The Pescatarian Diet is a Plant-Based Plus Fish Food Plan

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From What is a Pescatarian?:

“PescaWHAT??

pes·ca·tar·i·an/ˌpeskəˈterēən/noun

1. a person who does not eat meat but does eat fish.

Ok so know you know what a pescatarian is but are you familiar with the difference between vegetarian and vegan? Simply put, vegetarians avoid meat while vegans avoid all animal-sourced products, including eggs, dairy and honey.

If we are being honest I teeter between vegan and pescatarian. How could I possibly live in Wisconsin with a cabin in the north woods and not enjoy my Friday night fish fry’s with a side of cheese curds all summer long!

If I am recalling accurately the last time I ate meat was freshman year of high school ( 10 years ago, YIKES) and I have not looked back since! If you have ever considered reducing your meat intake, I promise you it is just as easy said as done! I may have just ate a lot of pasta in high school since my mom would not allow herself to become a short order cook, finally, in college I began eating more vegetarian foods, and got creative with the offerings in the school cafeteria. But it wasn’t until living on my own and having a regular schedule where I fell in love with cooking and began testing and adjusting new recipes to fit my meat-free lifestyle.”

From Pescartarian diet:

Pescatarian is a diet without consuming meat. However, people who follow this diet still consume fish and other types of seafood, such as shellfish and shrimp, as well as eggs and milk. Pescatarian eating patterns are also believed to provide many health benefits.

The term pescatarian comes from the word pesce which means fish in Italian, while the word dance is taken from vegetarian. Sometimes, this diet is also referred to as pesco-vegetarian or pescetarian.

People on a pescatarian diet avoid consuming red meat and poultry, but may consume the following foods:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Grains
• Beans and processed products, such as tofu and tempeh
• Mushrooms
• Fish, both seawater and freshwater fish
• Seafood, including shrimp, squid, clams, and octopus
• Eggs
• Milk and its processed products, such as yogurt and cheese

However, there are also some people who go on a pescatarian diet choose not to consume eggs and milk and processed products at all. This diet is called lacto-ovo-pescatarian.

From I Ate a Pescatarian Diet for 14 Days and This is What I Found:

What do pescatarians eat?

“Here is a quick breakdown of the pescatarian diet:

1. Make at least 50 percent of your meal vegetables (or 50 percent fruit at breakfast).
2. Add a little healthy fat, such as olive oil, nuts, or avocados, when sautéing vegetables or dressing salads.
3. Fill one-fourth of your plate with high-quality protein.
4. Enjoy one-half cup of whole grains and/or other starchy foods (like sweet or white potatoes) four or five times a day.

What are the benefits of a pescatarian diet?

For starters, I would argue that the pescatarian diet is kind of the best of both worlds. It is a happy medium between a plant-based diet and a Mediterranean diet that provides all of the essential micronutrients and macronutrients needed for optimal health, body composition, and performance.

If you have followed my articles for any length of time, you will notice I am not a huge fan of eliminating any one particular food group, unless of course you have a health concern or allergy/sensitivity that dictates otherwise.

The pescatarian diet is a little different in that while it does NOT include steak, chicken, or poultry, it does include fish, which technically is a meat, so there really isn’t an elimination of any whole food group.

In addition to this, a pescatarian diet has been shown to:

• Lower bad cholesterol
• Raise good cholesterol
• Support mental wellness
• Help manage body weight (by stabilizing blood sugar and increasing satiety)
• Reduce the risk for obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and cardiovascular disease”