Pros and Cons to Pescetarianism?

FitFabFlirty92

I'm considering becoming a pescetarian, since I already love fish and wouldn't mind having it as my primary protein source. I haven't heard it talked about much here on the boards, since everyone is debating vegetarianism, veganism, and Paleo. What is the general consensus here on pescetarians? Is it a good idea, or would I be lacking a lot in nutrition by doing it?

Beethoven1827

If you want to live without eating meat, and like fish & seafood, then go for it. if you don't, then don't. It's a personal choice - that's all.

You can be an omnivore with a healthy diet, or one with an unhealthy diet. You can be a vegetarian with a healthy diet or an unhealthy one. I'm pretty sure you can be a vegan with a healthy diet or an unhealthy one. You see how this is going...?

AvsFreak

I hate fish, so have fun with that! :P Just keep fish that are high in mercury to a minimum and you should be fine.

AZKristi

Fish is a great source of protein! Just make sure that if you are eating fish several times a week, you aren't always choosing ones that contain a lot of mercury.

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/outreach/advice_index.cfm

firstsip

The only con would be, like someone else said, you went overboard on high mercury fish (which may not happen, since they tend to be more expensive anyway) or you really missed ingesting other meat.

Fish is great protein, super high Omega-3, and contains lots Vitamin D... you'd probably be ahead of the game on some nutritional values by eating fish regularly.

Fish is the main source of protein in the famous (or infamous) Mediterranean diet, which has been correlated with higher life expectancy and better overall health.

Ge0rgiana

Pro: You don't have to worry about antibiotics and hormones in land animals anymore. Yay!
Con: You severely limit your protein sources. I really liked it but ultimately made myself go back to eating other types of meats.

FitFabFlirty92

Pro: You don't have to worry about antibiotics and hormones in land animals anymore. Yay!
Con: You severely limit your protein sources. I really liked it but ultimately made myself go back to eating other types of meats.

Good point! I love fish, but I don't know if I want to eat it as my only source of protein. My favorite is actually red meat, but I know that can be really bad for you depending on where you get it and how often you eat it.

firstsip

Pro: You don't have to worry about antibiotics and hormones in land animals anymore. Yay!
Con: You severely limit your protein sources. I really liked it but ultimately made myself go back to eating other types of meats.

Good point! I love fish, but I don't know if I want to eat it as my only source of protein. My favorite is actually red meat, but I know that can be really bad for you depending on where you get it and how often you eat it.

I used to love eating red meat, and stopped eating it when I was roughly 14 because I just kept.feeling.sick. Excruciating stomachaches (only after eating it), migraine headaches, etc. I'm now 23 and don't miss it at all (and haven't missed it... ever).

Don't get hung up on labels. You don't have to go from "eating all meat" straight to "pescetarian" or "vegetarian." I sometimes call myself a "poultrytarian," because outside of fish, it's really the only form of protein I eat. I have the occasional pork, and RECENTLY, have had some venison because my fiance's family hunts and gifted us with pounds and pounds (and I didn't want to waste!).

For cutting out red meat: it's seriously the easiest protein to replace. It's not "bad" for you--moderation is key with it. However, if you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it... seriously, try other forms of red meat than beef. Try lamb, or venison. Same textures, flavors, etc... less fat.

Try subbing other meats. Love burgers and tacos? Ground turkey (when prepared WELL) tastes the same; I've had a "mushroom" burger where the meat was a variety of mushrooms... nothing has tasted so like red meat to me ever.

So, tl;dr: Don't just become "pescetarian" for the label... :P If you're looking to cut some meat out, try weaning out certain meats you're concerned about over time and replacing with other things. But I can tell you for sure: fish is a super healthy alternative.

And, just as a, "Hey, red meat free girl for almost a decade!" note: By cutting out all red meat, I did get rid of those weird symptoms I got after eating it. I've HAD some issues with iron and B6 in the past as a result that I've had well managed for years since taking a supplement and upping my greens intakes (spinach, kale, etc.).

girlinahat

Pro: You don't have to worry about antibiotics and hormones in land animals anymore. Yay!
Con: You severely limit your protein sources. I really liked it but ultimately made myself go back to eating other types of meats.

Good point! I love fish, but I don't know if I want to eat it as my only source of protein. My favorite is actually red meat, but I know that can be really bad for you depending on where you get it and how often you eat it.

most things can be really bad for you depending on where you get it and how often you eat it. If you really like red meat, then why deprive yourself of it? I would think it could form a small part of your diet and not cause you to die or put on loads of weight.

