Omega 3 Fats into Kids..

duncan_m

duncan_m

I'm not sure where to ask this.. so I turn to the somersoft community for help..

How do you get kids to eat Omega 3 oils? I've tried fishoil and flax seed oil in their pasta and they refuse it.. "It tastes funny, Dad".. They certainly wont swallow fish oil capsules.. They wont eat fish... I'm sure the "omega 3 enhanced" breads are a CON..

So.. how do I get my kids eating Omega 3 oils? Suggestions, ideas??
 
duncan_m said:
I'm not sure where to ask this.. so I turn to the somersoft community for help..

How do you get kids to eat Omega 3 oils? I've tried fishoil and flax seed oil in their pasta and they refuse it.. "It tastes funny, Dad".. They certainly wont swallow fish oil capsules.. They wont eat fish... I'm sure the "omega 3 enhanced" breads are a CON..

So.. how do I get my kids eating Omega 3 oils? Suggestions, ideas??
Click to expand...

I am going through the same thing Dunc. My 12 year old wont touch anything to do with fish nor will she take medication of any sort except an inhaler - reckons she cannot swallow a pill?

Omega 3 is good for the brain - esp kids. But having won an academic scholarship to a Grammar School she reckons her brain is fine as it is.

She is prob right. But how do I impose my will on her?
 
Hi,

Duncan and Simon, you could try a fruit smoothie like banana where the flavour would disguise the taste. I think flaxseed oil would work best.I would also start slowly, with only a teaspoon at a time until they get used to it. I drink this myself and it tastes ok. The flaxseed oil has a nutty flavour.

Debbie
 
demoman said:
Hi,

Duncan and Simon, you could try a fruit smoothie like banana where the flavour would disguise the taste. I think flaxseed oil would work best.I would also start slowly, with only a teaspoon at a time until they get used to it. I drink this myself and it tastes ok. The flaxseed oil has a nutty flavour.

Debbie
Click to expand...

Oh good idea.. I'll try that.. thanks :)
 
Try making a salad dressing with flaxseed oil :

Ingredients:
3 tbsp flaxseed oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
splash of lemon juice
1 tsp dry roasted mustard seeds

Mix all ingredients together and serve over salad leaves


Try sprinkling some flaxseed oil over roasted vegetables rather than pasta.

Or instead of using oil, try ground flax seeds, add to all sorts of things…..even make some muffins http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5634.0

Give then more walnuts, pumpkin seeds and green leafy vegetables.

Hide fish, with creative cooking ideas……make tuna or salmon burgers, served on some linseed rolls. Better than macca’s. :)

Make some sesame crusted salmon……cut into chip shapes and serve with some dipping sauce.

450g salmon fillet
4 tbsp of sesame seeds
splash of olive oil for frying

Cut the fish into thick 5-7cm strips
Place in a bowl with the sesame seeds and toss till coated. (You may need to press the seeds on to the fish to make them stick)
Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan, and add fish
Fry over a medium heat, turning gently until all sides are golden and crispy.
Remove and drain on absorbent paper.

Serve with a tossed salad and dipping sauces.

Kids are always fussy when it comes to food……just persevere and keep trying things till you find something they like. Variety is the spice of life. :D

Ruby
 
tried this today with my 3yr old. put it in her night bottle with her usual multivitamin/mineral and extra milo. refused to drink it as took one sip and could taste the fish oil.

the health food shop lady suggested putting in sold foods such as yoghurt and on their cereal as apparently the taste is not so apparent ... if only she ate cereal and being slight of hand in the yoghurt when she's used to seeing me open it could be tricky.

apparently there is a solid fish oil tablet coming out soon that is disguised in orange/chocolate flavour so will be interesting to see if that takes.

my girl loves fish - but not the oily kind which is a bummer.
 
Ah flaxseed oil... I love it! I can eat it straight from the spoon. But some things you could try are:

a) Mix it in with their morning cereal. It tastes great, the only problem is its hard to disguise as the oil doesn't disolve.

b) Spread it over their toast instead of butter. You can top it off with a bit of strawberry jam and they won't be able to tell (apart from the mild taste).

c) Mix it into the salad.

d) Mix it into their milkshakes. Tastes awsome!

Most fish are high in Omega 3, so maybe try increase their fish intake aswell. I'm no dietician, but I'm sure if you do a Google search on this, most likely others would have faced the very same problem you are having :)

Regards,
Ozi
 
[/"quote"]Omega 3 is good for the brain - esp kids. But having won an academic scholarship to a Grammar School she reckons her brain is fine as it is.["quote"]

simon l reckon on that note you should just give up:cool:
 
kids love salmon patties does the tin salmon/tuna have the omega 3.

I think the smoothie drink is very good.

Its difficult to out smart these smart kids while trying to make them smarter:eek:
 
flaxseed oil is a good idea but how does it compare with fishoil (asides from tasting better)?

watching the sbs program the other night medical experts said that omega3 from non-fish sources is very hard for the body to digest as has to be converted to another substance before it can then be converted again to usable omega3 for the body.
 
lizzie said:
flaxseed oil is a good idea but how does it compare with fishoil (asides from tasting better)?

watching the sbs program the other night medical experts said that omega3 from non-fish sources is very hard for the body to digest as has to be converted to another substance before it can then be converted again to usable omega3 for the body.
Click to expand...
No flaxseed oil isn’t as good as fish oil, but it’s an alternative for people who wont/can’t take supplements or eat fish.

There are several Omega 3 fatty acids. ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is found in flaxseed oil whereas EPA and DHA are found in fish oils. ALA is able to convert into EPA and then into DHA, but this takes several enzymatic steps in the body, and not everyone efficiently converts ALA into EPA and DHA, particularly as we age. Flaxseed is also a great source of phytoestrogens and has been found to reduce cardiovascular disease.

So not an ideal solution, but worthwhile including in your diet.

Ruby :)
 
Hi Mike,

sorry, forgot about that. Where we live I can get a 1kg bag of lady fingers from a grower for $2.00. Since I found out about this I don't buy them at the super market any more.

Debbie
 
There was a good reminder the other night on a SBS program regarding Omega 3 fatty acids.

Vegetarian children are very healthy without omega 3 FA supplements, as it exists in vegetables. THough it is possible that nutrient content of vegetables has been diluted down by modern farming techniques.

I think there is evidence that many malnutrition states are due to malabsorption, and maybe we should be doing all we can to address those.


Dunc, the other approach you can use to condition kids into eating these things, is to systematically desensitize them. i.e. add a small amount to meals initially, then increase it incrementally each week or month. Their taste buds will adapt.
 
perky29 said:
My kids will eat Tuna Patties (which are a comination of Tuna, rice and Spinach) on a fry pan , maybe try that?
Click to expand...

That contains two of their least favourite foods - I would have no chance getting my girls to eat that!

We eat very healthily in our home - but I would like to be able to serve fish twice a week without a scene.
 
Just try fish fingers...with a bit of sauce, it can be aprt of the kids staple diet ! Yes I know the fish isn't the best quality, but unless there's a medical recomendation from your doctor don't stress so much. As they get older they'll eat more like what you do, so just ensure your eating habits are reasonably good.

Friend of mine hardly eats any fish, he never has either & apparently survived on chocolate custard for the first 4 years of his life instead of solids. He has an IQ of 169.....wonder what it would've been if he'd eated fish....:eek:
 
Lizzie & TFB mentioned the SBS omega 3 show.
Part of it featured Dr Artemis Siopoulious studying the diet of the villagers. While there she observed how the chooks were greedily eating purslane aka pigweed so analyzed the eggs and found them extremely high in Omega 3.
So get some chooks Dunc (kill and eat them the day the bird flu hits:) ) and let them do a bit of free ranging on pigweed and other weeds. Kids love checking for and eating eggs.
 
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