When you teach your child to eat mackerel, you ensure that they benefit from the healthy fats and vitamins from a very early age.
A high intake of fish is associated with lower disease risk throughout life. Unfortunately, however, fish intake is too low in all age groups – even with children. For health reasons, it is therefore recommended that children consume fish twice a week or more, from the age of 6 months.
Fish is, among other things, a good source of vitamin D, iodine, and selenium, of which many Danes get too little of. The fatty fish – especially mackerel – is also rich in the healthy omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, which is both important for the brain-and nervous system development in children, while also playing a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
While children under 3 years of age are not allowed to eat larger fish (such as tuna, pike, halibut, swordfish, and perch), due to mercury content, there is no problem in eating mackerel. Mackerel in tomato also has a particularly high content of vitamin B12, and if you use it as a topping on rye bread, you also get plenty of dietary fiber that is important for circulation and digestion. Even the mayonnaise, which is a regular part of a classic Danish open mackerel sandwich, is good for toddlers under 1 years of age. They should preferably have more fat in their food than is recommended for older children and adults.
Learning to eat fish from an early age makes it more likely to eat fish later in life, too. Getting a good habit from childhood, eating fatty fish often, is something that can make it easier to live healthy for the rest of your life.
