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How To Introduce Shellfish and Fish To Your Baby - First Feedings

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Shellfish and fish are two of the most common allergies in adults and children. Though they tend to affect more adults than children, for those who develop it in childhood, it is considered a lifelong allergy and most will not outgrow it.

Shrimp is considered the most common shellfish allergy, while alternatively cod, salmon and tuna are the most common allergies in finned fish.

As with other allergies, a shellfish or fish allergy can be severe, but thanks to landmark clinical studies, we now know that introducing babies to these allergens early and consistently, before they turn one, is essential.

When To Introduce Shellfish and Fish To Baby

Shellfish and fish in a safely prepared format may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, along with most other allergenic foods, around 4-6 months of age according to the 2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that "within a few months of starting solid foods, your baby’s daily diet should include a variety of foods each day that may include...fish."

Introducing shellfish and fish early and often is essential in helping to prevent this allergy and reduce stress later in life.

How To Introduce Shellfish and Fish to Baby

When introducing any fish or shellfish meal to your little ones, it is essential to make sure it is fully cooked and always checked for bones or bits of shells. Toddlers should never eat raw or undercooked fish or shellfish. Furthermore, the rubbery texture of shellfish can be difficult for children to break down, and should be fed in a safe format.

Not only are fish and shellfish a common allergen, but they also have a unique flavor and chewy, slippery texture that your child will have to become adjusted to.

Is your baby ready for their first taste? Here are three of our favorite ways to introduce shellfish and fish to your baby for the first time:

Homemade Recipes

You can offer thinly sliced or minced cooked shrimp or fish to children alone or alongside other foods. For shellfish, remove the tail and shell first. As they age and become comfortable with chewing and eating other finger foods, you can serve whole shrimp or prawns to eat as finger food or on a fork.

Early Allergen Introduction Powder

Food allergen introduction powder, like SpoonfulONE’s Mix-ins, is an easy and safe way to introduce your little one to shellfish, fish, and other allergenic foods starting as early as 4 months. These powders can easily be added to breastmilk or formula and bottle-fed, or even mixed into purees, applesauce, or oatmeal.

Early Allergen Puffs

As your child ages, you can transition from allergen powders to more solid Puffs. SpoonfulONE Puffs are a nutritious baby snack designed to easily dissolve with saliva and are the perfect finger foods for growing infants. A perfect on-the-go snack that includes the 16 foods most commonly associated with over 90% of food allergies*, Puffs are recommended for babies at least 6+ months or older. If you are wanting to add more savory flavors to your little one's growing palate, try Crunchy Puffs, a delicious puff snack with three yummy savory flavors.

What’s The Difference Between Fish and Shellfish

There are two types of shellfish:

Crustaceans, like crawfish, crab, lobster, and shrimp; and
Mollusks, like clams, mussels, or scallops.

Though crustacean allergies are more common, babies with any shellfish allergy are more likely to experience reactions to other shellfish.

Fish families include types such as salmon, tuna, catfish and cod. Due to high mercury levels, the FDA recommends avoiding introducing shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish to your little ones. Instead, fish types including salmon, cod, shrimp or canned light tuna are best.

Shellfish allergies have a higher prevalence in children, affecting up to 1.3% of children, while fish allergies affect .6% of the population. An allergy to shellfish does not necessarily mean your child will also develop an allergy to finned fish, as they are not closely related.

Why SpoonfulONE’s Mix-ins for Early Allergen Introduction

At SpoonfulONE, it’s our mission to create a safer and more convenient way to introduce children to shellfish, fish, and other food allergens early and consistently. This comprehensive system of delicious baby snacks is designed to be given to your baby starting as early as 4+ months.

Safety -We used landmark research like LEAP and EAT to inspire our science, but we didn’t stop there. Our founder, Dr. Kari Nadeau, the Director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, invested in and conducted her own proprietary research. This research showed that the diverse mix of ingredients in SpoonfulONE, precisely portioned to ensure safety, helped increase IgG4 (protective antibodies) in children after feeding SpoonfulONE for a year.

Comprehensive - The most complete early allergen introduction* program, SpoonfulONE includes the 16 foods responsible for over 90% of food allergies. Each packet contains a gentle amount of peanuts, milk, shellfish (shrimp), tree nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts), egg, fish (cod and salmon), grains (oats and wheat), soy, and sesame.

