Kids can be incredibly picky — and brutally honest — when it comes to what’s on their dinner plate. In many cases, if it’s not pale white or shaped like a dino, they don’t want any part of it. We get it. But with so many wonderful health benefits to eating a wide range of colors, textures, and food groups, there are tons of reasons why you should try and get your kids to try seafood.
Ahead, we’re covering six helpful tips to help encourage your kids to give it a go:
Try something familiar.
Trying a brand-new dish can be overwhelming for some kiddos — and that’s normal. By adding a familiar element, you take away some of that scariness. Incorporate prawns into your child’s favorite fettuccine meal, or pair a piece of fish with their very favorite sweet potato recipe. Getting a little creative can go a long way.
Use expressive words.
Avoid using overly simple phrases like, “Is it yummy?” Try using more specific words, like “This is salmon, it’s flaky and pink.” Or: “These are shrimp, they are buttery and small,” and “This is Alaskan king crab, one of the biggest crabs in the whole sea!”
Don’t force it.
The last thing you want to do is ignite your child’s inner rebel — and the more you push or bargain with them over eating seafood, the harder they will resist. If your child is refusing to try the seafood, don’t make it a huge ordeal — just keep introducing new foods to their dinner plates. As they watch you eat and enjoy your meals, curiosity may just get the better of them.
Change up the preparations.
If your child has loudly proclaimed that they “will never eat seafood again,” try switching up your preparation so that it appears new. For example, maybe your shrimp salad wasn’t a huge hit, but when they appear in shrimp tacos, suddenly it’s an exciting dish.
Add different seasonings.
Help your child warm up to the idea of a new seafood dish by adding a marinade or seasoning that they’ve loved in the past. Auntie Nono’s Everything Seasoning is kid-loved and kid-approved — plus it goes with anything and everything!
Make it fun!
Above all, make trying new dishes an adventure for your kids! Talk to them about where the fish and king crab come from, and let them tell you their favorite things about the ocean. By exposing your kiddo to new flavors, you’re introducing them to a lifelong appreciation for delicious, high-quality food.
Ready to give it a whirl?
