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As parents, we know salmon is an incredibly healthy and nutritious food for our children Loaded with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, salmon supports growing bodies in numerous ways However, its distinct flavor and texture often deters picky eaters.
Getting your child to eat this superfood fish can feel daunting, but it’s not impossible! With some creativity patience and persistence, you can transform salmon into a dish your child will genuinely enjoy.
Here are 13 tips for making salmon appealing and delicious for even the pickiest eater:
1. Disguise It in Their Favorite Foods
Instead of serving plain salmon, try sneaking it into dishes your child already loves, like mac and cheese, pasta, or rice. Dice or shred the salmon into small pieces and mix it into the sauce or grains Your child likely won’t even notice the extra protein!
2. Get Creative with Shapes and Sizes
Kids love food they can pick up with their hands. Use cookie cutters to cut the salmon into fun shapes, or make salmon balls, patties, or nuggets that are small enough to eat. The smaller, uniform pieces are less intimidating.
3. Add a Crispy Coating
The texture of plain salmon can be off-putting. Adding a crispy, crunchy coating makes it more appealing. Coat pieces of salmon in panko breadcrumbs, crushed tortilla chips, or potato flakes before baking.
4. Offer a Tasty Dipping Sauce
Dipping always makes eating more fun! Offer ranch, tartar sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or your child’s favorite condiment for dunking bite-sized pieces of salmon.
5. Make Skewers
Thread chunks of salmon and veggies onto skewers for a fun finger food. The colors and variety will entice your child to try the salmon.
6. Involve Them in the Cooking
Kids are more likely to try foods they help make. Let your child season or decorate the salmon, choose a sauce, or assemble skewers. They’ll be excited to sample their own creation.
7. Focus on Flavor
Boost salmon’s flavor with ingredients your child enjoys – honey, teriyaki, bacon, pesto or other bold sauces. The stronger seasonings can mask the fishy taste.
8. Combine with Crunchy Toppings
Add contrasting textures by topping salmon with chopped nuts, crispy breadcrumbs, or toasted coconut flakes. The crunch makes it more interesting.
9. Pair with Familiar Sides
Serve salmon with your child’s favorite veggies, rice, pasta or bread. Familiar flavors and textures help balance the new food.
10. Make Salmon Potato Cakes
Shred salmon and mix it into mashed potatoes along with eggs, breadcrumbs and spices. Then pan-fry into crisp, delicious salmon cakes.
11. Stuff it Into Tortillas
For a fun finger food, break salmon into chunks and serve in mini tortillas or lettuce wraps with cheese, salsa, guacamole, or hummus.
12. Add to Soups
Hide pureed or finely chopped salmon in the brothy base of soups and stews loaded with veggies and beans or grains.
13. Serve on Pizza
Top kid-friendly pizza with bite-sized pieces of salmon along with their favorite veggies or cheeses. The familiar flavors will make the salmon seem less foreign.
Be Patient and Persistent
Introducing new foods requires time, creativity and patience. Children may need to see and smell salmon 10-15 times before they may be willing to taste it.
Don’t give up if your child rejects salmon the first few tries. Continue experimenting with different preparations and positive encouragement. With persistence, they will eventually acquire a taste for this healthy fish.
Making salmon fun, familiar and delicious for picky eaters is possible with a little ingenuity. Arm yourself with plenty of tricks and recipes to help your child learn to enjoy salmon. Their tastebuds and health will thank you!
What creative ways have you found to make healthy foods more appealing for your picky eater? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
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If at first you don’t succeed…
By giving your child fish every week, you can help them get used to the way it tastes, feels, and smells. If your child is used to a food, they are more likely to try it or try it cooked in a different way. It can take children up to 15 attempts to accept a new food, so patience is a virtue!.
Saving time doesn’t have to mean compromising on goodness. Pre-cooked fish that you can just pop in the microwave is great for when you need a quick meal during the week. Check out my 5 Veggie Rainbow Rice using pre-prepared cod steaks in a butter sauce. Add a rainbow of veggies, and voila! A family pleaser in under 15 minutes.
When first introducing fish, try a milder type. Cod, salmon and plaice are great choices. I love to serve cod coated in Rice Krispie treats with baked sweet potato wedges as a healthy take on fish and chips. Fishcakes are also really child friendly, so keep a stash in the freezer for midweek meals.
If kids like to play with their food, that’s great. It makes them more likely to try new things. Using fish as your meal centre, look at what you can serve it with to feed little imaginations. Pop colourful veggies into separate bowls and challenge them to make their own work of art. Deep Sea Flipper Dinner is a great idea for some underwater dinner fun!.
Sometimes adding a slight sweetness to fish can make it even more appealing to children.
Exploring new tastes is a big part of a child’s food journey. To get them to try new things, you can add grated apple to a recipe or a sweet dipping sauce. This is one of my favourite recipes trending right now – Popcorn Scampi with Fruity Curry Dipping Sauce.
Kids love a bit of DIY dining…building tacos, fajitas, pizzas. Change things up next time and have fish instead of meat. These are great meals for the whole family to share, so put out a toppings bar with fresh vegetables and saucy toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa to go with the fish.
Helping to make tasty, good food should be a daily habit, from making toast in the morning to rolling wraps for lunch to helping to make dinner.
How to get your kids to eat Salmon
FAQ
How often should kids eat salmon?
What kind of fish do kids like to eat?
How do you get kids to eat salmon?
A simple creamy pasta dish made with salmon, frozen peas and cream. A great way to encourage get kids to eat fish and ready in just 15 minutes. The perfect mid-week family meal. Salmon is one of those foods that I am always trying to get my kids to eat.
How can I prepare fish for kids?
This is really dependent on the personal preference of your children. Some children will eat fish the same way adults do for others you may need to make this more interesting by creating things like homemade fishcakes, fish burger patties, fish balls or by adding this to toast or even pasta. Involving your children in the preparation and cooking process can also encourage them to consume the fish.
Do kids like salmon?
Do your kids like salmon? It tastes a little more “fishy” than white fish, so some kids may not take to it right away. But it’s such a healthy alternative to meat! These salmon recipes all have three things going for them: they’re easy to make (good for you!) flavors kids like (good for them!) healthy and delicious (good for all of us!)
What can kids eat with salmon Nuggets?
Serve the crispy salmon nuggets alongside the delicious sweet potato fries. You can pair this dish with your kids’ favorite dipping sauces, such as ketchup, tartar sauce, or honey mustard. Watch as your little ones devour these healthier homemade versions of classic kid favorites.