Convenience - When you introduce a multi-allergen routine to your infant, the preparation of each ingredient every day can take up a ton of time. SpoonfulONE helps give you your time back. Our system helps eliminate the fear, confusion, and guesswork out of introducing new foods to babies.

The Bottom Line: Although very important, shellfish and fish are just two of the 9 food groups associated with over 90% of food allergies. Unlike other products on the market that only cover peanuts, milk, or eggs, SpoonfulONE is a comprehensive and revolutionary approach to early allergen introduction.

When babies can eat fish and shellfish: Giving babies salmon, crab, shrimp, and more

Fish, including shellfish, can be a healthy part of your child's diet soon after they begin to eat solid foods, usually around 6 months old. Because both are common allergens, it's best to wait until your baby has tried a few other low allergy foods and has had no reactions (like baby cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables) before introducing fish or shellfish.

Fish is a good early food because it's full of important nutrients, including protein and fatty acids. But it's best to avoid some types of fish because they can contain unsafe levels of mercury, which in high doses can be harmful to children.

Is fish healthy for babies?

Fish can have an important role in a balanced diet – it's full of nutrients that are crucial for a child’s health and development.

Fish is a healthy source of protein and lipids (fats). Lipids serve as an energy source, provide padding for vital organs and protection from temperature extremes, and allow absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain development, vision and eye formation, the immune system, and a healthy heart. Fish can be a source of vitamins D, E, B1, B3, B6, and B12; it also contains calcium, iron, and fluoride.

What kind of fish is best for babies?

Certain types of fish contain high levels of methylmercury, a metal believed to be harmful in high doses to a child's developing brain and nervous system. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a list of which types of fish are best to give children, based on the fish's mercury level. Experts recommend children 1 to 3 years old get two to three 1-ounce servings of the "best fish" each week, and just one serving of "good fish'' each week.

For example, salmon is considered "best" and can be given to your baby multiple times a week, since it has very low levels of mercury. Canned tuna, a "good" option, is best limited to once a week because of its potential mercury content. And don't give your baby large fish, like swordfish, at all, since they are higher in mercury.

The best fish to give your baby:

Catfish
Cod
Crab
Haddock
Salmon
Sardine
Scallops
Shrimp
Tilapia
Whitefish

Good fish:

Albacore tuna (used in canned tuna)
Carp
Halibut
Mahi mahi
Snapper

Fish to avoid:

Bigeye tuna
King mackerel
Marlin
Orange roughy
Tilefish
Shark
Swordfish

Visit the FDA's website for the full list of the best fish, good fish, and fish to avoid giving to children.

When can babies eat sushi?

Only give your baby sushi made with fully cooked fish. Raw or undercooked fish in sushi may be a source of bacteria or toxins, although it's uncommon that they cause illness in children.

It's also best to avoid sushi made with types of fish that can have high mercury content, regardless of whether or not it's cooked.

Sushi is typically wrapped in seaweed, which is likely going to be too tough for your baby to chew well and could pose a choking hazard. If you feed your baby sushi, consider taking out the seaweed or cutting the sushi into very small pieces so your baby can eat it more easily.

In places like Japan, where sushi is a commonly eaten food, parents often wait until their child is 2 to 3 years old to give them sushi with raw fish, though some wait until their child is 5.

Can babies be allergic to fish?

Both fish and shellfish are among the most common foods people are allergic to. While babies often grow out of food allergies as they age, it's less common for fish or shellfish allergies to go away. Seafood allergies are also more likely to cause severe reactions than other food allergies.

Fish and shellfish are different categories of allergens – so if a baby is allergic to fish, they might not be allergic to shellfish and vice versa. It is possible to be allergic to both fish and shellfish, though. The same goes for different types of fish: Being allergic to one type (say, salmon) doesn't necessarily mean a baby will be allergic to another (like tuna), though it's possible to be allergic to all kinds of fish.

When introducing a potentially allergenic food, experts recommend giving it to your baby at home, rather than at daycare or a restaurant. As with any new food, serve it for three to five days before offering another new food. That way you can monitor your baby for a reaction and know what's likely causing it.

Signs of a food allergy include hives, itchy skin rashes, swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and pale skin. If you notice any of these symptoms in your baby, let their doctor know. If your baby has symptoms that involve multiple parts of the body (such as hives with vomiting or diarrhea), it could be an anaphylactic reaction and you should immediately call 911.

