Pescatarians Please

activeadriana

Hi, former meat lover here that is now finding the thought of eating meat disgusting. Sure, I've eaten it in the past because it tasted good, but now I can't get past the fact that an innocent animal had to die just for me to eat a sandwich. I just ate a bit of Mortadella and I couldn't finish it, it tasted SO bad, different from before, and I felt bad for the pig.

Anyway, I'm trying out a pescetarian diet over the next few days, and the reason I've decided if I'm going to do this it's going to be pescetarianism and not vegetarianism is because I've heard fish is supposed to be good for us.

I want to hear from the pescetarians on MFP. How long have you been one? How has it affected you? And what made you decide to become one?

Thanks

BeastofBodmin

A fish is an innocent animal too isn't it ?

rainbowbow

BeastofBodmin wrote: »

A fish is an innocent animal too isn't it ?

This is a good point to make... we used to believe that fish (like plants) were not sentient creatures. After testing, we have determined this to be wrong. Fish are capable of feeling pain, suffering, and certain fishing practices are also very damaging to the environment and conservation. There is also nothing special about fish that makes it inherently more healthy than say, other meats.

You also don't mention anything about eating other animal products like dairy and eggs (which are just as unethical as eating the flesh of animals). If you'd like more information on this, I can happily provide it to you.

That being said... I would say that a significant reduction in the contribution to suffering of animals in any aspect is probably better than strict veganism which can't be maintained. Good for you for trying to make a change.

littlechiaseed

Fish are animals too and if your reason for eating them is that "they are good for us" then I suggest you look into how fish are farmed for human consumption. They are often in tiny tanks packed tight swimming in feces and wild caught fish kill lots of other marine life since nets catch whatever, not just one kind of fish and those fish are killed for no reason. Fish die a horrible death by suffocation. You can get dha from sea veg or supplements made from it (it's where fish get it) and omegas from veggies, nuts and seeds, no reason to need to eat fish.

janejellyroll

activeadriana wrote: »

Hi, former meat lover here that is now finding the thought of eating meat disgusting. Sure, I've eaten it in the past because it tasted good, but now I can't get past the fact that an innocent animal had to die just for me to eat a sandwich. I just ate a bit of Mortadella and I couldn't finish it, it tasted SO bad, different from before, and I felt bad for the pig.

Anyway, I'm trying out a pescetarian diet over the next few days, and the reason I've decided if I'm going to do this it's going to be pescetarianism and not vegetarianism is because I've heard fish is supposed to be good for us.

I want to hear from the pescetarians on MFP. How long have you been one? How has it affected you? And what made you decide to become one?

Thanks

If you're planning to eat fish exclusively because you think it's good for you, you may want to consider ways you can meet those nutritional benefits without fish. I'm not aware of anything in fish that you can't get from another source of food. If you share what benefits you're hoping to get, some vegetarians/vegans here may be able to share some suggestions with you.

activeadriana

Hey everyone, thanks for the replies

activeadriana

I'm so mad it cut off my message. You can't add any emojis to these threads!

Ok, as I was saying.. It's my understanding that eating fish is better than eating any other type of meat. I spoke with a dietician last week and she said "Everyone should be eating two servings of fatty fish a week". Off the Eatright Ontario website it says "For good health, we should eat least two Food Guide servings of fish per week". http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Cooking/Food-Preparation/All-about-fish.aspx (2nd paragraph) and literally every doctor and dietician I've spoken to about eating a healthy diet (in general) has always concluded by recommending fish as part of a healthy diet. If we can get the same nutrients fish offers from other foods, why don't they say that? Why do they recommend fish but not other meat?

I'd consider being a vegetarian if I could get the same nutrition fish offers from other foods, but from what I've gathered, I can't.

I definitely need advice. Which is healthier, vegetarian or pescetarian? If you could tell me which foods offer the same benefits as fish, too, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

janejellyroll

activeadriana wrote: »

I'm so mad it cut off my message. You can't add any emojis to these threads!

