Development of child‐friendly fish dishes to increase young children’s acceptance and consumption of fish (1019.24)

Abstract

Although fish and algae are the only dietary sources of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a nutrient critical for brain development, fish is vastly under‐consumed in children. Plant‐based omega‐3 fatty acids can be converted to DHA but the conversion is inefficient. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consumption of seafood twice a week. We examined if substituting salmon for chicken in childcare center lunch meals could increase preschoolers’ fish and DHA consumption. Participants ages 2 ‐ 5 (n=45) were served eight study lunches (four chicken or salmon dishes) once a week over 8 weeks. Analysis of plate‐waste showed no significant differences in energy intake when the foods looked similar, but when the fish dishes looked different, energy intake on “fish days” was lower than on the corresponding “chicken day.” However, DHA intake increased significantly on all “fish days”. These results indicate that fish and DHA intake can be effectively increased if fatty fish, such as salmon, is used as a substitute for already accepted protein sources in the childcare center menu.