Edible’s Pescetarian Diet Guide
A starter’s guide to going red-meatless
Welcome to The Edible Project’s Diet Guide Series, a starter’s introduction to eating pescetarian, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo or keto. We cover the basics of each diet, pass along tips and tricks curated from the diet community, and provide some simple recipes and communities to get started.
PDF versions of all the guides can be found at www.edibleproject.io/guides. To help improve these guides, leave feedback in the comments or send an email to media@edibleproject.io.
pescetarian, noun, \ˌpe-skə-ˈter-ē-ən\: one whose diet includes fish but no other meat
Overview
Most pescetarians follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet with the addition of fish and shellfish, avoiding red meat and poultry.
Reasons for the diet include a transition to vegetarianism as well as for health reasons since fish are a convenient source of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, a pescetarian diet is similar in nature to the medical community’s preferred Mediterranean diet which we’ve written about here.
As all fishes contain some traces of mercury, and beginners to the pescetarian diet will want to familiarize themselves with the types of fish that are lowest in mercury like salmon, sardines, and tilapia which are generally safe to eat.
Things To Note
- Fish high in mercury such as albacore, king mackerel, halibut and swordfish generally should not be eaten more than 3 times a month
- Tilapia, raw tuna and Atlantic salmon are high in protein at over 20g protein per 100g of servings
- Eat fruits and vegetables daily, including those of different varieties which are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and important for overall health
How-To Order
- Look for salmon burgers on menus as a substitute for beef burgers
- Continue to eat foods such as leafy greens, a variety of colored vegetables, whole grains and dairy (if you’re including it)
- Check out our Vegetarian Guide
Simple Recipes
These are some curated simple dishes that are great for any beginner on a pescetarian diet! Bon appetit!
- Spicy Jalepeño Tuna Cakes — 15 minutes
- Pesto Salmon — 30 minutes
- Chili-Lime Cod Fillets — 15 minutes cook time + 30 minutes prep
Community
- Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists for those concerned with the ethics of fishing.
- Wikihow has a detailed article on how to become a pescetarian, including how to source sustainable, healthy seafood, evaluate the quality of fish, and more.
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