I feel obliged to eat fish - help me stomach it!

[1Catherine1]

Ok, I'll admit it, I am the fussiest eater in the world!! I have refused to eat fish since I was a kid and even foiled my mothers tricks at getting me to eat it as a child. Now 27 weeks pregnant I'm starting to think I should stop being so selfish and feed my LO the oily fish that I keep reading is good for her. So, I'm off out shopping and need some oily fish that I can cook tasteless or that doesn't taste "fishey". Serving suggestions welcome. Quick and easy please because as well as being a fussy eater I'm also a lazy cook. I do have to admit though that it has been so long since I ate any fish that (apart from tuna) I have no idea what fish tastes like anymore or how to cook it. I really don't know where to start

how about salmon

I love annabelle karmells sticky salmon:

basicaly mix tonatoe ketchup some sweet chilli sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and browns sugar together... a "squirt" of each

marinade salmon cubes in it
cook in marinade for about 20 mins at 180
yum yum yum... serve with rice.

Very fishy but i love tinned mackereal in tomatoe sauce on toast.

Well, you shouldn't eat too much oily fish (one or two portions a week at most), but if you find you still can't stomach it you could take Omega supplements that are especially for pregnant ladies or for vegetarians - the regular fish oil supplements can be too high in mercury. I'm taking Mum Omega and it's helped with the baby brain!

I do admire your fortitude though, braving foodstuffs you find repulsive. Maybe start out treaty and easy and get a salmon en croute bake from M&S - yummy and not at all slimey or boney

Just get sme cod liver oil capsules?

Try fish oils. The ones in capsules are of poor quality. It is better to buy expensive liquid oils from organic pharmacy (the ones that must be kept in the fridge). Take a couple of tea spoons every day. Also, try flax seed oil (alos, in a iquid form).

Thanks peeps - I'll give them a go. Failing that - I'll take the supplements. I wanted to avoid the supplements if possible though because in my strange world of logic I was thinking that if I'm missing out on the one thing there that I know about then maybe I'm missing other vitamins and minerals there that I don't know about. :)

Hello,

I too am a massive fish-avoider! I like to dress it up as a kind of environmental protest against over-fishing and protecting food-chains, etc etc. But really I just don't like things that taste fishy!

I'm 26wks and asked at my very first gp appointment about the fish oils thing, and she said not to worry about it.

I did buy some multi-vits with fish oils, but I've been crap at taking them.

I tell myself that plenty of healthy babies have been born to land-locked women for millenia, so logically it should be fine. Also, since I'm a non-fish eater, if fish oils are that good I should be deficient in something. I'm not, I'm (relatively) normal and an academic(ish) to boot. So it should be fine.

For added reassurance, Ben Oldacre has a bunch of fish oils related bad science on his website: www.badscience.net/category/fish-oil/

But good luck trying it! I might still follow your lead!

I find smothering food I'm not keen on with cream and cheese normally helps alot.

Try fish pie made with salmon and smoked haddock. Poach the fish fillets in milk, use the milk to make white sauce, add back the fish, stir in some peas for some added goodness and top with mashed potato and a sprinkling of cheese. bake in the oven for 30 mins till brown on top and bubbling. I'm a bit anti fish and fish pie is the one fish dish i can honestly say i love.

The idea of fish oil capsules repeating on me all day is not appealing at all but then i'm still at the nausea stage!

Honey mustard salmon is delicious. Also salmon on mashed potato with sweet chili sauce. BUT, its quite a strong tasting fish (I think) and you will have trouble disguising it.

DomesticGoddess - don't think fish oils really repeat! I got some pregnancy vitamins which had peppermint oil in them, which really helped my nausea.

Fish pie with lots of parsley and cheese with lovely crispy potato on top and mixed with vegetables.

Use tomato pasta sauce (home made or Loyd Grossman) to disguise the fish - tastes only of tomato sauce. Yum.

I like fishy fish so I don't know if this would work, but have you tried fishcakes? You don't have to make your own if that would put you off - there are some lovely ready-made ones in the supermarket and they're quite mild-flavoured. My fish-hating friend will happily eat them. Or battered fish portions? Creamy salmon pasta? You can even get salmon fish fingers, I think. You don't have to make things difficult for yourself!

I don't eat a lot of fish (not that I don't like it, just like it fresh caught by my Dad) so decided I'd try to eat some salmon regularly. Long story short is that its the only thing that has made me feel queezy the whole pregnancy, so I stopped. Good luck!
Oh wait, thats not true had some cod wrapped in parma ham a while back, that was easy and good!

Worst thing I have eaten this pg has been a can of sardines in tomato sauce at the insistence of partner who thinks the baby basically needs an Eskimo diet to develop properly. It was like hot fishy rocks in my stomach all bloody day.

My nutritionist says instead of fish I can eat the following: Avocadoes, Avocado oil, Nut oils such as walnut, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts etc. I can't stand fish really either so don't worry. Although I can stomach the odd bit of smoked salmon if with a good squeze of lemon, fresh ground black pepper and some nice brown bread and butter.

I also just take a fish oil capsule to try and cover all bases.

Could you manage bits of smoked salmon on toast with LOTS of cream cheese, lemon and pepper? I know not everyone does smoked salmon during preg but I did.

I'm taking Mum Omega too. Be aware that not every fish oil is safe for pregnancy. You need to make sure it comes from a mecury free source and can't have certain things added. Go to a proper health food shop to get advice. The liquid form is a much higher dose but that is very fishy. You can also get tablets made from kelp which are high in omegas if the fish oil thing worries you.

There are actually lots of foods that can give you the omegas without problems. A handful of walnuts every day does it I think.

Before I fell preg I went to a nutritionist/natropath/something. Mine gave me great advice. Worth a try?

Thanks for all your suggestions. On Friday I tucked into salmon fish cakes and chips with plenty of mayo. Was tastey good - well the chips and the mayo were, I enjoyed the tastelessness of the salmon. Next week I might try something more adventurous.

Unfortunately my fussiness also extends to nuts - any type of nuts.

Sorry but I find it odd that you would eat fish if you didnt like it.

People have had healthy babies for a long long time without the endless lists of all the things they supposedly "need"

By all means eat healthily but I dont see the point in going out of your way to eat something you clearly dont like, especially if you had to cover it in mayo to like it (something which is actually not very good for you, as my thighs would tell you)

I have had six children without eating fish
no one has ever suggested i supplement my diet

How about this:

www.healthspan.co.uk/vegetarian/cerebrum-vegetarian-dha/productdetail-p225-c3193427.aspx

No fish, suitable when pregnant, vegetarian.

Contain DHA (unlike flaxseed which just contains EPA) no need to eat fish at all.

Your baby will not come out with two heads just because you didn't eat fish. Honestly, if you don't like the stuff just don't eat it! You aren't depriving your baby.