To think it's ok to not eat fish

[eco1636]

I know it's 'so good for you', but I find it expensive, fiddly and messy to cook and hate to wash up raw fish utensils (I'm similar with preparing raw chicken and normally do a roast with minimal.prep.). My kids quite like fish but they're equally happy with wholemeal fish fingers from birds eye as a lovingly prepared dish from raw by me.
Aibu - can a well balanced diet not include a whole lot of fish?

Of course it can! Vegetarians don't eat fish, and that is a balanced diet.

What fish do you usually buy? And how do you cook it? Salmon, for example, isn't fiddly to cook.

@1636. Of course it’s perfectly possible to eat a balanced diet without including fish, lots of people don’t eat it for many reasons including allergies.

But I would say that excluding an entire group of food from young children’s diets can mean they grow up never acquiring a taste for it and that would be a shame if the only reason is because you find it fiddly and messy to prepare.

Have you tried fish from the counter in your local supermarket or even better your local fishmonger/market if you have one? They’re more than happy to give you advice, prepare it for you (and can even seal it in oven proof bags with your choice of herbs, butter etc so you don’t have to do anything).

We definitely eat way more fish in the summer as we bbq it so it doesn’t smell the house out and you can easily stick a piece of fish in some tin foil with butter, black pepper, lemon and throw it on the bbq. Job done 👍🏻

The only fish I actually like are cod / haddock (which we eat) or smoked mackerel - I haven’t had mackerel for years because I’ve never found a way to cook it without stinking out the entire house for days. I’m still alive (just about).

Fish (& shellfish) make me throw up so I think it’s ok not to eat them

I’m vegetarian and never eat fish. I think I’m quite healthy.

I do miss smoked salmon, though!

Of course it’s ok!

Only fish I like is cod, no other. I have that occasionally ( spoon full of pesto of top of the piece of cod and straight in the oven, so easy) but that’s it for me & fish. I’ve not died of an unbalanced diet yet.

My dc eat cod when me and dh do but no other fish, again they are all healthy

But I would say that excluding an entire group of food from young children’s diets can mean they grow up never acquiring a taste for it

That was my childhood and I have never liked fish as an adult. Although in my case it is the texture I can't bear. Sort of flaky, but meaty, but fally-aparty.

Makes me feel rather till just typing about it.

I don't cook fish at home much, because it stinks the place out. I don't think it's compulsory but you might want to take a fish oil supplement?

It's not compulsory to eat fish!

YABVU though to say fish is too fiddly to cook. My level of cooking skills is toast but even I can stick a salmon fillet in some tin foil in the oven. It really couldn't be simpler.

How is it hard to cook?

Frozen white fish, stick in oven bag, stick some milk in, sprinkle on parsley, tie in bag and stick in oven for a bit. Then chuck bag away when finished.

Can't get any easier than that man.

I don’t eat much fish because so little fish production is sustainable. I don’t want to encourage mass depletion of a non renewable resource.

Occasionally chippy if someone else had already bought it (like going to a mates for tea) but that’s pretty much it.

Another perfectly healthy vegetarian person here! Of course fish (or meat for that matter) are not necessary for a healthy diet. My baby is just starting solids but I dont plan to give her any meat or fish either. Its fine, there's no dietary element ou can't get from a vegetarian diet. I'd just say you need to make sure you're getting your fatty acids which are in oily fish but you can get them from nuts.

Of course it’s fine. DH is allergic to it, I hate it. Invariably tastes like a mouthful of sea water. It’s spent it’s life swimming in polluted seas. Can’t see how it’s healthy at all

Oh and fishing is basically an environmental disaster. I’d rather leave fish in the sea for other sea creatures

If you wanted to introduce a different fish to your kids I find most children really enjoy oily fish like mackerel. It's really good for them in terms of containing more healthy fish oils than white fish and it comes in tins so minimal prep. The one in tomato sauce is delicious on toast.

Mostly we eat fish fingers and tuna mayonnaise and that's about it

I love to cook a fish pie, but get pre cut fish for that.
I do like salmon or trout baked in foil every now and then (but it's expensive)

I'm not a big fan of meaty fishy mess so usually get bake in the bag chickens and things

@sinkgirl. Mackerel is a favourite in our house too but agree about the smell. You think it’s gone and only realise when you come home after work that it really hasn’t 😂

However, it’s perfect for the bbq and reminds me of being on holiday👍🏻

I can't stand fish or shellfish of any type. I hate the look, smell, taste & texture of it, so of course I think it's OK not to eat fish. I manage a balanced diet despite my aversion to it.

@buzzbobbly. Btw, I love your description of “fall-y apart-y” 😂😂

However, it’s perfect for the bbq and reminds me of being on holiday

I bought DH a bullet smoker for his birthday last year, which we haven’t had a chance to use yet - unfortunately he does not like mackerel, and not sure he’d be thrilled about me stinking out his fancy barbecue with it 😂

Millions of HIndus eat neither fish nor meat, and have done so for centuries, so it must work.

Fishing is the main cause of all that plastic in the oceans, so if you think we should carry reusable bags and refuse straws, you should avoid eating fish as much as possible.

It's fine not to eat fish, but if you want to it can be easy.
Smoked salmon slices in a lasagne, tinned pilchards topped with mashed potato, smoked mackerel on toast with tomatoes.
Oily fish is high in omega oils and good for brain development.

I don't like white fish, but do sometimes cook trout, salmon or monkfish.