SubscribeWhy Be Pescetarian?
You've heard the benefits of being a vegetarian, but perhaps the thought of giving up all meat just seems too difficult. Maybe you are concerned about getting enough protein. If so, becoming a pescetarian may be your answer.
Pescetarian is a relatively new word, according to Merriam Webster. Coined in 1993, its source is likely the Italian pesce (Latin piscis, meaning fish) combined with the English arian in the word vegetarian. A pescetarian (or pescatarian) is someone who eats seafood as their only source of meat. They may or may not eat dairy products; however, they do not eat poultry, beef, or any other meat.
Some refer to a pescetarian as a vegetarian who eats seafood. Someone whose diet is composed primarily of fish would be a piscivore. Other synonyms that are sometimes used for pescetarian are fishitarian (or fishetarian) or pesco-vegetarian.
Why be pescetarian?
There are a myriad of reasons a person becomes a pescetarian. Some do it for ethical reasons. Often pescetarianism is part of a transition to a vegetarian diet. Others do it for health reasons. Some choose to eat no other meat because of ethical concerns. For others it is as simple as the diet suits their palate best. Even more eat a pescetarian diet for a combination of these reasons.
The nutritional benefits of eating seafood while avoiding red meat and poultry are many. Unlike most red meat, seafood is typically low in saturated fat, which is the primary cause of high cholesterol. Some fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and can contribute to raising HDL (the good form of) cholesterol and protect against heart disease.
Ethically speaking, a pescetarian diet is kinder to animals and the environment. An omnivorous diet uses more fossil fuels and water and contributes to rain forest depletion and water pollution. Additionally, you do not have to search far to find undercover videos revealing the heinous abuse of livestock.
Finally, eating a pescetarian diet can be easier on the wallet. This is especially true if you eat kosher or organic meat, which can be very expensive.
So what are the downsides to becoming a pescetarian?
Toxicity. Since consuming a large amount of fish high in toxins, such as mercury and PCBs, can be unhealthy, a wise pescetarian makes sure to eat a variety of fish and become educated about which fish should be eaten in limited quantities.
Ethical concerns. While pescetarianism is easier on the environment and avoids the ethical concerns surrounding the care of livestock, some argue that aquatic creatures are sentient beings, meaning they suffer pain.
Fewer food choices. Naturally, as you limit your diet, your food choices will become fewer. However, with a pescetarian diet, you'll still have plenty of choice nearly everywhere you go. Most restaurants offer some vegetarian or fish choices, and if they don't, you can certainly ask for a menu item to be modified.
While a person must weigh the pros and cons of a pescetarian diet, most agree that eating less meat in general is better for health, animals, and the environment. If you are interested in becoming a pescetarian, stay tuned for details about how to make your transition an enjoyable and successful one.
Resources:
Pescetarian Life
The Picky Pescetarian
Pescetarian Living
Today, I became a pescetarian. For these reasons:
1) Now I can say that I'm a pescetarian
2) My hair is going to be WONDERFUL from all those good omega 3 oils from fish :)
3) Baked tilapia is heaven's food
4) VERY healthy choice... You still get your protein, but have all the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle! <3
I moderate a pescetarian forum. Anyone who is interested in pescetarianism is welcome to join:
i've been a pescetarian for almost 10 mos now and i'm definitely enjoying it. :) more people should try this diet too!
I became a pescetarian on January 1st as my New Years Resolution. I am not failing (yet)!!! lol.
I too decided January 1st to longer include meat in my diet and become a pescetarian. Good for you, keep up the good work.
I have been a pescetarian for 2 years now. I keep trying to switch to vegetarian and I fail. I feel so bad for eating fish (because of the significant problem with overfishing. Oh well. One of these days, I will become a full vegetarian.
I felt the same way, but I love seafood and since I took away one of my favorite dishes, "Curry chicken," I owe it to myself.
I agree, also to keep everyone motivated, just remember how much pain those animals go through everyday. Also overfishing can be stoped and we can still eat fidh, just nott the overfished ;).
Sad video:
I warn you though! It made me cry!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECJwRKngYBs&feature=mh_lolz&list=HL1312844154
Mahi cooked over an open flame on a wood plank is an excellent substitute for recipes that include chicken. The flavor and texture are very similar to chicken. So you might want to try it with your curry ck recipe! Just a suggestion. Outback steakhouse serves an excellent mahi. Try it!!!
