Your kids (and secretly, you!) love super-convenient frozen fish sticks, but you would likely prefer to put a more nutritious meal on the table that doesn’t come with a side of freezer burn. This makeover of the frozen finger-food delight takes them out of the nutrition doghouse by relying on higher quality ingredients to net a fresher tasting meal. And the tangy tartar sauce is seriously dunk-worthy.
Tips
- Placing breaded fish on a metal rack in the oven helps them get extra crispy by allowing air to better circulate around the sticks.
- To make sure you’re reeling in sustainable fish for these sticks, choose from the best options listed on the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Seafood Program (seafood.ocean.org). Other fish options include sustainable halibut, catfish, and cod.
Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) sustainable tilapia fillets, cut into 1/2 x 3 in (1.25 x 7.5 cm) strips
- 2 cups (500 mL) whole grain or gluten-free cereal flakes
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) roasted pumpkin seeds
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) paprika
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) brown rice flour
- 2 large organic egg whites
- 2 tsp (10 mL) grapeseed oil or sunflower oil
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) sour cream
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped dill pickle
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) pickle juice
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories403
- protein37g
- fat14g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates35g
- sugars4g
- fibre4g
- sodium321mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Set greased metal rack on baking sheet. Season fish with salt.
02
In food processor, place cereal flakes, pumpkin seeds, lemon zest, garlic powder, and paprika and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to shallow dish.
03
In second shallow dish, place rice flour and in third shallow dish, egg whites. Dredge each strip of fish in flour, dip in egg whites, and then coat all sides with cereal mixture. Place fish strips on prepared rack. Lightly brush tops of breaded fish with oil.
04
Bake until fish is cooked through and coating is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
05
In small bowl, stir together yogurt, sour cream, pickle, pickle juice, lemon juice, mustard, and a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Serve fish sticks with tartar sauce.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