Other signs of an anaphylactic reaction are throat tightness, breathing problems, wheezing, lightheadedness, and loss of consciousness. If your baby shows signs of an anaphylactic reaction after eating fish, call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately.

How to serve fish to your baby

When preparing fish for your baby, remove all the skin and any bones (including very small ones inside the meat), and puree or mince it into small pieces to prevent choking. Once your baby shows signs of readiness for finger foods (between 8 and 10 months), you can serve them bite-sized pieces of cooked fish.

When you give your baby shellfish, be sure to completely remove the shell and any hard pieces, such as shrimp tails, to prevent choking. Shellfish often has a tougher texture than other fish, so cut it into small pieces, around a quarter of an inch, or puree it when you serve it to your baby,

Looking for ways to serve fish to your baby? Try this salmon, asparagus, and rice recipe.

Fish and seafood in baby food

The modern food market simply abounds with various varieties of fish and seafood. Of course, many mothers are wondering: “Is it possible for a baby to offer such a delicacy?”. Let's try to figure it out.

What kinds of fish are there

Fish is a very valuable protein product. The content of complete protein (it includes essential amino acids) varies in different varieties of fish from 10 to 23%. The amount of fat in fish varies from 0.6 to 18.5% (this is the average fat content of fish in the inter-spawning period, and the fattest fish contains up to 33% fat) and depends on the type of fish, its habitat, sex and age of the individual. The fishing season also matters. Fish are divided into lean, moderately fatty, and fatty based on their ability to store fat. Interestingly, deep-sea or oceanic fish breeds have more of this ability.

Lean fish

The fat content of lean fish does not exceed 4%. They include:

silver hake;
saffron cod;
river perch;
zander;
haddock;
walleye pollack;
saury.

Medium oily fish

The fat content of this type of fish ranges from 4% to 8%. This species includes:

herring;
sea bass;
catfish;
carp;
som;
bream

Oily fish

Oily fish contains 8% or more fat. These are:

fatty herring;
mackerel;
halibut;
saury;
chum;
sturgeon;
bitter gourd;
stellate sturgeon.

What are the benefits of fish for the body

The most valuable in fish is fish oil, which contains fatty acids, such as omega-3, which are actively involved in the regulation of metabolism. But, despite this, lean varieties of fish are suitable for children, in extreme cases, moderately fatty.

Marine varieties of fish are also considered valuable for the body due to the content of iodine, fluorine and bromine, which are 10 times more in fish than in meat. There is also a lot of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium in fish. However, fish also has disadvantages - low iron content.

Freshwater fish is also not deprived of useful substances - vitamins and complete protein. Freshwater fish include:

silver carp;
bream;
line;
carp;
vobla;
hake;
carp;
ide.

However, nevertheless, the meat of marine and oceanic fish species, in the cod group, contains significantly more minerals than the meat of freshwater fish.

The cod family includes cod, pollock, blue whiting, navaga, burbot, pollock, silver hake. White dense cod meat contains 18–19% protein; it has very little fat (0.3–0.4%), practically no cholesterol, and contains phospholipids. Therefore, cod is considered a dietary product.

Meat of saury and blue whiting is similar in nutritional value and taste to cod meat.

Navaga has less tasty and coarser meat, contains up to 1.4% fat.

Pollock is slightly more tender in taste than cod, and in terms of nutritional value, it is practically in no way inferior to it.

Flounder meat is quite tasty, white, without small bones, medium fat content, contains 14–18% protein. The halibut also belongs to the flounder. Its meat is white, contains 15–20% protein, and fat from 5 to 22%. As a rule, its meat is used for the preparation of balyk and low-salted products. Other types of fish - tuna, smelt, horse mackerel - contain slightly less protein - up to 16%, but they also have much less fat - up to 4.2%.

Fish in baby food

In order for your baby to grow up smart, fish and fish dishes must be present in his diet.

Fish contains valuable amino acids and easily digestible fats. That is why it is so valued by nutritionists. In addition, fish is a source of iodine, which supports the functioning of the thyroid gland and contributes to the mental development of the child. And there are many useful minerals and trace elements in fish, such as phosphorus, fluorine, potassium, calcium, sodium, bromine. Fish is also rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D. These substances are found in both fresh and frozen fish. But when salting, vitamins are destroyed, and minerals are replaced by table salt. In the process of smoking, carcinogens are formed, which is why salted and smoked products, including fish, are not given to children.

