Yesterday we told you when is the best time to introduce seafood in the children's diet, and the recommendations of experts to do so in case of a family history of allergic disease.
If your child has already started eating seafood, he tolerates it without problem and also likes it, We give you some ideas and tips to prepare and cook seafood, and to enjoy a delicious family meal. Bon Appetite!
How to choose the best products?
We must choose seafood in a trusted site, and preferably opt for local seafood (provided there is that possibility), as they will be the freshest and cheapest. In any case, there are certain species such as prawns and prawns, which are raised with aquaculture techniques, which have very affordable prices throughout the year.
Within our gastronomy, the most common seafood is:
Crustaceans: are those whose body is covered in a shell, and sometimes they are also provided with tweezers. They are, for example, lobsters, shrimp, crabs, prawns, prawns, barnacles ...
Cephalopods: they are mollusks generally without a shell, and with a bulky head, such as octopus, squid, sepia ...
Bivalve molluscs: They are mollusks with a shell that have two lateral leaflets, which open and close. For example, clams, cockles, chirlas, mussels ...
From the OCU they give us some tips to keep in mind to choose quality seafood, whether we choose to buy it fresh or frozen.
Four tips to consider when offering seafood to children
- 1) If we are going to offer crustaceans we must take into account that the children will hardly know how to handle themselves to extract the meat, so we must help them in the task taking into account, in addition, the issue of cadmium of which we have already spoken.
He Cadmium is a toxic substance found in the viscera of some crustaceans, sometimes located under the shell of the body (crabs, crabs ...) and in others in their heads (shrimp, prawns, crayfish ...). Therefore, according to the recommendations of the experts, it is preferable to avoid the consumption of these parts of the body of the crustaceans and always offer them the whitest meat.
2) As for the bivalve molluscs They may also need the help of an adult to remove it from the shell. In addition, we must ensure that they do not contain sand and always try to choose the smaller ones.
3) If what they are going to take are cephalopods We must be cautious when offering it, as some species contain very fibrous meat. Therefore, it is advisable to check beforehand that it is tender, offer it to older children, and always very chopped.
4) If it's the first time our son is going to eat seafood, it is preferable not to offer a dish that contains several species at once (for example, paella), because in case of allergic reaction we could not identify the cause.
Remember that Seafood is one of the most allergic foods that exists, and although it is not the one that produces more allergies in childhood, we must be very attentive when they take it, especially if there are antecedents of allergic disease in the family.
Hence the importance of always consulting with the pediatrician before introducing it into the diet of our children, and waiting three to five days before offering another new food, or another species of seafood. In this way, it will be easier for us to detect any signs of allergy or intolerance that may occur.
Ways to cook seafood
Summer is a time of year when seafood consumption is usually more common. Steamed, grilled dishes, stews, salads and fried foods are the ways we have to prepare these delicious products; although frying, due to its high fat content, it is better to limit it.
Let us also remember that, like fish, we should not consume raw seafood, due to the risk of anisakis, a worm-shaped parasite that lives in the digestive tract of fish, cephalopods and marine mammals.In addition, raw and undercooked seafood (marinated, in oil, salted ...), hinder digestion and may contain bacteria Although they are sometimes tolerated by healthy adults, they can cause serious illness in children.
Regarding the canned seafood (the classic can of pickled mussels or cockles, octopus in oil ...) are also not very suitable for the little ones, due to the addition of products that are used for processing, among which is an excess of salt or bad oils quality.
Our companions of Direct to the Palate offer us some irresistible dishes with seafood as the protagonist, which we can prepare for our children to suck their fingers. We leave you some suggestions, so that you choose the one that best suits the ages and tastes of your children:
Spaghetti frutti di mare
Pappardelle with seafood and tomatoes
Fish and seafood paella
Seafood Rice
Fideuá sepia
Macaroni with prawns and broccoli
Squid croquettes in ink or prawns
Photos | iStock