Fish are great, but the same rules apply - focus on farmed fish, and you can find that some sources are prone to infections and disease. focus on wild fish, and you could be contributing to both the loss of fish from our oceans and destruction of our reefs and habitats (a brief look at videos showing scallop dredging or trawl netting should explain what I mean). And there's the heavy metals issue as has been mentioned.

If you have no ethical objections (ie. are not vegetarian/vegan for moral reasons (and personally I don't understand the concept of a vegetarian who thinks it's okay to eat fish but not meat)) then keep your diet varied, eat all forms of protein, but make vegetables the mainstay of your diet.

firstsip

(and personally I don't understand the concept of a vegetarian who thinks it's okay to eat fish but not meat)

Because not everyone goes pescetarian for "ethical" reasons...?

girlinahat

(and personally I don't understand the concept of a vegetarian who thinks it's okay to eat fish but not meat)

Because not everyone goes pescetarian for "ethical" reasons...?

I understand that. I was talking about people who choose 'ethical reasons' as a motivator.

je3sus

I understand that. I was talking about people who choose 'ethical reasons' as a motivator.
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As a pescetarian I don't support an inhumane meat industry that treats animals like objects. Animals have feelings too, and of course fish do too, but you have to look at it relativity. For example the suffering of a sick cow (so you can enjoy your red meat) as it is electrocuted (so it can walk through the kill line) is much greater than the suffering of a fish (so I can enjoy my tuna) that has been pulled out of the ocean. Furthermore the suffering of mammals has been institutionalized and industrialized via the meat industry, and while the fishing industry has cruel practicies as well, I don't think they come even close to those of the beef and poultry industry. True, a pescetarian diet may not prevent all animal suffering, but it prevents a huge portion of it, and thus practically speaking I see no issue with choosing this diet for moral reasons.

girlinahat

True, a pescetarian diet may not prevent all animal suffering, but it prevents a huge portion of it, and thus practically speaking I see no issue with choosing this diet for moral reasons.

Hmmm. Sadly certain types of fishing practices are indiscriminate and undoubtedly cruel to animals - and not just to the fish that are being targeted.

Having seen first hand the destruction wrought on our seas by scallop dredging, trawling and dynamiting, there is no way I could agree that fishing was morally or ethically better than some of the land-based farming practices. I would even go so far as to suggest modern day farming was substantially more sustainable in terms of returns to the landscape than fishing.

AnninStPaul

Fish is a great source of protein! Just make sure that if you are eating fish several times a week, you aren't always choosing ones that contain a lot of mercury.

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/outreach/advice_index.cfm

^^This would be my concern.

AnninStPaul

I understand that. I was talking about people who choose 'ethical reasons' as a motivator.

As a pescetarian I don't support an inhumane meat industry that treats animals like objects. Animals have feelings too, and of course fish do too, but you have to look at it relativity. For example the suffering of a sick cow (so you can enjoy your red meat) as it is electrocuted (so it can walk through the kill line) is much greater than the suffering of a fish (so I can enjoy my tuna) that has been pulled out of the ocean. Furthermore the suffering of mammals has been institutionalized and industrialized via the meat industry, and while the fishing industry has cruel practicies as well, I don't think they come even close to those of the beef and poultry industry. True, a pescetarian diet may not prevent all animal suffering, but it prevents a huge portion of it, and thus practically speaking I see no issue with choosing this diet for moral reasons.

First of all, if the animal is sick, it shouldn't have made it to the slaughterhouse.

Second, aquaculture can be just as bad as the beef industry. The fish are penned in, fed interesting combinations of proteins, have an above normal concentration of waste products in the pen, etc. There's also the same loss of genetic diversity that you get with any breeding. WIld caught, or line caught, is better, but the humanitarian argument is pretty soft.

Is the suffering of one beef cow (~1500lb slaughter weight) greater than that of 75 Chilean Sea Bass (~20lb harvest weight)?

anirishjem

I highly highly suggest going pescetarian! I have done it for 3 years (do NOT eat any sort of land meat) and without making any other changes to my diet, I lost 15 pounds immediately and another 10 over the last year. I hit my ideal weight without even trying. I still eat my favorite sweets (though not all day, every day) and I still go out with my friends and drink alcohol. I feel better, my digestive system is better, my energy is higher. I highly recommend it!