Contents
- Fish, essential for the growth of children
- Fish requirements at each age
- Children’s fish needs: ANSES recommendations
- Fish: how to choose it?
- Cooking fish: the right steps to cook it
- Tips to make children love fish
- In video: Meat and fish: how to cook them well for your baby? Chef Céline de Sousa gives us her tips.
Fish, essential for the growth of children
Some nutrients are only present in fish: phosphorus (useful for the intellectual development of the child) andiodine (for hormones). It also contains good quality protein and little fat, except salmon, sardines and herring. These still bring good lipids and vitamins A and D. Finally, fish contains essential elements such as vitamin B12 and trace elements and minerals (iron, copper, sulfur and magnesium).
Fish requirements at each age
From 6-7 months. Fish, like meat and eggs, is introduced at the time of food diversification, generally after having introduced the baby to vegetable purees and fruit compotes. Prefer white fish fillets. Depending on your financial means, choose julienne, cod, sea bass or hake. On the cooking side, opt for the papillotes, steamed, and always mixed. Give him the fish and the vegetables separately to educate him about the flavors, but also because the little ones don’t like mixtures. And of course, watch out for the edges! Side quantities: between 6 and 8 months, the toddler needs 10 g of protein per day (2 teaspoons), between 9 and 12 months, 20 g and between 1 and 2 years, 25 g.
Children’s fish needs: ANSES recommendations
ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) recommends that young children under 30 months old take special precautions:
For example, to avoid, as a precaution, to consume the most contaminated fish such as sharks, lampreys, swordfish, marlin (close to swordfish) and sikis (variety of shark). Also, she advises limiting the consumption of fish likely to be highly contaminated to 60 g per week for children under 30 months.
From 2 to 3 years old. Count 30 g (6 teaspoons) twice a week. Prefer steaming to preserve the flavor of the fillets, in small pieces or mixed. Cook them, for example, in brandade with potatoes and carrots, in foil with broccoli. You can start feeding him oily fish like salmon or tuna every now and then. Add a drizzle of oil or butter, lemon …
From 3 years. Serve him one serving (the equivalent of a 60 to 80 g fillet) twice a week. Change as many varieties as possible, favoring those that have no edges (or easy to remove). If he only wants breaded fish, try to do it yourself: it will always be less fatty. For ready-made breadcrumbs, prefer baking in the oven rather than in the pan and look at the labels. The breadcrumbs can represent from 0,7 g to 14 g per 100 g, and as many poor quality fats!
Fish: how to choose it?
For fish, we prefer the parts which are located in the back or in the tail, because they are guaranteed without bones.
Cooking fish: the right steps to cook it
For babies and young children, it is best to cook the fish medium. So no raw fish! For healthy cooking, avoid grilled foods, caramelization and fried foods.
Tips to make children love fish
Children can be sickened by the look and smell of fish. Here are some ideas to work around the problem:
- Play on colours (broccoli, herbs, diced tomatoes …)
- Mix it up with starchy foods (salmon with pasta and a little crème fraîche) or as a gratin.
- En Sweety salty : with an orange sauce, for example.
- En cake or terrine with a tomato coulis.
- En s with potatoes and herbs.
- En pastry, blended with cream cheese and butter.