For recipes in the children's menu, it is better to use low-fat sea fish - cod, trout, hake, pike perch.

So let's get started. Take a frozen (or fresh, if you find) fillet, boil it. Can be steamed. It is necessary to sort it out very carefully so as not to miss a single bone. Then pass through a meat grinder twice, or chop in a blender. Add this puree to soup or vegetable puree.

Fish can be tried from the age of 10 months - about half a teaspoon. Although fish is well absorbed by the child's body, it is an allergen and can cause an adverse reaction in the baby. Therefore, start giving fish in the morning to see the reaction in the evening. If everything is normal, then the next time you can give the fish in a week. Once a week is enough.

After a year you can try giving fish twice a week. Now you can not grind the fillet to a puree state, but simply mash it with a fork.

How to cook fish for a child

In addition to fresh fish, fresh frozen fish is also used in baby food. However, only quick freezing will help preserve all the vitamins and nutrients in fish.

Frozen fish must not be placed in hot water; it must be thawed at room temperature. To thaw fish in cold water, you need to put table salt in it at the rate of 7-10 g of salt per 1 liter of water - this method will help to avoid loss of minerals.

In cooking, fish is used for its intended purpose: preparing fish soups (fish soup), cutlets and meatballs, boiled, fried, stewed, baked dishes, dough products with fish filling, etc.

Cooking fish in baby food The fish is boiled as follows:

Place the fish in a pan, skin side up, in a single layer.
Fill with hot water like this. so that it covers the fish by 1-2 cm.
Add spices (peppercorns, bay leaf, salt) and bring to a boil.
Drain the first broth (it contains extractives that are harmful to the health of the child).
Pour hot water again and cook almost without boiling for 15-20 minutes.

Spices also need to be dosed, as they are substances that stimulate digestion. Children over 1 year old can be added when cooking in a limited amount - 1 bay leaf, 2-3 peppercorns per 1-1.5 liters of water or 1-1.5 kg of product. The amount of salt for young children (up to 3 years) should not exceed 3-4 g / day.

When cooking fish as a whole, the prepared product is poured with cold water so that during the cooking process the fish warms up evenly and its outer and inner muscle layers simultaneously reach readiness. Cooking time for small fish as a whole is 30 minutes, large - from 1 to 1.5 hours. The readiness of the fish can be checked by piercing the carcass with a chef's needle (a plastic or wooden stick with a pointed end) or a knife or fork. If clear juice appears at the puncture site, the fish is ready, if the juice has a pink tint, cooking must be continued.

The method of poaching (cooking food in a small amount of liquid, over low heat) is used to cook fish with delicate skin and meat - pikeperch, sea bass, flounder, halibut, cod. This method of cooking, compared to boiling, allows the fish to retain valuable nutrients and shape better. To do this, the fish is poured 1/3-1/2 of the height with water, portioned pieces - hot, whole - cold, spices are added, brought to a boil, covered with a lid and simmered over low heat (cooking time is 10-15 minutes longer than with cooking). Compared to boiling and poaching, more nutrients are retained in the fish during frying, but during the frying process, the fish absorbs fat, which increases its calorie content, and a crust is formed that irritates the mucous membrane of the child's digestive tract, so this cooking method is not used for baby food .

To prepare fish cakes, the fish pulp is passed through a meat grinder, white bread soaked in milk without a crust, salt is added, passed through a meat grinder again and cutlets, meatballs, fish meatballs with rice are formed. Cooked semi-finished products are lightly fried in oil, then stewed or baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The first fish dishes - hodgepodges, mashed soups, fish soup are cooked in fish broth, which contains various substances, including those harmful to the child's body, so the use of fish broths in the diet of babies in the first three years of life is not recommended.

How much fish can a child have?

Unfortunately, for all its usefulness, fish is a highly allergenic product. Given this, you need to offer it to your baby very carefully. If one of the parents or older children in the family has an allergy to fish and seafood, it is highly likely that the baby will have it too. In this case, it is better to introduce fish complementary foods after a year. It is recommended to offer fish complementary foods to a child in the absence of allergic reactions (practically healthy baby) no earlier than 11-12 months.

