Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can feed your child. It’s packed with protein omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that support growth, brain development and overall health. However, like many nutritious foods, salmon may not be at the top of your kid’s list of favorites. Its distinctive fishy taste and texture can be off-putting to some young palates.
As a parent, getting your child to eat salmon can feel like an uphill battle But with some creativity, patience, and persistence, you can make this fatty fish irresistible. Here are 13 tips to help you get your kid to eat salmon
1. Lead by Example
Kids are more likely to try foods that they see their parents enjoying Make salmon a regular part of your family’s diet and be vocal about how much you love it. Let your child see you happily eating salmon and praise its great taste Your enthusiasm and excitement will pique their interest.
2. Involve Them in Choosing and Preparing
Get your child engaged by bringing them along when buying salmon at the store. Let them help pick out fresh fillets and talk about all the delicious ways you can cook it. At home, have them assist with simple prep tasks like mixing sauces or breading fish pieces. Hands-on participation makes them more invested in trying the finished product.
3. Start with Mild-Tasting Salmon
Farmed Atlantic salmon tends to have a milder flavor and fattier flesh compared to wild salmon. The higher fat content provides a soft, buttery texture that kids find more palatable. Starting with Atlantic salmon minimizes the strong “fishy” taste that kids often dislike. Once they acquire a taste for it, you can introduce wild salmon varieties like sockeye or coho.
4. Disguise It in Fun Shapes and Forms
Cute shapes and finger foods appeal to kids’ senses of play and independence. Turn salmon into fun foods like fish sticks, fish pops (lollipops), fish cakes, salmon burgers, salmon bites or balls. Use cookie cutters to make salmon shapes like stars, hearts or dinosaurs. The novel appearances make salmon more enticing.
5. Bread, Batter and Sauce It Up
Breading, battering, sauces, and dips can mask salmon’s taste and texture, appealing to picky eaters. Coat pieces in crispy panko or cornflake crumbs. Batter it tempura-style. Offer dipping sauces like tartar, sweet chili, or teriyaki. Adding crunch and flavor boosts its kid-friendliness.
6. Sneak It Into Familiar Favorites
Get sneaky by slipping finely chopped or pureed salmon into foods your child already loves. Add it to mac and cheese, pasta sauce, pizza, rice dishes, wraps, or soups. The trick is to use just enough salmon to impart nutrients without altering the dish’s familiar flavors. This painless salmon introduction can turn them into fans.
7. Make It Colorful and Playful
A festive, playful presentation transforms mealtimes. Cut salmon into fun novelty shapes using cookie cutters or craft punches. Arrange it artfully with brightly colored veggies and sauces. Serve dips in small rammekins for dipping. Spruce it up with edible glitter or flower confetti. Your child will be eager to dive right in and sample each element.
8. Offer as a Taco or Burrito Filling
Kids love foods they can pick up and eat with their hands. Wrapping salmon in soft taco shells or tortillas gives portion control while making it tidy and portable. Plus, the corn or flour exterior conceals the fish. Top it simply with shredded cheese or go bold with colorful salsa and guacamole. Just fold and eat!
9. Cook It on a Stick
Skewering bite-size salmon chunks onto sticks appeals to kids’ primal love of spearing their food. It also lets them pick it up and eat it with their hands mess-free. Brush pieces with a glaze before cooking over a grill or under the broiler. Offer fun dipping options for the finished skewers.
10. Add Crunch with Toppers
Toppings that add delightful crunch make salmon irresistible. Coat it with crispy panko breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes, bacon bits, slivered almonds or pepitas before baking. Top cooked salmon with toasted breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts or sesame seeds. The crispy contrast makes salmon super craveable.
11. Pair with Dips and Drizzles
Serving salmon with tasty dips and drizzles ensures every bite is delicious. Offer kid-friendly dips like ketchup, ranch and sweet chili sauce for dipping. Drizzle grilled salmon with honey, maple syrup or fruit chutneys. Include a slice of lemon or lime to squirt over it. The additions mask fishy flavor and make salmon more appetizing.
12. Cook It on a Pizza
Pizza is reliably kid-pleasing, so turning it into a salmon delivery vehicle is a sure bet. Use salmon chunks instead of sausage or pepperoni. Opt for kid-friendly toppings like pineapple and sprinkle with mozzarella. The familiar crust and fun flavors make the salmon almost undetectable. Soon they’ll request salmon pizza every week!
13. Be Patient and Don’t Force It
Some kids may need to be gently exposed to salmon 10 times or more before they accept it. Don’t force them to eat it if they are truly averse after a few attempts. Continue offering it roasted, baked, grilled and in fun preparations. One day, they will surprise you by voluntarily taking a bite – and finally discover how delicious salmon can be!
With creativity, patience and persistence, you can achieve salmon success even with the pickiest eaters. Adjust the preparation to suit your child’s unique preferences. Make it fun and tasty, and one day salmon will be their most requested meal. Getting kids to eat salmon is possible, so employ these tips and see that fish fillet disappear from their plate!
If at first you don’t succeed…
Serving fish consistently every week allows your child the opportunity to establish familiarity with its taste, texture and smell. The more familiar your child is with a food the more likely they are to eat it or try it prepared 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. When you need a quick midweek meal up your sleeve, pre-prepared fish that you can pop in the microwave is a saviour. 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 a healthy twist on traditional fish and chips with cod in a Rice Krispie coating with baked sweet potato wedges. Fishcakes are also really child friendly, so keep a stash in the freezer for midweek meals.
Kids love to play with their food, and that’s ok if it means they are more likely to try new foods. 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.
Flavour exploration is so important in a child’s food journey, so adding something like grated apple to a recipe, or a sweet dipping sauce is a good way to entice them to discover new tastes. 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. So why not switch it up and swap out your meat for fish next time? These are the perfect dishes to bring the whole family together, so set out a toppings bar full of fresh cut veggies to accompany the fish, plus some saucy toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
From making the morning toast and rolling the lunchtime wraps, to having a hand in making dinner, helping to preparing tasty, good food should be part of daily life.
How to get your kids to eat Salmon
FAQ
How do I get my kid to eat salmon?
How to serve to babies Remove all the bones and cook until it’s cooked through and flaky. Offer finger-shaped, 1-2 finger-width pieces of the cooked fish. This will make it easier for baby to grab with their palm. You can also flake the cooked salmon into tiny pieces for younger babies.
How do you make salmon for picky eaters?
Coat bite-sized pieces of salmon in a homemade teriyaki sauce made from low-sodium soy sauce, a little honey or maple syrup, and a touch of garlic. Sauté the salmon in a pan until it’s glazed and tender. Serve over a bed of fluffy white or brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli or snap peas.
How to encourage children to eat oily fish?
Serving fish consistently every week allows your child the opportunity to establish familiarity with its taste, texture and smell. The more familiar your child is with a food the more likely they are to eat it or try it prepared in a different way.
How to make children like fish?
- Lead by Example. …
- Start Early. …
- Choose Mild and Kid-Friendly Options. …
- Make It Fun. …
- Experiment with Different Cooking Methods. …
- Offer Dips and Sauces. …
- Educate Them. …
- Serve Seafood in Familiar Dishes.