Did you really just say Outback Steakhouse on a Pescetarian webpage???? Keep up the great work in helping restaurant chains keeping our nation even more OBESE! You should really be ashamed. Cook your own food! it tatstes better, it costs less, makes less impact on the environment and will never treat your body wrong. Think about it. Mahi is an AMAZING fish but why let a restaurant chain ruin it when all YOU have to do is prepare it and eat it!
In regards to your comment about the Outback Steakhouse. Give this person a break. This person may be at work and on the road for work, more than at home. At least this is the case for me.It gets difficult to always bring your own food. The dish that this person was talking about is very good. Besides that, not everyone stays at home, eats at home every night. Sometimes it is nice to get out and have a little dinner date.
Only certain fish you have to worry about overfishing. You can look on the govt website:)
Hi i became a pescetarien on monday, well i mean i became sure on monday because i tryed it for a few adys and it feels so much better :D
I've been a vegetarian for two and a half years and just decided on being pescatarian because it's healthier and I need my protein :) good luck to all you guys trying new things! Keep believing in yourself :)
i too became a pescetarian on jan 1 2011. i did it for my health and also because i did not want to support the horrible meat industry. i have never made such a drastic change in my diet and i felt going full vegetarian would have been hard for me to handle. congrats to all those who see the benefits of a pescetarian diet. you are definitely not alone.
I have actually been a pescetarian for 2 years and it's great to no longer be supporting the cruel treatment of animals. However, even being a pescetarian, I find myself refusing to eat farm-raised fish or certain types of fish to avoid aiding in the continuation of over-fishing and the sick workings of science on a fish's natural diet. Most farm-raised fish are actually fed corn, altered to be able to feed on the corn, and given growth hormones. Another thing pescetarians have to be wary of is fish high in toxins. As mentioned in this article, some fish, such as tuna, are high in mercury levels and PCB levels, so I also cut back on the fish that I eat a lot.
If you are one of the people who quit eating meat for environmental reasons, you can find a list of fish to avoid at http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1540. At that same website, you can also find health information about fish to see if you should avoid them because of high mercury levels as well.
Being a pescetarian is great and so healthy for you if people just give it a chance(: Personally, I will never go back to eating meat(:
i've been vegetarian for 4 months, but im young and i need my protein, so i'm switching pescetarian. still feeling guilt about eating a living breathing thing though.
I've been a pescetarian for just over 17 years, all my life, and feel like I'm not missing anything at all. Even for someone whose lactose intolerent and hates nearly all vegetables, I find enough to eat :P I expect I'll become fully vegetarian in a few years, when I can hopefully finally accept the taste of vegetables and have near enough finished growing.
^^ may i suggest tomato cucumber salad? i am absolutely addicted to it and have been eating it with every meal since 2004.
chunk up some ripe roma tomatoes and some cucumber. finely chop some onion and you can add green pepper as well(personally i think it takes it to another level)
drizzle a touch of oil and a healthy splash of vinegar and salt, and you can also add a tiny pinch of sugar if you want. within seconds the salt and vinegar will draw out the flavours of the ingredients and you will have the bestest salad evar, similar to greek salad but without the feta and olives(btw that salad also rocks)
goes with any and every meal save for stir fry, which is part salad anyway.
soooooo delicious.
i'm not sure if i should become a pescetarian or not. my family would most likely become mad. what should i do?
Hi,
Sorry that you wrote this in July.
Two days ago (Thanksgiving 2011) I decided to become a vegetarian. I skipped the meat and ate a salad, bread and fruit salad for dinner. I didn't really miss it (them turkey and ham,) but I found that in one day, trying to become a vegetarian after being an omnivore my whole life was really difficult. So, today, I decided why not be pescetarian? I have 3 friends who are pesceterian and one vegan, and I'm really strong willed, so it probably will not be as difficult for me.
You should do it. I know nothing about your family or you but I felt nervous to tell my family today too because they all really like red meat, chicken and pork. So I told one of my omnivorous friends first. He said he was proud of me, told my parents. It's a little nerve-racking but you will feel better if you tell them how you feel.
