The Complete Guide to Starting a Pescatarian Diet: Everything to Know

In 2021, 25% of American consumers ate more seafood than they did in 2020. In an effort to eat healthier, 36% of adults said they’ve been replacing meat with seafood more often.

Some people like seafood so much they switch to a pescatarian diet (it’s like being a vegetarian, but you eat fish).

If you’re interested in eating healthier, then you might be interested in starting a pescatarian diet. But transitioning from meat to seafood can be tough, especially if meat’s all you’ve ever known.

For more information, read on for a guide on putting together a pescatarian meal plan.

Start Slow

Think about what you currently eat; more specifically, which meats you regularly consume and in what dishes. From there, consider replacing one meal a week with fish (if you already enjoy seafood, then you can bump this number up).

As you get more used to fish, you can phase out more meat until eventually, you’re no longer buying meat.

Get a Good Balance of Protein

Seafood will be your main go-to for protein, but that won’t be it. You need to get a good balance or else you won’t feel energized and it’ll be harder to hit your weight loss goals.

Other sources of protein you can eat on a pescatarian diet include eggs and dairy, so feel free to enrich your meals with fried eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc.

Pick Fresh Over Unprocessed

There are some convenient fish and seafood products you can just throw into the microwave or oven. While this is easier for a busy lifestyle, processed food isn’t great for you.

Instead, you should pick fresh seafood, as it’s easy to prepare anyway; add a little bit of seasoning, put it in the oven, and it’s done in less than half an hour!

If you’re buying fresh, it should never smell fishy. The shellfish you pick should be energetic in the tank.

Do note that you can get good quality frozen seafood as well. Just make sure it’s blast-frozen after being caught.

Avoid Certain Fishes if You’re Pregnant

If you’re pregnant, trying to conceive, or nursing, then you need to choose the fish you eat carefully.

As you might’ve heard already, there’s a risk of consuming mercury when you eat seafood. This can negate the seafood benefits you get and harm both you and your kids.

In general, you’ll want to stay away from fish higher up in the food chain, such as bigeye tuna, canned tuna, swordfish, shark, marlin, king mackerel, orange roughy, and Gulf tilefish. Better choices include scallops, shrimp, salmon, tilapia, and sardines.

Good Luck Starting a Pescatarian Diet

Starting a pescatarian diet can be exciting, especially if you already like to eat fish. Once you’ve got your diet going, then you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health at the same time. It’ll be a win-win situation!

If you want to explore other types of diets, then keep reading the rest of our blog!