Seafood for Kids!
Introducing seafood to children can help build healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.
Seafood is a nutritious food choice that can play an important role in a balanced diet for children.
Queensland’s wild-caught seafood offers a wide variety of fresh, nutritious options that are naturally rich in protein and important nutrients to support growing bodies and developing brains.
Seafood doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
With the right species and simple cooking methods, it can easily become a regular part of family meals.
Start with Fresh, Local Seafood
Choosing locally caught Queensland seafood helps ensure freshness and supports the people and communities behind the industry.
When buying seafood, ask your fishmonger:
“Where is this seafood from?”
Choosing Australian wild-caught seafood helps support local fishing families and ensures you know exactly where your food has come from. Shopping at local seafood stores also helps build a relationship based on trust.
Getting to know who caught your seafood, how it was caught, and when creates a stronger connection to the food on your plate. There is something special about hearing the provenance story of truly local seafood — the skilled fishers catching it, the care taken from deck to dock, and the journey it takes to reach your table.
Teaching children where their food comes from is an important part of understanding the food chain. It can spark conversations about the people involved, their jobs, the marine environment, and the steps taken to responsibly manage fisheries so we can continue to enjoy healthy seafood resources now and into the future.
Tips to Help Kids Enjoy Seafood
Seafood is a nutritious food choice that can play an important role in a balanced diet for children.
Seafood provides:
• High quality protein to support growth and development.
• Omega-3 fatty acids which support brain and eye development.
• Important vitamins and minerals including iodine, zinc and vitamin B12.
• A lighter, easy-to-digest protein compared with many other meats.
Including seafood as part of regular family meals helps children develop familiarity with a range of healthy foods and flavours.
Like any new food, children may need a few attempts before they decide they like seafood. Starting with mild flavours and simple preparations can make the experience more enjoyable.
Helpful tips include:
• Start with mild species such as barramundi, flathead, coral trout, king salmon, jewel or whiting fillets.
• Serve seafood in familiar meals like tacos, pasta, burgers or fried rice.
• Use simple flavours such as lemon, butter, garlic or light seasoning.
• Offer small portions first to reduce pressure.
• Involve kids in cooking or preparing meals at home.
Children are often more willing to try foods when they have helped prepare them.
Seafood can be a cost-effective meal choice, especially when buying local species that are in season.
Some great value seafood options include:
• Smaller portion fillet size - like reef fish, mullet, whiting, jewel or mixed estuary.
• Local prawns - cooked-at-sea offers a ready to eat option. Smaller sizes tend to be cheaper. Also look for "soft & broken" prawns, these are discounted.
• Spanish Mackerel - versitile for any cooking method and suits eating cold the next day.
• Sardines - while stronger flavour, these pack a punch with omega's.
• Fish wings or trims/fish bites - cheaper than fillets but offer great flavour and finger food options. They can handle a various range of flavourings to suit fussy palettes.
Buying whole fish or seasonal species can often provide excellent value while also supporting Queensland fishing families.
Easy Seafood Meals Kids Love
Seafood cooks quickly and works well in many family friendly dishes.
Simple meal ideas include:
Fish tacos with fresh salad and lime
Prawn fried rice
Crumbed fish wraps or burgers
Seafood pasta with tomato or cream sauce
Fish or Prawn curry, simply swap the meat from an existing favourite recipe. Or a pie with mashed potato topping.
These meals are quick to prepare and can easily be adjusted to suit different tastes.
Ocean Seafood Colouring Activity
Download our Ocean Seafood colouring page and let kids explore the underwater world. The illustration features fish, prawns, crabs and other ocean life commonly found in Queensland waters.
Colouring activities are a great way to start conversations with children about:
Different types of seafood
Where seafood comes from
The ocean environment
The people who catch our seafood
While colouring, try asking questions like:
Have you seen a prawn or crab before?
What seafood have you tried?
Do you know where fish live?
Who do you think catches the seafood we eat?
These simple conversations help children start to understand the connection between the ocean, fishing communities and the food on their plate.
We’d love to hear what you’d like to see next!
To download a colouring in activity, click on a page click the ‘Share’ button and then ‘Download Image’