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That’s the question I was posed by the Twin Toddlers Dad. Check out my response as a guest blogger at Little Stomaks.
I was the “ask the expert” columnist. Now tell me what you think.
Is It Safe For Kids To Eat Sushi?
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Is it safe…people make mistakes so even with the best chef and cleanest kitchen there can happen mistakes and i would not lik to risk that.
Would we give children raw chicken, even when it is free range, organic and the birds are tested for salmonella?
Nothing is completly safe, but that is something parents have to live with and decide from time to time.
Also it is not 100% sure that all parasites are killed by deep freezing the fish..for grown humans and their immune system a couple of eggs or grown parasites are no problem, but that 0,1% of parasites which may survive, may also affect a child.
I also would not give smoked or salted fish to a child just like cold smoked ham and raw cheese is frowned upon by doctors because it is still raw and parasites/bacterias can survive.
In germany were some bad cases where raw cheese with listeria made people terrible ill and even killed some. It was produced by a big manufacturer so normally one would think it is safer then the small manufacturer next door..but humans make mistakes and errors happen.
My child does not like seaweed(nori) but she likes rice balls, pan fried or grilled with some miso.
She gave sushi a try but i think her palate will change later.
Also there is some damn good pickled shitake sushi, everyone should try that.Looks like raw liver but the taste is unbelievable.
Try some sushi rolls with different brands of smoked or pickled tofu and arugula, bellpeppers and a slice of cucumber. Just with a bit of soy sauce or the wasabi may override the taste of the arugula.
Is it 100% safe for kids to eat raw fish? Probably not, but I consider it an acceptable risk for my family, if it’s from a reputable Japanese restaurant which follows good practices and buys quality fish. After all, I also let my kids taste muffin batter with a raw egg in it, and I let them have a slice of lunch-meat without cooking it. And fish is a super-healthy food in so many ways.
I want to point out that smoked fish is also raw, and not without risk. Also, some of the cooked fish sushi is undercooked, and not completely risk-free either.
But most importantly, sushi is such a fabulous way to introduce your child to different tastes and textures, and it’s one of those rare ways to get your children to eat some seaweed, which is a wonderfully healthy food. You can pack all kinds of colorful veggies into a roll. We are lucky enough to have a Japanese restaurant nearby that has a create-your-own veggie roll option. We particularly like cucumber/avocado rolls, and also roasted squash and cucumber rolls. You can also buy vegetarian sushi in grocery stores here, and I sometimes pick some up to put in the kids lunches. We’ve even made cucumber rolls at home, though mine are not as good – I need practice.
The Japanese are masters at making fresh healthy food that is also extremely tasty. We have a lot to learn from them. To that end, I’ve also checked out from the library a bunch of books on making Bento-style lunches.
American kids would benefit greatly from being exposed to a wider variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, sea vegetables, and fish at a young age, when they are developing their sense of taste. Sushi is a great way to accomplish that.