Proven Tips to Boost Seafood Intake for Picky Little Eaters by Ashleigh Feltham Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist

Do you find it a struggle to get your kids to eat seafood? The Australian Social Data Archive reports that 40-50% of children are not getting enough omega-3 fats required for health. Seafood is a major source of this essential polyunsaturated fat.

Including seafood in your child’s diet brings them many health benefits, including supported brain development and function, heart health, a complete protein for lean muscle mass and a matrix of vitamins and minerals to keep your child’s body functioning optimally.

Seafood is a great source of essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. These fats are essential because the body does not produce them – they must form part of your diet. Omega-3 from seafood is made up of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the latter of which is the main type the brain needs. Read more about omega-3.

If you are struggling to get your child to eat seafood, try the strategies below.

Lead by Example

Did you know that based on the National Dietary Survey, only one in four Australians are meeting the recommended serves of seafood a week for good health? The recommendation is to include 100g of seafood two to three times every week.

A good place to start is to lead by example. If your child sees you eating seafood, and it is included as part of the family menu each week, your child is more likely to follow your example.

Encourage Them to Decide

Giving your kids autonomy over the type of seafood meals to enjoy can help increase the likelihood that they will eat the meal. Allow your children to help prepare these meals. Teach them the healthy plate model, and challenge them to choose a meal that fits into it. A helpful reminder could be a drawing or print out of what a healthy plate model looks like and sticking this on the fridge.

A healthy plate model is structured as follows.

• Half of the plate is filled with produce. This is most likely to be vegetables for lunch and dinner and fruit or vegetables for breakfast.
• One quarter of the plate is filled with a lean protein source, such as a small can of tuna or salmon for the essential omega-3.
• The final component consists of a source of wholegrains, such as brown, black or red rice, oats, wholegrain pasta, quinoa, wholegrain bread, wholegrain couscous or wholegrain crackers.

Meal presentation is another opportunity for your child’s input. Their creative involvement will also increase the likelihood of them eating their omega-3-rich meal.

Use Long-Life Options

Seafood has come a long way from fresh or frozen. Quality, nutritious, long-life options are now easily available. As well as cans, seafood is also available in sachets. Try to choose quality, ethically caught and sustainable seafood products for better health and care for the planet.

Long-life seafood also offers convenience, removing the steps of preparing and cooking seafood. The aroma of cooking seafood may not be to your child’s liking.

Take home message

If your child resists eating seafood, try the tips above. The health benefits of including seafood, particularly for their omega-3s, are extensive, and well worth the effort to include in your child’s diet.

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