How Do I Feed My 2 Yo Fish???

Updated on March 18, 2012
H.1. asks from Des Moines, IA
11 answers

Hello! My husband and I do not eat fish or any seafood. But I understand the benefits and want to at least offer it to my son, who will be 2 in may. Problem is because I don't eat it and never have..I have no idea what to give him or how to prepare it!

Any suggestions what kind of fish, how to cook so he will like it? Also I'm sure many are against this but would live to hear about some if the frozen/ convenience packages type options as time is always an issue and the smell of fish is horrendous to me :/

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B.P.

answers from Cleveland on

honestly he probably wont eat it if he doesnt see his parents eat it, i am JUST NOW starting to like fish and actually crave it. its VERY good with some old bay garlic and herb seasoning and baked in the oven. cod is the best or talipia because its a mild fish and doesnt TASTE fishy, give it a try one night go and get a pound of cod and a pound of chicken, if no one likes the cod atleast you will have chicken and if everyone likes the cod well theres dinner or lunch for the next day

2 moms found this helpful

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A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

lol sorry my first thought was, "the same way you'd feed any other fish!" and "congrats on getting one to live for 2 years!" ;) sorry, i had to.

i wouldn't really recommend giving him fish now. first because if he loves it, are you willing to keep making it? and for it to be really beneFISHal it really does need to be fresh (not breaded or like fish sticks - gross!) and it sounds like that would really bother you. let him get a little older (old enough to try it, then maybe order it at restaurants or something if he likes it) before worrying about it.

he doesn't have to have fish. we are a family of 3, and i know it's already a little bit challenging cooking for only 3 at a time - don't make it harder on yourself by adding more work to the mix. he can eat what you eat. (it's not a great idea anyway, to start making him his own special meals)

4 moms found this helpful

S.B.

answers from Topeka on

The frozen kind is not going to be any less fragrant. However, there are plenty of options. You can fix tuna salad. A lot of kids like this. Get a can of tuna and mix it with a little mayo for moisture, a little salt and pepper. If your child likes pickles, mix a little pickle relish with it. This would be good in a sandwich or with crackers as a side.

There also the breaded fish, like fish sticks. Not a healthier option, but kid friendly.

Frozen fish is good. Melt some butter in a pan, place your frozen fish in the pan and cook it on both sides... kinda like you are sauteing (sp?). Cook the fish until it is flaky. Very good!

Gortons has some frozen fish that you can cook in the microwave. It's pretty good. Just be aware of how much salt and fat is added to the fish when you buy frozen items. Sometimes the fish can be loaded with not so healthy things.

2 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i read this as someone have a 2 year old fish, and couldn't figure out how it got so old if you didn't know how to feed it!
:) khairete
S.

1 mom found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

My kids have always loved tilapia, you should try it too. Not sure if I spelled it right mind you. Just sprinkle on some lemon pepper and butter. I don't think it has a particular fishy smell like some does. Def if you push it up under your nose you will know it is a fish but it isn't overpowering.

You can also just give him omega three oil pills and skip the fish altogether.

1 mom found this helpful

N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I buy trout at costco because it's affordable. Comes gutted but with the head on. When I get it home I rinse each fish under running water, then get a large knife and take the heads off. I lay the fish on a piece of tin foil and run the knife over the skin to make a few cuts then lightly salt. I'll drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle the fish, inside and out with Italian seasoning. Stuff with a couple lemon wedges then wrap tightly in the foil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.

Trout is increasingly full of bones but as an adult I don't mind picking them out. I've gotten pretty good a halving the fish after it's cooked and de-boning it with ease by taking it up by the spine.

For a toddler I'd probably stick with something less bony like a salmon filet. My five year old can handle trout now. She's very good about eating slowly and checking for bones. But yea, you may have to eat fish or he won't try it.

