It is hard to find decent quality fish when not by the sea, but I have been going to my fish counter at my local supermarket and they are very good at advising what has been freshly delivered. You can also call ahead and reserve certain fish too to pick up in some supermarkets. Sea bass is not too strong, so it is great for my kids who are normally used to Birdseye fish fingers! See below for serving tips depending on what stage of eating your child is eat.

I’ll be using the recipe from Fish Easy by Mitch Tonks (recipe below) and following it exactly as it says except I’ll be using vegetable stock instead of white wine and using sea bass and not sea bream.

Serving suggestion:
- Without expectation
- Without bribery (as child more likely to back away even further)
- Think long-term, not just on one meal
- 'You provide, they decide’ (Division Of Responsibility)

Mini roast potatoes: Cube potatoes into small pieces, drizzle with olive oil, season and roast for 35-45 minutes until brown and golden. Add cheese towards the last 10 minutes for extra flavour!

Ingredients for fish (serves 2):

450g / 1 lb scaled and gutted sea bass
4 roast garlic cloves or sliced raw garlic
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 crumbled dried chilli or 1 chopped fresh chilli
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp dry white wine
Lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/gas mark 9. Place the gutted sea bass on the parchment and foil. Add the garlic, rosemary and chilli and season. Fold up the sides and add 3 tbsp olive oil and 4 tbsp dry white wine, then seal securely. Place on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, open the parcels and squeeze on some lemon juice.

How to serve this meal to your child

Beginner: ‘My child refuses any new meals’

I normally recommend serving any new food as leftovers the next day or as a starter to your child, but fish is never great reheated, so to begin with, serve alongside a fish finger or something else easy to shove into the oven at the same time. Don’t expect your child to eat it straightaway, these early stages are all about the exposure to new food and if you can offer it in a zero pressure setting, then even better. It’s about creating easy opportunities to widen your child’s food list.

Intermediate eater: ‘My child may try this new dish but I’m not sure’

Choose a day when you can eat together so at least they can see you eating this new meal. Offer other components your child usually eats so there is no pressure on your child and no pressure on yourself in case they don’t eat the fish. Add chips, a jacket potato or mash depending on your child’s preferences. It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t touch the fish, it is all about your child getting used to seeing new food and taking it in and also seeing you eat it to give them confidence for future meals.

Advanced eater: ‘My child eats most things I give them and is not phased by new food’

Serve new meal and if they unexpectedly do refuse it, the best advice is not to panic and don’t feel bad. It’s just one meal. Say non-confrontational words such as ‘you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to’ and and see if they can try a bit in their own time. If they don’t, it is best to move onto the next mealtime and write it off and try another time!