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We’ve all heard that fish is one of the healthiest things to feed our kids. It’s low in fat and calories, and packed with omega 3 fatty acids. Most fish is especially high in the compound DHA, which is so important to growing brains. A diet that includes seafood at least twice a week is ideal. But then getting our kids to eat fish is another story. It is something that I find a challenge with my own kids.
Introducing the taste of fish early on is one way to get kids to be more open to eating seafood. After a number of exposures to a food, kids may gradually come to accept it, so if they don’t like it at first, try and try again. And while it is sometimes hard to get toddlers to try new things, I have found that the repeated attempts with no pressure have finally started to work with my older son. I have been offering sushi to him (with cooked fish) since he was about a year and a half, and finally after about a year, he decided that sushi rolls were the bee’s knees. Seeing this process work in practice, I am determined to try to get my younger son started earlier with fish and seafood.
So my seafood dinners have become considerably simpler and more family friendly. Easy weeknight dishes like Cod with Herbed Lemon Sauce or Teriyaki Salmon have become the way to go. Kids seem to love all kinds of dipping sauces for their food, so if it gets them to eat foods they might not otherwise try, I say go for it.
Plus, during the last few weeks of the Lenten season, if you have given up meat on Fridays, you and your family might be looking for some new and different ways to cook fish. Family friendly staples like fish sticks and tuna noodle casserole are all well and good, but you may be looking for something a little lighter.
I remember my Catholic grandfather serving fish every Friday, not just during Lent as is practiced by nowadays. When we visited during summertime, it would be a fish fry of Walleye and Perch at his Lake Erie campground. We kids would scarf down that fish like there was no tomorrow.
Thinking of the way my grandfather would fry up his fish breaded in cornflake crumbs, I was inspired to create a new, somewhat healthier cod dish this past week. We had some leftover cornbread from another meal. So I simply laid out the cod on a sheet pan (a cookie tray with sides), sprinkled some chopped herbs over it, and then crumbled the cornbread on top. Topped with a little butter and placed in the oven to bake until the cod was opaque, this was a dish even the baby could appreciate.
Cod is pretty easy to find at most fish counters, but you can substitute any mild white fish, such as sole, flounder, or sea bass in this easy dish. If you prefer the fish to be fully breaded, simply use a Ziploc bag to shake it and coat it evenly. Accompanied by some sweet potato fries, which can be baked at the same time, it makes a complete meal. So maybe not your Irish grandmother’s fish and chips, but something that could be enjoyed even by finicky kids.
What are some of your favorite ways to get your kids to eat fish?
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A New Twist On Fish And Chips
We’ve all heard that fish is one of the healthiest things to feed our kids. It’s low in fat and calories, and packed with omega 3 fatty acids. Most fish is especially high in the compound DHA, which is so important to growing brains. A diet that includes seafood at least twice a week is ideal. But then getting our kids to eat fish is another story. It is something that I find a challenge with my own kids.
Introducing the taste of fish early on is one way to get kids to be more open to eating seafood. After a number of exposures to a food, kids may gradually come to accept it, so if they don’t like it at first, try and try again. And while it is sometimes hard to get toddlers to try new things, I have found that the repeated attempts with no pressure have finally started to work with my older son. I have been offering sushi to him (with cooked fish) since he was about a year and a half, and finally after about a year, he decided that sushi rolls were the bee’s knees. Seeing this process work in practice, I am determined to try to get my younger son started earlier with fish and seafood.
So my seafood dinners have become considerably simpler and more family friendly. Easy weeknight dishes like Cod with Herbed Lemon Sauce or Teriyaki Salmon have become the way to go. Kids seem to love all kinds of dipping sauces for their food, so if it gets them to eat foods they might not otherwise try, I say go for it.
Plus, during the last few weeks of the Lenten season, if you have given up meat on Fridays, you and your family might be looking for some new and different ways to cook fish. Family friendly staples like fish sticks and tuna noodle casserole are all well and good, but you may be looking for something a little lighter.
I remember my Catholic grandfather serving fish every Friday, not just during Lent as is practiced by nowadays. When we visited during summertime, it would be a fish fry of Walleye and Perch at his Lake Erie campground. We kids would scarf down that fish like there was no tomorrow.
Thinking of the way my grandfather would fry up his fish breaded in cornflake crumbs, I was inspired to create a new, somewhat healthier cod dish this past week. We had some leftover cornbread from another meal. So I simply laid out the cod on a sheet pan (a cookie tray with sides), sprinkled some chopped herbs over it, and then crumbled the cornbread on top. Topped with a little butter and placed in the oven to bake until the cod was opaque, this was a dish even the baby could appreciate.
Cod is pretty easy to find at most fish counters, but you can substitute any mild white fish, such as sole, flounder, or sea bass in this easy dish. If you prefer the fish to be fully breaded, simply use a Ziploc bag to shake it and coat it evenly. Accompanied by some sweet potato fries, which can be baked at the same time, it makes a complete meal. So maybe not your Irish grandmother’s fish and chips, but something that could be enjoyed even by finicky kids.
What are some of your favorite ways to get your kids to eat fish?
Serves/Makes: 4
- 4 (6 ounce size) cod fillets
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or oregano
- 1 cup crumbled cornbread
- 2 tablespoons cold stick butter
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- lemon wedges for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the cod in a single layer in a greased baking dish.
Combine the herbs and cornbread crumbs and mix well. Top the fish fillets evenly with the cornbread mixture.
Cut the butter into tiny bits and sprinkle over the cornbread.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until the cornbread topping is lightly browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Drizzle the fish with the lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1145-kids-eating-fish/