Last ditch effort to try and get fish into your kid. Buy fish-sticks. It's just breaded fish meat that appeals to children.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son loves fish - I hate it. He will eat sardines from a can, which is great, because I can buy them boneless, skinless, and already cooked (and not fried). I don't have to do anything but open the can. The smell is awful (to me, at least), but not unbearable. Sardines are high in omega-3s and are low on the mercury scale. Even so, we follow the experts' advice and only give him two one-once servings of fish a week, max. He thinks it's a treat!
Of course - not all kids will go for this type of fish, but it is worth a shot!
Also - please note that certain fish, including some kinds of tuna, are considered unsafe for kids because of the potentially high mercury content. There are a few articles about this on websites like www.babycenter.com. The articles also provide a list of the "safe" fish.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I second the tilapia. For my little ones I started by mashing the fish into cous cous or rice, just a small amount in really little bits. That "tests the waters" to see if your toddler will like it. If he doesn't like it right away, try again later like any other food. Tilapia is a good one because it is very mild, not "fishy." Fish sticks are not a bad option, and are often made with low-mercury fish. You can get some good ones at Trader Joe's. My kids like the Schwan's cod nuggets...(gasp, frozen AND fried...heehee, if you bake them from frozen they are not totally evil). If you do not have allergy concerns (check with your ped) you could also try shrimp. Same thing, chop it up in rice/cous cous/quinoa. Fish tacos are a favorite with my kids- season tilapia with taco seasoning, serve in hard shells or tortillas with shredded cabbage (you can get this in bags like salad kits), mayo, and mild salsa. Tasty! You can do the same thing using fish sticks for "crispy" fish tacos. I do not eat any meat other than seafood, so I cook a lot of seafood, feel free to PM me if you need more ideas :)

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

I have a niece who is a vegan, but she lets her kids eat all types of foods, especially fish. We are a family who loves to fish so we are blessed to have halibut, salmon and cod. Halibut and cod are white fish and I don't find them all that smelly. My brother in law and my ex husband smoke salmon. There hasn't yet been a kid in the family that doesn't love it.
I live on the coast of California where we have the ocean and many rivers so fish is fairly abundant for us.
I'm not sure about IA, but surely you can get fresh fish at a market.
When my kids were little, they loved kippered snacks. (They still do). They come in a can kind of like sardines but they don't have all the skin and everything on them.
Just give little bites. You can get good canned albacore tuna. If your child likes pasta, add a little fish to it.
Fish and rice is also a good combo.

Best wishes.

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S.E.

answers from Salinas on

I got a frozen bag of salmon from Costco. they were individually airtight sealed and there is no skin (I think the skin smells the most). I defrost the number of pieces I plan to make. I like to put it in cold water while it is still in the airtight bag. It says you can leave it in the fridge to defrost (i think for 5-8 hours). I usually forget and end up running water on it to defrost (takes about 20 minutes).

Here is an easy option: put a little oil in a hot frying pan. Add kosher salt and a little ground pepper to the salmon. fry each side for a min of 4 mins. Place the thick part of the fish closest to the middle so it is closest to the heat source. My 2 year old eats several types of sea food. I like more flavors (soy sauce, teriyaki), yet my kids like it with no extra flavors.

Breaded frozen fish sticks are easy (follow oven directions on box). My kids like ketchup with it.

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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

I would say Salmon is the primary protein in our home.

The most kid-friendly recipe I make and have made forever is basically an Asian inspired sauce.

In equal portions I mix:

4T Juice of one lemon
4T Dijon Mustard
4T Terriyaki Sauce or Soy Sauce
4T Olive Oil
4T Brown Sugar

Lemon Pepper

Turn your oven on a High Broil. Rinse the fish. Score it into individual size portions. Place it skin side down if you have fish with skin. Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper. Spread marinade all over the fish pieces. Place under the pre-heated broiler one rack down for 15 minutes. If you aren't experienced with the broiler, then place the fish in a hot oven, preheated to 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending upon thickness.

We eat this with rice and asparagus or broccoli fairly often.

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