Ok, as I was saying.. It's my understanding that eating fish is better than eating any other type of meat. I spoke with a dietician last week and she said "Everyone should be eating two servings of fatty fish a week". Off the Eatright Ontario website it says "For good health, we should eat least two Food Guide servings of fish per week". http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Cooking/Food-Preparation/All-about-fish.aspx (2nd paragraph) and literally every doctor and dietician I've spoken to about eating a healthy diet (in general) has always concluded by recommending fish as part of a healthy diet. If we can get the same nutrients fish offers from other foods, why don't they say that? Why do they recommend fish but not other meat?

I'd consider being a vegetarian if I could get the same nutrition fish offers from other foods, but from what I've gathered, I can't.

I definitely need advice. Which is healthier, vegetarian or pescetarian? If you could tell me which foods offer the same benefits as fish, too, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Fish does have nutrients. But those nutrients can be found elsewhere too.

If you like fish and want to eat it, that's a whole other thing. I think you got the responses you did because it seemed as if you were ambivalent about eating fish, preferred not to eat meat at all, but thought you had to eat fish for specific health benefits.

When you say you can't get the nutrition from other foods, what nutrients are you referring to specifically? The recommendation of what type of food to substitute will depend on what benefit you're trying to get. I can speak for myself: I take an algae-based omega-3 supplement to ensure I'm getting a type of fat that is found in fish (as well as some other foods). I take an iodine supplement to ensure I'm getting enough iodine (I also eat seaweed -- other people who don't eat fish meet their needs through iodized salt or dairy).

There are millions of healthy people who never eat fish, millions of healthy people who only sometimes eat fish, and millions of healthy people who never eat any kind of meat. You could be completely healthy without ever eating fish, you could be completely healthy while eating fish. It's up to you what you want to choose. Your tastebuds can be part of that decision, your ethics can be part of it too.

There is no one "healthier" diet when it comes to vegetarian or pescetarian. There are healthy vegetarian diets and healthy pescetarian diets (there are also unhealthy vegetarian diets and unhealthy pescetarian diets). You can meet your nutritional needs either way.

activeadriana

littlechiaseed wrote: »

You can get dha from sea veg or supplements made from it (it's where fish get it) and omegas from veggies, nuts and seeds, no reason to need to eat fish.

What is sea veg? What are the supplements called? The only one I know of is fish oil, and my doctor didn't recommend it for me.

And I've never heard of there being omega in veggies, just in eggs. Do all veggies have it? Thanks.

rainbowbow

janejellyroll wrote: »

activeadriana wrote: »

I'm so mad it cut off my message. You can't add any emojis to these threads!

Ok, as I was saying.. It's my understanding that eating fish is better than eating any other type of meat. I spoke with a dietician last week and she said "Everyone should be eating two servings of fatty fish a week". Off the Eatright Ontario website it says "For good health, we should eat least two Food Guide servings of fish per week". http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Cooking/Food-Preparation/All-about-fish.aspx (2nd paragraph) and literally every doctor and dietician I've spoken to about eating a healthy diet (in general) has always concluded by recommending fish as part of a healthy diet. If we can get the same nutrients fish offers from other foods, why don't they say that? Why do they recommend fish but not other meat?

I'd consider being a vegetarian if I could get the same nutrition fish offers from other foods, but from what I've gathered, I can't.

I definitely need advice. Which is healthier, vegetarian or pescetarian? If you could tell me which foods offer the same benefits as fish, too, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Fish does have nutrients. But those nutrients can be found elsewhere too.

If you like fish and want to eat it, that's a whole other thing. I think you got the responses you did because it seemed as if you were ambivalent about eating fish, preferred not to eat meat at all, but thought you had to eat fish for specific health benefits.

When you say you can't get the nutrition from other foods, what nutrients are you referring to specifically? The recommendation of what type of food to substitute will depend on what benefit you're trying to get. I can speak for myself: I take an algae-based omega-3 supplement to ensure I'm getting a type of fat that is found in fish (as well as some other foods). I take an iodine supplement to ensure I'm getting enough iodine (I also eat seaweed -- other people who don't eat fish meet their needs through iodized salt or dairy).

