Hi
A few questions we get asked all the time are, “How often should my children be eating fish?” (The answer? The USDA says twice a week - just like the rest of us!) And, “How do you raise your kids to eat fish?” (Not such a simple response!)
And while we would never claim to be doing it perfectly, it would be fair to say that at Real Good Fish, we have a particularly vested interest in kids' nutrition. We're parents of three children, we're running a seafood business, and one of us (Jenn) has a background in nutrition. But even with all of that aside, we know just how important kids' meals are to their caregivers, and how challenging it can be to feel like you're "getting it right."
How are we making sure our kids are eating great, healthy, varied foods? How are we ensuring our kids grow up with an interest in good ingredients and a great relationship with all that nourishes them? How can we make sure we're giving our children the nutrients they need to grow and develop? We're the first to admit that it's no small task!
That said, we do feel like it's a task worth undertaking. The recommendation for children over the age of two is to consume seafood twice a week, because the benefits are immense. Offering up a variety of nutrients - like omega-3 fatty acids, protein and iron, among others - seafood can be an essential element to our kids' development. Contributing to cognitive function, growth, development, memory and even behavior and attentions span - getting great quality seafood into our kids is a must. (We have a full article on the benefits of eating seafood right here, if you’re interested.)
And in our humble opinion, the easiest way to make all that happen is to get our kids involved in the kitchen! Here's how we make it happen in our family ...
We keep things fun and exciting.
Luca’s favorite thing about catching and cooking fish is when we cook the whole fish and he “gets” to eat the eyeball. (Truly!) There is a tradition in Asian culture where the eldest is able to eat the eyeball, which is considered a delicacy. He loves them so much that we are always more than happy for him to get them all ... !
We bring them into the cooking experience.
Whether it's using age-appropriate utensils to chop or stir, they're always excited to get involved. Allowing them to taste along the way and give "feedback" is also a great way to get them feeling ownership over their meals by the time it reaches their plates.
We give our kids options.
We will often show our kids the various ways fish can be cooked, and let them choose. Then, they are given the job of watching the thermometer to know when it gets to the right temperature. It's taken very seriously!
We eat together.
Of course, it's not always possible with busy schedules, but if we can, we choose to sit and eat together. When our kids see us eating the same meals as them, and enjoying the delicious, fresh fish we put on our plates, they're inclined to enjoy it too.
We keep a list of favorite recipes!
The latest favorites in our house are Miso Marinated Black Cod and anything with Smoked Salmon, which disappears as soon as it enters the house!
We take them fishing.
While we acknowledge it's definitely not an option for everyone, as a fishing-obsessed family, we also take our kids fishing! Luca loves it so much. In fact, he’s the one who wakes us up on the days we plan to go fishing. He is a keen fisherman and has been catching all kinds of mackerel and sand dabs, with an occasional rockfish. He also knows how to identify a male Dungeness Crab (the ones you can keep) - usually with a lot of enthusiasm! We have also just started getting our two-year-old twins out there and they are loving it as well.
However you engage your kids in the kitchen, we hope you have fun. After all, making memories and enjoying the beauty of what our oceans have to offer is what we're all about!
We’d love to hear how you get your family involved in the kitchen and in the enjoyment of all our ocean has to offer.
With gratitude,
Alan and Jenn