Sorry for writing so much. I hope this helps, unless you already are a pesceterian, but if you are that's great. :)
At the age of 21 I am delighted to say that I am and have been pescatarian for 11 years. I love it! <3
I just decided to become a prescitatian a week ago and I already feel the benefits! I mainly switched for health reasons because I'm on a major diet and A LOT of sources say that cutting meat out is wise. They also say there are many benefits to eating fish. I agree with these experts first-hand. I love this diet and swear by it!. My hair is shinier, my energy level is up, my mood is weirdly happy all the time, and I'm getting slimmer. (Not to mention I'm sleeping better!) Everyone should do this!!
Now I know the mercury thing is worrisome, but It's not a problem if you vary the fish you're eating and eat fish with a low-mercury concentration (like salmon and shrimp). I love sashimi and things like that. You can like switch it up like eat some Quinoa for dinner one night and then grill up some salmon the next night!! It's super-easy to try and you'll feel better!
Wanted to let readers know that I have been following this type of diet for over 15 years and my Doctor has given me a clean bill of health each year. All my numbers from my blood test are slightly below or within the normal range. In my opinion, the health benefits are worth it, the financial savings are a plus and your compassion for anything alive increases.
We should celebrate Pescatarian Day each Thursday and donate the savings to Charitable Organizations that teach the importance of sustainable diets.
ive been a pescetarian for 10 months now and i absolutley love it :D my hair is shiney and knowing i can get enough protien because my parents refuse to by a subsitute makes everything much easier
THIs is great information. I am on day 2 and am so excited!!
My new years resolution for 2012 is to become a pescetarian. I have already started to test the waters with some awesome recipes. Not many resources on the web though, anyone know of any reading material for pescetarianism?
Thanks,
Kevin
this is my NY's resolution as well. Cant wait to get started!! Good Luck and if you find any recipes let me know.
I've been a pescetarian for almost two and a half years already. and only God knows how I'm in love with this diet ((: My previous weight (back in two years) were 59/60 kg. now i way up till 53/54 kg and my height is 165 cm ((: God bless all of you. no way I'm gonna go back to my meat world. I don't find these kinda food interesting and delicious anymore. Good luck for those who are trying.
I became a pescetarian for the New Year's (11 days ago) and it feels like I've been one for a lifetime already - in a good way! It feels so natural for me. This is coming from someone whose favorite pizza was meat lover's....seriously! I did it for the health benefits. I thought, I've been trying to lose weight for years... and I never thought to aproach it from a meatless aspect. I've always known protein was good for you, but I trusted that I would be able to find it in other places, which is one reason why I decided to leave fish in my diet. I also did it to force myself to eat lots of veggies, but I love veggies anyway! I eat a greek yogurt every morning for the extra 14g protein. I cannot stress enough the benefits. Already I feel so pure and flushed out of toxins. My mood is completely amazing, I sleep peacefully, and I feel so in control. I feel like I have a special lifestyle and I like that. Oh, not to mention I've lost nearly 10 pounds! I feel like it's my little secret weapon of strength...haha! It makes sense to me..anyone who is on the border just try it for a week. It's easy to adjust, even for a meat lover. I will definitely stick to this for a long time!
I've been trying to figure out what I want my diet to be for the past year... I tried vegan for 2 months, vegatarian for 4 months, and now pescetarian for the past 3 months. I feel most happy with the pescetarian diet so far. Although I would love to be a vegatarian for ethical reasons, I got into ruts with eating too many carbs and as a result feeling tired and irritable.
I think vegan/vegatarian can definitely be done right but for me I almost developed an unhealthy focus on food because I had to be thinking about it all the time for all the shopping, washing, and preparing it took. I actually went back to eating fish only because my dry eye problem that I have had since PRK surgery gets better while taking fish oil, but I was surprised how much better I felt eating fish again. It's quick and easy to fry a salmon burger and eat it on a sandwich thin with tomato and lettuce and then I can stop thinking about food when I'm done. I feel more satisfied, have more energy, have found a better balance between the food groups, and don't find myself going overboard on the carbs as much. And I also agree about the hair comment; it does seem healthier and shinier. Being pescetarian has also helped immensely with some of the "sadness" I felt with giving up all forms of meat... I felt different and a little isolated while eating vegatarian because I didn't want my family or friends to feel uncomfortable about eating meat around me.
