Fish and other seafood are an important, but often-neglected, part of a healthy toddler's diet. When most babies switch from drinking milk to eating more solids and baby food, they often don't consume as much fish as they should to ensure healthy brain, eye, and nerve development. The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics both strongly support the research indicating that babies need not only the proteins, but also the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and seafood products.

One of these omega-3 fatty acids, docohexaenoic acid, or DHA, is particularly important for young children's brain development. DHA is in fact a primary component of a child's brain and eye retinas. DHA is usually synthesized by the liver, but in infants and young children, the liver is not fully mature and does not produce adequate DHA for proper brain and nerve development. Therefore, babies must get a sufficient amount of DHA through milk and/or baby food.

For infants who are breastfeeding, mother's milk is the primary source of DHA, especially if the mother consumes fish twice weekly, as many experts recommend. However, most infants switching over to baby food do not consume as many omega-3 fatty acids as needed.

With this knowledge in mind, Susan Brewer, a University of Illinois professor and also a registered dietician, has been developing a salmon baby food that includes both wild-caught salmon flesh and salmon roe, the eggs of the fish. She administered the baby food to a panel of parent taste testers, with the majority of the parents indicating that they would serve the salmon baby food to their children. The research will be published in The Journal of Food Science.

Brewer also stresses the importance of helping children develop a taste for fish and seafood, which will help children to be healthier over the course of their lives. She emphasizes that children's taste preferences are largely developed in their early years, before the age of five, and that encouraging children to enjoy fish will benefit them in the long run. A mild-tasting fish such as salmon, she claims, is perfect for children to start enjoying this important component of their diet.

Studies indicate that the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, a result of a diet that emphasizes too much meat and processed foods rather than vegetables, nuts and grains, as well as fish. Studies have shown that babies who lacked sufficient omega-3 fatty acids during developmental stages inside the womb lagged significantly (in terms of eye development) behind babies born to mothers who took omega-3 supplements during pregnancy. To ensure better health, both mothers and children — and really, all of us — should be eating a varied diet with vegetables, eggs, nuts and grains, and incorporating a healthy amount of seafood into our diets.