Tuna is among the most consumed fish in the world. The United Nations even celebrates “World Tuna Day” on the second of May to mark the economic and nutritional importance of the fish (1). However, you may be doubtful about the safety of tuna for babies as it is quite likely to contain mercury, which may have adverse effects on your baby’s health (2). Keep reading this post, where we provide more information about the health benefits of tuna for babies, precautions to observe, and recipes to prepare delicious fish dishes for infants.
Types Of Tuna – What Is Safe And What Is Not?
There are a total of 15 species of tuna, out of which five commercially important tropical species are most commonly used as food. These species are yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin, skipjack, and albacore (3). Internationally, tuna is used fresh, frozen, or canned. As per FDA, the best choices of tuna are light canned skipjack tuna, canned/fresh/frozen albacore, yellowfin, and white tuna. The FDA recommends avoiding bigeye tuna (4). These recommendations are made on the basis of mercury levels and other contaminants that might be present in the fish.
Can Babies Eat Tuna?
Yes, babies can eat tuna. However, the right age to include it in your baby’s diet is not clear. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a baby’s diet can include fish within a few months of starting solids (5). Therefore, once your baby shows the signs of readiness for solids, then you can consider introducing tuna. However, it is best to consult a pediatrician before you feed tuna to your baby.
How Much Tuna Can A Baby Eat?
The US FDA and EPA recommend the consumption of one ounce (28 grams) of fish per week for kids aged two years. This recommendation mainly includes marine-derived “oily fish”, such as tuna (4) (6). However, for babies below two years of age, no specific serving size per day or week has been mentioned. To decide on a safe intake limit, consultation with a pediatric nutritionist is advisable.
Nutritional Value Of Tuna
Apart from being a good source of essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acid, selenium, and vitamin-D, tuna has plenty of protein, too (7) (8). Below is the approximate nutritional composition of 100 grams of fresh tuna. Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture (9) and World Health Organization (10)
Health Benefits Of Tuna For Babies
Below are some benefits that your baby could reap by consuming tuna in a well-balanced diet. As you know the benefits, it is also wise to know the possible side-effects of consuming tuna.
Risks Of Tuna For Babies
Tuna (fresh/canned) is associated with mercury exposure. As per WHO consideration, mercury is one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern (17). Exposure to mercury during the early years of life can cause serious health effects on the nervous, immune, and digestive systems. Besides mercury, canned tuna has other possible contaminants due to commercial handling and processing. A few examples are the elements lead and cadmium, which can be bad for health too. Therefore, the Office of Community and Public Health, USA (OCPH) recommends “avoiding excessive amounts of tuna in diet”. Eating one can per week should not be a problem for children under six years of age (18). However, it is best to stick to an ounce or less for babies. Consult a pediatrician or pediatric dietician to learn the safe quantity of tuna for your baby.
Precautions To Take While Introducing Tuna To Babies
Below is a list of precautionary steps to observe when feeding tuna to babies. As always, make sure there is variety in your child’s diet, just because fish is a good source of nutrition, do not forget it has its hazards as well. Precautionary steps, when followed accurately, mitigate the potential health risks associated with tuna. Let’s check some interesting recipes that you could try for your baby.
Tuna Recipes For Babies
Tuna puree is the simplest option to choose when introducing tuna to the baby for the first time. Once your baby gets comfortable with it, then you can try these interesting and nutritionally sumptuous recipes.
1. Tuna Mash Pie
An ideal tuna recipe since it is easy to swallow and is nutritionally balanced. You will need:
1 small potato (peeled and diced) 1 cup broccoli 20g tuna (canned, light)
How to:
2. Grilled tuna with avocado and cucumber
You will need:
¼ cucumber, diced 1 cup small tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger 3 medium onions, chopped 1 tbsp lime juice ¼ tsp salt 1 avocado, thick slices 2 fresh wild tuna steaks (approx. eight ounces or 226 grams) 1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted Extra virgin olive oil
How to:
