Tips for introducing kids to seafood - Red Lobster - Media Kit

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Media Kit

Tips for introducing kids to seafood

courtesy Red Lobster

Scientists say fish is an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.  But how can you help your kids enjoy fish?  Red Lobster offers these helpful tips for getting kids excited about seafood:

For Children 3-9

  • Make eating seafood fun!  Dishes like crab legs or shrimp can offer kids a new experience in dining.  If appropriate, allow your child to try to “crack" the crab leg, then carefully remove the meat in bite-sized pieces for young children.  Remove the tails from shrimp before offering them to young children.
  • Add cut-up or minced seafood to familiar favorites such as macaroni & cheese or pasta & sauce.
  • Serve seafood in bite-sized pieces that can be easily picked up by little fingers.
  • Many young palates prefer food prepared with a minimum of seasoning. This helps children discover the natural flavor of the seafood served.
  • Grill small pieces of fish on a skewer & HELP children carefully remove it from the skewer-just as Mom and Dad do.
  • Always choose boneless fish for young children. 
  • If your child does not accept the seafood that’s fine.  Try it again in a week or two.  Many times children will accept a new food if it’s offered on more than one eating occasion.

For “Tweens” – Children 10 and over

Kids in this age group are more adventurous and have grown up with flavors like kiwi and mango. Furthermore, kids at this age want to have food that looks like what Mom and Dad are having.

  •  Mix popular sweet and savory tastes by offering zesty cocktail sauce, or garlic herb seasoning on seafood, and sweet & sour or teriyaki sauce.
  • Appeal to older kids’ sense of adventure by offering new sauce sensations such as mango chutney sauce. Often kids will try new things quicker than their parents will!
  • Introduce seafood to dishes such as tacos.  Grill a mild flavored fish such as tilapia and put it in a taco or a soft-shell tortilla.  Garnish it with cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce and salsa.  Fish tacos are all the rage in culinary circles.
  • Jazz up those scrambled eggs for Sunday brunch with grilled salmon.  Add your favorite vegetables and spices – try sliced mushrooms, chopped onion and black pepper.
  • Sushi is gaining growing popularity across America – especially with kids.  Try California rolls, which feature cooked crab.  Kids may not be ready for raw fish, but they’ll get to look just like their sushi-loving parents.
  • If your kids are into the smokey flavor that bacon gives to hamburgers and sandwiches, they’ll love smoked salmon.  It gives you all of the flavor – but less fat. 
  • Older kids may also enjoy Salmon jerky, quickly gaining popularity as an easy, quick snack while on the run.

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