My Kids Won’t Eat Fish!

 by Sylvia Geiger MS, RD, CD, Price Chopper Community Nutritionist  As a Price Chopper community nutritionist, one comment I hear all the time is, “My kids won’t eat fish!” This complaint, often from fish-loving parents, is one I can relate to.   For years, every time I served fish my children complained, curled their noses, and simply pushed the fish around their plates without taking a bite. Despite their resistance, I was determined to win my kids over and get them to love fish.  Why was I so determined? Fish have lean protein that’s low in calories and tastes great. Plus, fish dishes are heart healthy because they have hardly any saturated fat (the kind you want to limit in your diet).   Also, cold water fish like tuna, trout or salmon contain omega-3 fats which provide additional heart health benefits.  Fortunately, my family now enjoys fish and we have it around twice a week.  Here are some tips that worked for me to turn my kids from fish-phobic to fish fanatics:

1. Don’t get discouraged and keep trying. Children, even many adults, often need to try a new food many times before they acquire a taste for it. Make sure you don’t give up too quickly!
2. Enjoy and relish your fish in front of them. Children learn by example, so if you visibly enjoy your meal, chances are they will want to try it themselves at some point.
3. Adapt foods they already like to include fish.  Fish Tacos worked in my house. This was a good meal because the kids were able to control how much fish they ate. Soon my children realized fish tasted good and I was able to branch out to other fish recipes. Corn Chowder with Fish was a hit!
4. Learn how shop and prepare fish.  See the Price Chopper seafood guide for everything you need to know about buying fish and seafood.

Here’s our Healthy Meal of the Week: [slideshow] (All main ingredients are on sale! NuVal scores are in parentheses following the item) 

• Easy Sauteed Fish Fillets (Haddock 81) or Baked Cod Casserole  (Cod 81) 
• Steamed Green Beans (100) or Broccoli Crowns (100)—have some extra time? Try this recipe for Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
• Instant Brown Rice (82)
• Fresh cut fruit assortment: Mangos (93) Green grapes (91), Jumbo Navel Oranges (100).  Do you feel adventurous?  Then give this recipe Broiled Mango a try!

Enjoy your family fish meal this week!