Yes crazy! But a pescetarian diet feels so natural and easy, and I don't feel as though I have given anything up. I was grossed out by the gristle and veins in chicken and the hunks of cartilage in beef enough times to not miss that part!
I decided to become a pescetarian in the beginning of lent and hoping I can pursue it for good. As a Christian I consider it as both a sacrifice and thanksgiving in my own little way. I also do it to have a healthier lifestyle.
I didn't have any choice in the matter but to become pescetarian. I find it too difficult to give up all meat, and I'm tired of having my heart and arteries choked with cholesterol and saturated fat. That stuff gets into your blood and it's not good.
I have been a "Pescetarian" for about 3 months now, and I LOVE IT! I feel like I have not given much up! The only thing I worry about is the intake of too much mercury!! I dont know if its healthy to eat fish every day. Someone help! Is it fine? I usually eat (sockeye salmon, canned wild caught salmon, tuna-no sodium, or tilapia) are all of these ok??
@ I have been a, it's the bluefin tuna you have to watch out for. And if the tuna is from Japan's sea or perhaps the NorthWest Pacific, don't eat it. Salmon is iffy too.
I want to become a pescetarian. I was
actually thinking of becoming a vegetarian but I think this would be a stepping stone for me and not such a drastic change to my diet. Plus becoming a pescetarian gives me a better source of protein which I was worried about but now I'm actually thinking about the mercury in some fish.
Does anyone have any suggestions or links that might help me know which fish are best for me?
I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks .
I have been a pescetarian for a week now and I feel great. I only eat seafood 4 times a week(every other day) Still learning how to make it work but I will. :)
Seafood only is a wise choice.
To make certain I remain moderate I will have Lasagna, Ravioli or Spaghetti with a Meatball a good Tossed Salad with Garlic Ciabatta Bread once a month plus a good glass of Red Wine "Delicioso"! or Mangia! Gotta Love that Yummy Meatball !
I take eating Seafood seriously it has already helped my joint pain 80% and reduced tissue swelling in my face, lower legs and ankles plus hair is falling out far less.
Enjoy Haddock, Scrod, Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster, Salmon, Clams etc where available. There are so many tasty recipes to try have an adventure.
It is your "Precious Life" do the reading and research you decide what you take in and what you allow to become part of your body.
I genuinely hope you all find the "Treasure in the Sea the Fountain of Health". =)
If you are worried about overfishing or sustainable seafood practices, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium! They have a program called Seafood Watch, where they determine the best fish to consume, based on farming versus fishing and the ecosystems they are pulled from.
They have Seafood Recommendations, where you can search for a type of fish and it will tell you what to look for, or what a good alternative would be! Check it out, and look for restaurants/stores that brag about qualifying their seafood through Monterey Bay Aquarium's guide.
I have ate every kind of meat my whole life, but am thinking of switching to a 100% pescatarian diet. I am wanting to do this for the multiple health benefits that it possess. I am only 20 and I am in college so my biggest concern is being able to afford quality seafood and fresh produce. Can someone please give me an average monthly budget for this type of diet and if someone can a breakdown of the costs.
Thanks, I wish everyone the best and good luck on all the other newcomers efforts.
Today is my first day. I recommend that no one make the switch over-night. First remove the red meat and pork from your diet, then after a month or so remove the chicken, and then finally you'll be at a seafood/ fish diet. If you're on your way to becomming a vegetarian then it won't be so hard. Remember, baby steps people! :)
Lee, i watched the same video whilst doing an english essay on animal welfare and it made me cry too! I became a pescatarian over too weeks ago and i have tried to become one before but after watching that video i had a real incentive this time not to eat meat and i feel a lot happier now and i dont feel guilty like i did before when eating meat, because i dont want to be a part of animal cruelty and people that eat meat are supporting it unintentionally like i was before! I would reccommend becoming a pescatarian, it is hard at first, but after a week it feels normal and you dont even want to eat meat anymore!
You must try M&S fishcakes they have a guey middle and are amazing! Almost as good as the loch fyne but a fraction of the price!!!
In additional revenue for the event buy a paper each time someone shares it.
I've became a pescetarian one week ago and I'm proud!!
I've became a pescetarian one week ago and I'm proud!!
I have been a pescatarian for two weeks and LOVE it!! I just feel better!
I suggest parents just have to opt for simple Alchester and cute toys. It does not necessarily have to be expensive.
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