How to get your children to eat fish

High in protein and healthy fats, we know that fish can be good for us. But what's the right choice when it comes to feeding fish to your kids?

Every parent wants their child to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. According to Diana Difabio, a registered dietician at Cleveland Clinic Children's, a healthy child's diet is one that includes fish.

"It is a great source of protein that is low in saturated fat. It's also high in Omega-3s and it's full of vitamins and minerals, so things like Zinc, Selenium, Iron and all the B Vitamins. So these are all very crucial for growth and development for children," Difabio says.

The FDA and EPA recently announced a new set of guidelines that make it easier for folks to determine which types of fish are best and which to avoid for various age groups. The categories are divided up into three parts: best choices, good choices and fish to avoid.

Best choices include commonly eaten fish, such as light canned tuna, salmon, shrimp and lobster. Good choices include fish such as carp, halibut, white albacore tuna, and mahi mahi. And fish that should be avoided due to high levels of mercury include shark, swordfish and king mackerel.

Difabio says that parents who want to incorporate fish into their child's diet but aren't sure on how to prepare it should take it slow.

"Just to start simple. So if we're thinking, like, light canned tuna, it doesn't require virtually any preparation. You can make a really healthy tuna salad with a little bit of light mayo and you could even add some texture with some dried cranberries or walnuts," Difabio says.

Difabio says the general recommendation of servings of fish are one to two servings per day for children, but that it's important to check the serving size based on your child's age, as the number of ounces differ depending on the age of the child.

The general recommendation servings of fish for children are one to two servings based on age. The number of ounces depends on the age.