Fish puree, “canned” or homemade, like any new product, is introduced gradually, starting with one teaspoon, in the morning, and the reaction of the child to the new food is carefully observed. With normal tolerance of the product within 1-2 weeks, the volume of the fish dish is brought to the required norm (fish - 25-30 g / day, vegetable and fish puree 50-100 g / day). By offering fish a couple of times a week, you can give your child about 70-80 grams of fish at a time. If a child does not have an allergic reaction to fish products, this is not a reason to exceed the indicated consumption rates, since food intolerance may appear with an excess of a potential allergen. In the future, it is recommended to replace meat puree with fish puree 1-2 times a week. An allergic reaction can occur both to fish in general and to certain varieties of fish (or only to river or sea fish). If a child has an allergic reaction during the introduction of fish food, it is necessary to exclude it for 1-2 weeks, and start the next food with other varieties of fish.

Baby food purees are recommended to be made from lean fish. Boil the cleaned fish (and it is better to use fish fillet) in water or bring it to full readiness by poaching. Cool the fish, clean from the bone skeleton and small bones. Skip the fish meat through a blender or meat grinder, it is allowed to add 2-3 ml of vegetable oil and vegetable broth or milk to bring the dish to the desired consistency. Then the resulting mass is subjected to repeated heat treatment (let it boil in a water bath for 1–2 minutes).

Seafood for a child

Along with fish, seafood is widely used in the diet of adults (non-fish products: seaweed, shrimp, squid, lobster, lobster, crabs, crayfish) - these are seaweed and invertebrate marine animals, the tissues of which are rich in valuable nutrients . But what about the children?

The issue with seafood is even more complicated. After all, most marine inhabitants act as biological filters, accumulating in their bodies everything that is dissolved in water (both useful and harmful substances), their quality and safety directly depend on the ecological situation of the habitat. That is why the use of seafood in the diet of young children (under 3 years) is not recommended.

The following seafood can be included in the diet of children over 3 years old: shrimp, squid, crayfish, mussels. You can offer in the same amount as fish, and no more than 1-2 times a week. Subject to good tolerance, they can be prescribed in addition to meat dishes, for example, meat for lunch, and fish or seafood for dinner. So, a healthy child from 3 to 5 years old can be offered up to 60 g of seafood, and children from 5 to 7 years old can be offered up to 80 g as second courses or snacks.

Another useful marine product is seaweed (kelp). Its value is due to the high content of iodine, a vital trace element that ensures the production of thyroid hormones. Other trace elements include cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, titanium, etc. A fairly high concentration of vitamins - A, B1, B12, C, a lot of ballast substances that improve bowel function.

All this provides a therapeutic effect of sea kale in obesity, constipation, hypovitaminosis, and a preventive effect in iodine deficiency. Laminaria can be included in the diet of children from 3 years in the form of salads. In this case, the daily volume cannot exceed 1/2 - 1/3 of the daily norm of vegetable dishes (for children from 3 years old - up to 500 g of various vegetables per day). In children's nutrition, it is better to use dried or frozen kelp for cooking, since ready-made seaweed salads often contain preservatives and extractives and are not suitable for baby food.

Useful properties of seafood

In many countries, the so-called non-fish seafood: shrimp, crabs, squid, octopus, sea cucumbers, cucumaria, sea urchins, scallops, mussels ...

Their advantages are considered to be high the content of proteins and biologically active substances, low calorie content and almost complete absence of fats. Squid, shrimp and crab are 73-82% water and 18-23% complete proteins. 100 g of these products contains about 100 kcal, plus vitamins and minerals. There is a lot of potassium in squid, calcium in shrimp, phosphorus and iron in crab.

What are the health benefits of seafood? Doctors recommend these seafood in case of loss of strength and anemia. True, they still need to be properly prepared. Shrimp and crab meat are often sold already cooked and frozen. In this case, it is enough just to heat them up, but in children's dishes it is better to bring them to a boil. You can also find delicious recipes for salads with shrimp or crabs - so, along with the beneficial substances of seafood, you will also get vitamins and minerals contained in other salad ingredients. But the squid, so that it remains soft, is fried for several minutes over high heat, or chopped and stewed for about forty minutes, you can with sour cream.

A lot of vitamin A is found in cod and pollock liver, even canned. Red caviar consists of a third of protein and 12% of easily digestible fats. It is also rich in vitamins A, D, E, group B, lecithin, phosphorus, iron. However, these products can be given to children only after 5 years and in small quantities.

