello-to-more-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/2019\/04\/02\/help-kids-say-hello-to-more-fish\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Kids Say Hello to More Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN<\/p>\n

Chicken nuggets, pizza, hot dogs- we\u2019ve all heard the top favorite foods of many kids.\u00a0 I can\u2019t say though that I\u2019ve heard fish mentioned too often as a favorite in my career as a dietitian.\u00a0 While we can\u2019t deny that fish offers so many benefits to our families, it can be a tough hurdle to get the fish habit started in your family.\u00a0 With the Lenten season upon us, it\u2019s a great time to try some creative approaches to increase your family\u2019s comfort with fish.<\/p>\n

Start With A Friendly Option<\/h3>\n

Laura Ali, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Manager, Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs for StarKist is an expert when it comes to ways to add more fish to menus.<\/p>\n

Laura advises to include fun as the number one ingredient in a family fish meal. (Well, maybe ingredient number two after the fish.)\u00a0 Laura suggested, \u201cTry making different shapes out of a tuna fish sandwich or use fish shaped bread. Make it fun by giving the food a silly name like Seamonster Spaghetti.” One popular recipe Starkist has designed for kids with fun in mind is Choo Choo Pasta<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Increase the Omega\u2019s<\/h3>\n

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to the growth and development of kids.\u00a0 Wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and trout are some of the highest sources of omega 3\u2019s.\u00a0 For these fish with a stronger flavor, it may be smart to try incorporating them into favorite recipes.\u00a0 Laura shared, \u201cYou can add tuna to something children may already be familiar with like Sloppy Joe sauce (aka our Sloppy Charlie\u2019s<\/a>) or mixing it with Ranch dressing, Barbeque sauce or another flavor that they love.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cover the Basics<\/h3>\n

Deanna Segrave-Daly, RDN, owner of Teaspoon of Spice Communications<\/a>, always starts the fish conversation by helping others feel comfortable preparing it. \u201cI try to take the stigma out of it by reminding parents that fish is often quicker to cook than meat or chicken! I usually encourage people to start with a basic white fish, season with your favorite spices and either oven-bake or saut\u00e9 in a pan. Add it to what your family usually likes to eat like tacos, pasta, rice or in a hamburger bun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deanna\u2019s top tips for those who don\u2019t like seafood \u2013 or as Deanna says, \u201cthink they don\u2019t like it\u201d are:<\/p>\n