“I don’t like fish.”
How many of us have a child, spouse, or self who says that?
My guest today says that’s off course – no one can accurately say they “don’t like” “fish” – and I love her reasons!
Whether you love fish or haven’t learned to love it yet, this non-fishy interview all about the fish of the sea is a winner:
- Have you ever gotten to know your fisherman? Watch my surprise as I do for the first time…
- How to find the best fish for the biggest health benefits
- Why some fish are harder to cook well (and deliciously) than others
- What to look for in a store or restaurant to make sure you’re getting sustainable, healthy fish
- Why ocean stewardship is of primary importance for fishermen and their families
Find well-fished seafood with all the omega-3s at Sena Sea Seafood!
Video or audio? For the first 5 years, this show “The Healthy Parenting Connector” was a video interview series. You can still watch the video, but NOW it’s also a podcast, renamed “Healthy Parenting Handbook.” Find all the episodes here or listen on your favorite podcast player:
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Can’t see the video? Watch More Than Fish Sticks here on YouTube!
No time for the video? Here are the notes!
These time stamps align with the video and not the audio podcast, but they should be pretty close!
Teaching Kids to Like Fish
- 1:25: Sena shares her story with us. She’s a third-generation fisherman’s wife. She tells us a bit about their lifestyle as a fishing family.
- 6:00: Sena’s children are 10, 13, and 16 now. They don’t remember a time when they weren’t going out on a boat and helping dad fish.
- 9:25: Fish is one of those foods that’s very common on the “do not like” list for both kids and adults! Sena gives her tips for encouraging kids to like fish. There are a lot of varieties of fish and many ways to cook them, don’t lump them all into one category!
Some days kids are great eaters, and some days they’re not. -Sena Wheeler
Stay safe in the sun, with reef-safe sunscreens
Over the last decade+, I’ve personally tested over 120 natural mineral sunscreens, my standards are very high, and nothing I recommend is considered dangerous to coral reefs.
My top recommended tier with only around a dozen winners is where you really should be spending your time. These formulas are held to the highest standard with rigorous government testing.
Ingredients refined to perfection that most of the time you could practically eat and efficacy and performance tested by the Kimball family in the field.
Find all my reviews of safe sunscreen that works here!
If you’re looking for the best reef-safe sunscreen, simply start there. Here’s a list of some of my ultimate favorites.
- Kōkua Suncare with tons of antioxidants and my kids’ favorite scent and application
- 3rd Rock Essentials rubs in well and reliably prevents burns in our tests (use the code KITCHENSTEW for 20% off!)
- Raw Elements for so many reasons, including their tinted stick for adult faces (all styles, use KS10 for 10% off!)
- Maelove, which I call the best “transition” sunscreen when moving away from chemical ‘screens
- Others that make the top-recommended cut: Badger, ThinkBaby, Kabana
If you’re worried about the white cast on your skin from zinc oxide sunscreen, check out my video on how to apply mineral sunscreen correctly to minimize it.
Health Benefits of Fish
- 13:30: What are some of the benefits of eating fish? Go for the high omega-3 fish for maximum benefits. Fat is what makes fish healthy and what makes it taste good.
- 15:50: When Sena is feeding friends fish, she likes to use black cod, which is really moist and tender. It’s a great intro for kids who say they don’t like fish.
Sourcing Sustainable Fish
- 19:16: Let’s talk about labeling. What are the words we want to look for or avoid? “Wild” and “sustainable” are best. If you find Alaskan fish, it’s automatically wild and sustainably caught because no farms are allowed in Alaska.
- 22:46: We’re very concerned with ocean stewardship (that’s why we choose only reef-safe mineral sunscreen). Sena shares how they are involved in sustainability and conservation.
- 27:25: Sourcing good-quality fish is very important. If you’re convinced of this now, listen in to how you can source the best quality fish for your family! Get Sena Sea Seafood here.
- 28:56: Look out for the word “Atlantic” on fish labels. That’s basically code that it’s farmed.
- 31:36: We leave you with an action step you can take today. Try a different variety of fish from what you’ve tried before!
Paleovalley Meat Sticks
It can be hard to find healthy snacks that you can take with you on the go. When I want the convenience of a jerky stick, but want a healthy, protein-packed snack option, I grab Paleovalley meat sticks. Paleovalley ingredients have these high standards that you can feel good about:
- 100% Grass-Fed Beef & 100% Pasture-Raised Turkey
- Never given antibiotics or hormones
- Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free
- 0 grams of sugar*
- Contains no artificial nitrates or nitrites
- Non-GMO
- Naturally fermented and contain gut-friendly probiotics!
*With the exception of Teriyaki, which contains 2 grams of sugar from Organic Honey.
These beef sticks and turkey sticks taste delicious! My favorite is the Jalapeño but my kids love Summer Sausage.
Use this link to get 15% off your order at Paleovalley. Read my Paleovalley Review to learn more!
My Review of Sena Seafood
We did a side-by-side blind taste test with Sena Sea vs. ButcherBox.
Previously ButcherBox had trounced salmon from the store, both Aldi and Meijer brands. In some ways that makes sense, because BB sells Sockeye Salmon, which is a very different mouthfeel and “fishy-ness” factor compared to the less expensive salmon you buy on a budget.
Sena Sea vs ButcherBox would be apples to apples, sockeye to sockeye. The family was somewhat split, but everyone (who likes salmon anyway) said that both were really good, no complaints. My kiddo who doesn’t do fish…didn’t do fish. 😉
My husband noticed one big difference and proclaimed the ButcherBox salmon fishier on the aftertaste, at the end of a bite. He thought ButcherBox was also more firm, but I thought Sena Sea was more firm, so who knows?
My “professional” opinion is that Sena Sea salmon definitely tastes fresher (i.e., less fishy) and firmer, which in my book is a positive trait. It’s very high-quality salmon!
You can see my full review of ButcherBox meat, plus ordering tips.
Resources We Mention for Sourcing Sustainable Fish
- Get Sena Sea Seafood on their website
- Find the best natural mineral sunscreen that’s safe for the oceans!
- Tips on finding more sustainable seafood.
- Follow Sena on Instagram
- When you sign up for Sena’s email list, you’ll get a free cookbook to expand your fish repertoire
Sena holds a master’s degree in nutrition and food science and is a third-generation fisherman’s wife. Sena Sea Seafoods is the culmination of her family’s rich fishing history, their desire to share fresh, never-farmed fish, and their commitment to ocean stewardship. Visit her at senasea.com where she sells premium wild Alaskan fish direct from the fishermen and blogs about family, fish, and food. What You Should Do Next:
1. Subscribe to the Healthy Parenting Handbook Newsletter
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3. Enroll in the Online Cooking Course for Kids:
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About Katie Kimball
Katie Kimball, CSME, creator of Kids Cook Real Food™ and CEO of Kitchen Stewardship®, LLC, is passionate about connecting families around healthy food. As a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks, she’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine and contributes periodically on the FOX Network.
Since 2009, busy moms have looked to Katie as a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health, and she often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to stay on the cutting edge. In 2016 she created the Wall Street Journal recommended best online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food™, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook. She is actively masterminding the Kids’ Meal Revolution, with a goal of every child learning to cook.
A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is also a Certified Stress Mastery Educator, member of the American Institute of Stress and trained speaker through Bo Eason’s Personal Story Power.