A little apart from other seafood is kelp (seaweed). It, of course, could be attributed to the vegetable group, but it still grows in the sea. It is very low in calories, almost free of fat and protein. But it contains almost 30 thousand times more iodine than sea water, 500 times more phosphorus, 400 times more iron and 300 times more copper. Laminaria is also rich in vitamins A, D, B1, B12, ascorbic acid. Dried kelp contains from 15% to 20% of unique alginic acid, which cleanses the body, removing heavy metals, cholesterol, radionuclides and other toxins. It is recommended for anemia, constipation, obesity and other pathologies. It is necessary to regularly include sea kale in the child's diet if the child is lagging behind in physical and mental development, as well as with insufficient thyroid function.

Some seafood for children can cause allergic reactions, so be careful. It is better to introduce them into the diet after three years. However, ocean food is one of the most beneficial foods. No wonder the Japanese, the healthiest nation in the world, consume them 20 times more than the Russians, but meat - 10 times less.

Fish milt and caviar

Fish milt is a product of high nutritional value - it contains up to 16.3% of proteins, most of them are essential amino acids, fat content is 1.2%. Milk contains in large quantities: phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron. In addition, they contain vitamins B1, B2, B12, PP, C, as well as fat-soluble vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. But still, fish milk belongs to the category of highly allergenic products. They are not recommended for children under three years of age and children with allergies. Milk can be prepared in the same way as fish: boiled, stewed or baked.

Fish roe has a high nutritional value. In caviar of sturgeon and salmon fish, i.e. red and black caviar contains about 30% of high-value proteins and 10-15% of easily digestible fats containing a large amount of very useful omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; it is rich in lecithin (up to 43%), vitamins A, E, D and group B, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iodine, zinc, iron and other minerals. However, it contains a lot of cholesterol (from 1.5 to 14%), and salted caviar contains 3-10% sodium chloride (table salt), which can adversely affect the fat and water-salt metabolism of the child's body.

While noting the significant benefits of fish products and delicacies, it should be noted that they may cause allergic reactions in some children. Therefore, they should be used with sufficient caution, taking into account the individual reactions of children to various products. Red and black caviar can be offered to a child older than 3 years, provided that it is well tolerated, in the amount of 10-15 g per meal, not more than 1-2 times a week.

When buying fish and fish products, be sure to pay attention to their good quality. Stale fish can cause serious illness.
When buying live fish, pay attention to the color and integrity of the scales, their fatness and mobility. In a healthy fish, the back is fleshy, not pointed, and the pink gills rise and fall gently and evenly. The fish does not swim on the surface, but in the water column.

Inspect chilled fish especially carefully as in inappropriate storage conditions, it deteriorates very quickly. A good chilled fish has a dense body. The gills of the fish are bright red. The eyes are bulging and transparent, and the smooth and shiny scales should fit snugly against the skin, there is little mucus on it, and it is transparent. When you press your finger on the pulp, the fossa either does not form or is quickly replenished.

Frozen fish scales must fit snugly against the skin and be free of blemishes and bruises. The skin of scaleless fish is smooth. After thawing, the meat is dense, does not lag behind the bones, there is no unpleasant smell, and it is not detected when cooking test pieces. Thawed and refrozen fish usually become dark and dull.

Fish should be bought in specialized stores and not in street stalls and markets where storage and transportation conditions may be violated. In this case, irreversible changes occur in the products, and they become dangerous for the health of children and adults.

fish and seafood in baby food. Cooking articles and life hacks

Fish and seafood are useful at any age. For children, they are completely irreplaceable. After all, they contain all the important nutrients that the body needs for proper growth and development. What is valuable in the inhabitants of the deep sea? What fish and seafood are the healthiest? What is the best thing to cook from them for a child? We deal with these issues with the experts of TM "Maguro".

Easy-going squirrel

First of all, fish and seafood are the richest source of complete protein. And it has an important advantage over animal proteins. If protein from meat is digested by about 90%, then fish protein is absorbed by almost 100%. At the same time, the digestive system does not experience any discomfort. In addition, fish and seafood are rich in essential amino acids. The body does not know how to synthesize them on its own, but only receives with food. It is with their help that muscle tissue develops, and all organs function at full capacity.
Many amino acids are essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. They also take an active part in the production of hormones and metabolic processes. All of these are elements of a child's good health. Failure of at least one of the body's systems affects all the others. To prevent this, it is important to regularly replenish protein stores.

Food for thought

It is known that fish and seafood contain a record amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids - the same omega-3 and omega-6 fats. For a child's body, these substances are of great importance and perform many different functions at the same time. They serve as the "bricks" of cell membranes and help to renew tissues in the process of development. Omega fats increase immune defense and allow you to more effectively resist various infections. Fatty acids keep the heart and blood vessels in good shape, which are under increased stress due to the continuous growth of the body. And they also improve fine motor skills, attention, memory, logical thinking. In other words, actively contribute to the development of intelligence.

Chest of vitamins and minerals

Seafood is a valuable storehouse of vitamins, micro and macro elements. In terms of reserves, vitamins A and D are leading. The first is responsible for the formation of the musculoskeletal system, accelerates the healing of wounds, and protects already formed cells from destruction. The second helps to better absorb calcium, which is responsible for the formation of bones, muscle tissue, strong teeth and nails. By the way, fish and seafood also contain a lot of calcium. As well as iodine, which stimulates the thyroid gland, more precisely, the production of vital hormones. Without them, the body will not be able to develop fully. In the most detrimental way, this affects mental development. There is also a lot of iron in fish. This element helps to produce hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to all organs and tissues. If there is not enough iron, the body's growth slows down. Along with this, the child often has a decrease in appetite, he becomes capricious and irritable, or, conversely, apathetic and lethargic.

Sea urchins

What can be prepared from fish for children? Tilapia fillet TM "Maguro" is perfect for tender meatballs. Soft juicy fillet contains practically no bones, so it boils well. At the same time, it retains all the nutrients that are absorbed by the child's body easily and in full.

Ingredients:

tilapia fillet TM "Maguro" - 2 pcs.
white bread - 1 slice
milk - 100 ml
yolk - 1 pc.
butter - 1 tsp.
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.
salt to taste
water

Defrost tilapia fillets at room temperature, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Soak a slice of bread in milk. Together with the swollen bread crumb, we pass the fillet through a meat grinder. Add egg yolk and butter, mix well, salt to taste. We form neat meatballs from minced fish, put them in a mold greased with vegetable oil, fill with warm water about half. We send the form to the oven at 180 ° C for 25-30 minutes. Fish meatballs are well complemented by mashed potatoes, pasta or buckwheat porridge.

Fish in an egg deep

It happens that a child flatly refuses to eat pure fish. It's okay - cook hake TM "Maguro" in an omelet for him. This fish contains very little "heavy" fats, so it can be considered a dietary product. In addition, it has a pleasant mild taste that children will love.

Ingredients:

hake carcass TM "Maguro" - 1 pc.
small onion — 1 pc.
eggs - 3 pcs.
milk - 50 ml
flour - 2 tbsp. l.
feta cheese - 50 g
parsley - 2-3 sprigs
vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp. l.
salt to taste

Rinse thawed hake carcasses in water, dry, cut into large slices. Roll them in flour and lightly brown on all sides in a pan with oil. Put the fish on a plate. In the same pan, sauté the onion in cubes and the grated carrot until softened. Separately, beat the eggs with milk and a pinch of salt until fluffy.

Put vegetable fried into a baking dish, put pieces of fish on top and pour everything with beaten eggs and milk. Bake the fish at 180 ° C for 15-20 minutes until the top is browned. Before serving, sprinkle the hake in the omelet with crumbled feta and chopped parsley.

Shrimp swim in a plate

According to experts, shrimps are the most suitable seafood for baby food. Argentine shrimp TM "Maguro" is the best choice. They are digested without problems and have a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Shrimps can be stewed in a low-fat sauce or cooked with their participation in a vegetable salad. You can also cook a light, but quite nutritious soup.

Ingredients:

Argentine shrimp TM "Maguro" - 200 g
potatoes - 2 pcs.
tomato - 3 pcs.
onion - 1 head
olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.
white bread - slice
water - 1.5 liters
salt and black pepper to taste
fresh basil for serving

Pre-boil and de-shell shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion in cubes. Pour the tomatoes first with boiling water, and then with ice water. Remove the skin and cut the flesh into slices. Cut potatoes into cubes. Pour the vegetables to the onion, fill with water, bring to a boil, cook until tender. Then add white bread slices and keep on low heat until the soup thickens. Let it cool down a bit and puree thoroughly with an immersion blender. Add the shrimp to the soup, bring to a boil again and let simmer for a minute. Before serving, sprinkle the bowl of soup with basil petals.

Fish and seafood are indispensable in baby food.