Fish is a healthy food that brings multiple benefits to our body. In infant feeding, we can start offering white fish towards the nine months or the year, and blue fish a few months later.
Children usually accept this food well because of its texture, although at first it may be difficult to get used to its flavor, different from milk, cereals, fruit, vegetables and meat, which is what they have been taking so far. We must try to give it little by little, mixed with vegetables, so that it accepts its flavor.
As we will see, it is recommended to start with the less fatty fish, the whites, such as sole, hake or whiting, and then move on to the blue fish, with more fats (tuna, swordfish ...).
Let's see carefully what are the benefits of fish in the diet, as well as the time of introduction and the way to prepare it for feeding the baby.
AdvertisingAge of introduction of fish in infant feeding
There are many variety of recommendations about the ideal age of introduction of fish in the children's diet.
Fish can begin to be offered, according to the AEPED, from nine months and not before because babies tolerate it poorly (delays gastric emptying, can cause allergic reactions and contain toxic substances such as mercury and boric acid).
However, other associations delay the introduction of fish at 12, at 18 months and even up to three years of age (for example, the American Pediatric Association)
Many authors, given that it is difficult to know family history and in cases of allergy, recommend offering potentially allergenic foods, including fish (also cow's milk, eggs, nuts, soy ...), at 12 months for all children.
As we already indicated in the guide of introduction of the complementary feeding, the AESAN (Spanish Agency of Food Safety and Nutrition) indicates that the baby with allergy or with high risk of suffering it will have to wait to the three years.
In those cases, you should start with the swordfish or emperor, nice or tuna (although these species are recommended of small size, because large ones accumulate mercury that is also discouraged), sole and other flat fish and finally cod and hake, which They are the ones that cause the most allergies.
It is usually differentiated between white fish and blue fish. The AEP tells us that starts with white fish It has less fat, alternating with meat (chicken, cow, veal, lamb, about 9-10 months). Blue fish, more fatty, is introduced later, around 18 months.
Benefits of fish in food
Fish prevents cardiovascular diseases, reducing the risk of arrhythmias and clots, and it is an important source of iodine.
Iodine is vital for the development of children, and organizations such as WHO and UNICEF claim that iodine deficiency is the leading cause of brain injuries during childhood.
That is why the eradication of disorders caused by iodine deficiency is a global priority in public health. Today, virtually all iodine is found in the oceans and the main and almost exclusive source of this mineral is marine foods, such as fish.
In addition, fish is an excellent source of proteins of high biological value and, like meat, is a good source of iron and zinc.
The fatty acids of blue fish (trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, salmon ...) have a large proportion of Omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturates, important for neuronal development and that of the sea is a good source of iodine. Omega 3 acids have shown their benefits in many ways.
All types of fish contain some Omega 3 fatty acids, but blue fish contains more than white fish (cod, hake ...).
Fish also lowers triglyceride levels and improves arterial health. There are studies that relate the habitual consumption of fish with a reduction in the risks of suffering from dementia, prostate or uterine cancer.
In general, in the market of most countries there is a rich fishing tradition and possibilities to access fresh fish even when the sea is not nearby, so this food will always be so healthy that we can prepare in different ways, starting for baby's porridge
Mode of preparation of fish in baby feeding
The fish we will give the baby must be cooked (fresh or frozen). Frozen fish has the same nutritional value as fresh fish. Smoked, raw and canned canned fish is not suitable for babies and young children.
Raw fish has the risk of transmitting parasitic or allergy to the child (and adult) due to Anisakis, a worm-shaped parasite that nests in marine mammals, fish and crustaceans, and is also not as easily digestible as cooked fish.
Fish should be introduced in the baby's diet crushed and in small quantities that we will increase progressively. At 9-10 months you can already leave the less crushed porridge, with small pieces, because the baby begins to know new textures and to practice chewing.
We will cook the fish we offer to the baby steamed, boiled or baked, without adding salt or spices. The fish porridge will also add a variety of vegetables, also cooked, except those recommended after 12 months if the child is not yet that age.
Before the baby takes the fish puree you can add a teaspoon of raw olive oil, and after a year a pinch of salt.
We must be careful when extracting the spines, choosing the pieces that carry less (usually the loins do not carry, although there may be some) and shredding the fish, if necessary with the hands, to detect any small spine that may have stayed
As soon as the baby gets used to the taste of fish, he will end up accepting it as another food in his diet. Thus, from very young, they lay the foundations of healthy eating habits.
In future entries we will analyze in detail the types of fish to offer the baby.
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