There are millions of healthy people who never eat fish, millions of healthy people who only sometimes eat fish, and millions of healthy people who never eat any kind of meat. You could be completely healthy without ever eating fish, you could be completely healthy while eating fish. It's up to you what you want to choose. Your tastebuds can be part of that decision, your ethics can be part of it too.

There is no one "healthier" diet when it comes to vegetarian or pescetarian. There are healthy vegetarian diets and healthy pescetarian diets (there are also unhealthy vegetarian diets and unhealthy pescetarian diets). You can meet your nutritional needs either way.

I agree with all of this, especially the bolded.

janejellyroll

activeadriana wrote: »

littlechiaseed wrote: »

You can get dha from sea veg or supplements made from it (it's where fish get it) and omegas from veggies, nuts and seeds, no reason to need to eat fish.

What is sea veg? What are the supplements called? The only one I know of is fish oil, and my doctor didn't recommend it for me.

And I've never heard of there being omega in veggies, just in eggs. Do all veggies have it? Thanks.

This article may be helpful: http://veganhealth.org/articles/omega3

It's written for vegans, but you can just read it as "those eating plant foods."

Here is a chart that lets you compare to foods from animals: http://www.dhaomega3.org/Overview/Dietary-Sources-of-Omega-3-Fatty-Acids

I take the Deva brand vegan DHA supplement. It's algae-based, but it provides the same sort of nutrition as fish oil does. Algae is how fish get it -- people who eat fish are just "filtering" it through the fish instead of eating the algae itself.

Vegetables have a bit of it, but not a whole lot. Eggs *can* have it, but it depends on the diet fed to the chickens that are laying the eggs. Chickens fed a diet rich on omega-3s (via flaxseed or flax oil) will lay eggs containing it, otherwise not. If someone chooses to avoid eggs, they can consume the flax themselves to get the nutrition directly.

littlechiaseed

activeadriana wrote: »

littlechiaseed wrote: »

You can get dha from sea veg or supplements made from it (it's where fish get it) and omegas from veggies, nuts and seeds, no reason to need to eat fish.

What is sea veg? What are the supplements called? The only one I know of is fish oil, and my doctor didn't recommend it for me.

And I've never heard of there being omega in veggies, just in eggs. Do all veggies have it? Thanks.

Seaweed, spirulina. I eat seaweed snacks a few times a week. I put spirulina in my smoothies. I take a vegan dha supplement a few times a week. There are many on Amazon or at a healthfoods store it's just labeled vegan dha.

Omegas come from nuts, seeds, avocados etc here's a video that goes over other sources and why you don't need to eat fish. https://youtu.be/gdGLYBhfMT0

sgt1372

I don't let politics or "morality" dictate what I choose to eat.

So, I'll eat pretty much anything if it's affordable and tasty. Chicken, turkey and pork are usually on the top of the protein list for this reason.

Love fish and seafood but it's an expensive source of protein and other nutrients. So, they're not the 1st thing on my list of food to buy.

VeggieBarbells

littlechiaseed wrote: »

Fish are animals too and if your reason for eating them is that "they are good for us" then I suggest you look into how fish are farmed for human consumption. They are often in tiny tanks packed tight swimming in feces and wild caught fish kill lots of other marine life since nets catch whatever, not just one kind of fish and those fish are killed for no reason. Fish die a horrible death by suffocation. You can get dha from sea veg or supplements made from it (it's where fish get it) and omegas from veggies, nuts and seeds, no reason to need to eat fish.

Fish are farmed for human consumption << This took me some time to get my head around. Once I did my own research and worked out where I could get the same nutrients from, I no longer ate fish.

Mizzaf

I became a pescatarian in august. I did it for my health as I use to have stomach troubles after eating meat. Since becoming a pescatarian I have really felt the health benefits and understood the ethical side of things more. My plan for 2017 is to try a plant base lifestyle. Good luck on your journey