– I eat fish, with toppings included, two to three times a week, sometimes one, it depends a bit, says Sindre Kielland (19) from Tromsø. A new survey conducted by Ispos on behalf of the Norwegian Seafood Council shows children and young people between the ages of 8 and 19 their relationship to fish. According to the survey, only 7 per cent follow the Health Authorities’ recommendation to eat fish for dinner two to three times a week. Findings about children and adolescents’ fish consumption: 837 children participated from all over Norway. The age group was between 8 and 19 years. The survey was conducted quantitatively. Of fish dishes, fried salmon is the favorite and is chosen by 53%. Then comes fish gratin, fish sticks, sushi and fish cakes. 57% say they eat fish for dinner once or twice a week. In northern Norway, 54% answer that they eat fish for dinner once or twice a week. Which is the lowest proportion of all parts of the country. Only 7% follow the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s dietary advice and eat fish as often as at least three times a week. 7 out of 10 say they would have eaten fish more often if they were served fish dishes they wanted or could choose for themselves. 27% answer that they themselves think they eat fish too rarely. Source: Ipsos commissioned by the Norwegian Seafood Council. The same survey shows that those in northern Norway get the least. – We must catch up with the southerners, Kielland believes. Sushi makes the difference? In the survey, 68 percent in Oslo answer that they eat fish for dinner once or twice a week. In comparison, only 54 per cent in northern Norway answer that they do the same. The figures show that children in the north eat the least fish in the whole country. – It should be said that when you divide these figures across regions, the number is relatively few per region, says communications adviser at the Norwegian Seafood Council, Christina Neumann. She says that the Seafood Council still sees a tendency for those in the north to eat fish for dinner less often than those in the south. Neumann has a theory as to why. Christina Neumann, communications adviser at the Norwegian Seafood Council, says that this may indicate that northern Norwegian children eat less fish than those in the south. Photo: Marius Fiskum / Marius Fiskum – An obvious thought may be due to a high consumption of sushi in Oslo children. That they here have more sushi access than those in the north. Far from the recommendations The survey also shows that 35 percent of Norwegian children and young people eat fish for dinner less than once a week. Neumann hopes that the country can increase fish consumption, but that one must think creatively. – Fish can be used in most dishes where you use fish and chicken, such as in a wok, wraps taco and burger. You can put white fish in Indian food or shrimp on pizza. She explains that several of the children in the survey say they like to eat more fish, but that they want to choose the right to fish themselves. – I do not think children are so fond of the traditional fish dinners, there is a lot that has happened on the food front in Norway. We have become more urban and international, she explains. Norwegian children eat less fish than recommended. The feature is from 2019. No to fish, yes to salmon taco Associate Professor at UiT Norway’s Arctic University, Siril Alm, agrees with Neumann. In her doctoral degree, she researched how children’s relationship to food was shaped by how people talked about it. – If you ask children directly if they like fish or seafood, they often say no. But when you ask what dinner food they like to eat, they like to mention sushi, fish gratin and fish cake, says the researcher. Associate professor at UiT, Siril Alm, has researched ways to talk about food with children. She thinks more children really like fish, but that one has to talk about it in a different way. Photo: UiT Norway’s Arctic University Alm believes the way people talk about seafood is crucial to how children and young people relate to it. – One of the findings I made was that the word fish can be negatively charged. If you rather use other words like salmon taco and salmon with pasta, I think you can avoid the “shit I do not like” from the kids. Focus on local seafood At Buktafestivalen in Tromsø, they have the slogan: Rock, beer and seafood. For festival director Marianne Saus, it is only natural that the festival only focuses on seafood. – We’ve had it since its inception. We have the festival right by the sea and access to the ingredients, she says. Festival director at Buktafestivalen thinks it is only natural that the festival only focuses on seafood. Photo: Rebekka Ellingsen / news At the festival, it is not called fish, but «fish». Sauce thinks the name may have something to do with the sale of food. – You can give a homely feeling. It is a local festival primarily for the locals, she says.
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Should eat fish two or three times a week – Northern Norwegian children and young people eat the least fish – news Troms and Finnmark
