Pescatarian?

bellaxero
bellaxero Posts: 62
in Food and Nutrition
Before i begin, please please please, I am not looking for bashing becuase of what I am choosing to eat. I am just trying to make an informed decision. Thanks.

I have been veg for about a month.I know it hasnt been a long time, but whatever. I became a veg because of the way that the animals are treated prior to death and of course, the way that they are killed. I do not have a problem with eating animals. animals eat animals. Its a way of life etc etc, If i had my own farm and knew what was going into my food and how it was being treated and killed I would have no problem eating it if/when the time came.

That being said,

I have had real difficulty finding protein that I can eat outside of protein shakes and bars (which can be extremely expensive) and beans every night. I can't have soy based anything ( so there goes tofu and a lot of frozen options at the grocer) I started doing some research and thought about maybe switching to pesc to help with protein.

Ive been trying to do research but everything seems to conflict. Some say yes, others say no and they all have their wildly varying evidence.

I Would only be eating shrimp and salmon everyonce in a while, it would NOT be an every day thing or even an every week thing, just a supplement.

Im just not sure what to do, and would like some advice from the community as to the pros and cons and personal experiences.

Thank you!!

Replies

  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I was a vegetarian from the age of 13, and went pescetarian some years ago.
    My body just wasn't managing on a vegetarian diet anymore, and I was craving fish.
    I tried returning to meat, but couldn't as it caused stomach issues and guilt.
    Even though it is still something dead, I don't have quite as much of an issue with fish and seafood. I try to get wild salmon however.
    I eat it a lot of fish myself. I am not a big bean fan, I too avoid soya products as they affect my belly and are not all that good for you anyway supposedly and cottage cheese and eggs every night would get a bit boring so I have fish almost every evening.
    It is a very easy way to get protein levels up, mussels are also a very good source of iron. Have 2 wild salmon fillets, and that is 50g of protein right there.
  • bellaxero
    bellaxero Posts: 62
    thanks =]
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Good sources of protein: any nuts or seeds, peanut butter/ flour, omega-enriched eggs, many soft or hard cheeses (no animal rennet), yoghurt, wheatgerm, reduced fat cocoa powder, Quorn. You should be eating plenty of nuts and seeds anyway for the short chain omega-3s - especially ground flax and pumpkin seeds - the conversion rate to the useable long chain format can be as low as 10% so you need plenty of the oils. You should be having dairy three times a day for the calcium; pumpkin seeds and cocoa are good sources of iron which you should consider as a vegetarian.

    Protein/ amino acids your body cannot store so it ideally you would have some little and often through the day starting with breakfast, having a lump of fish once every few weeks will not make up for a deficiency the rest of the time (which you would not have anyway if you ate dairy, nuts and seeds regularly). Not all seafood is that amazing as a source of protein, most fish are, prawn/ shrimp less so they are naturally watery - personally I would stick with oily fish so you get your long chain omega-3s. Also be careful with processed options like beanburger, many are actually based on breadcrumbs or veg like mushrooms or corn, they actually contain little protein and are not a true meat substitute.
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
    Tuna is a pescatarian best friend. Also, if you have issues with cholesterol, limit the number of shrimp that you eat per week.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    This is your choice in the end, but are you not eating dairy or eggs, either?

    If you want to go pesce, do it. But if you really don't want to eat any animal flesh, there are options other than beans and soy for a vegetarian.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I completely sympathize with the idea of being veg for moral reasons. I also think that if you can't eat certain sources of protein, being a bit more lax on your diet (becoming pescatarian) is probably a great idea for you. You can do some research on the source of your fish to see if they are wild caught or being farmed responsibly. Lots of fish (fish-fish, not shellfish) are high in omega-3 fatty acids which is extremely beneficial. Tuna has a great deal of protein in particular.

    Unless you're serious about building a lot of muscle, the amount of protein a person typically needs to be healthy and functional is less than a lot of people here would tell you. You will be fine if you don't have a diet high in protein, but you do want to make sure you're meeting your other nutritional requirements.
  • bootsandfros
    bootsandfros Posts: 81 Member
    i am a pescatarian i guess. i love salmon and i use tuna as a quick snack and protein source. i personally like beans so i eat them anyway i can and with a side of rice which also is high in protein. spinach is a great source of protein and then obviously nuts. i know that i have to actively put protein in my diet or there will be little to none so i have started having protein shakes for breakfast with almond milk. i don't try to get high amounts of protein in my diet i just make sure i have SOME protein during the day b/c there have been days when i've had little.

    as far as dairy that's very limited in my diet. like...i might sprinkle a small amount of cheese on my salad if it's in the fridge. i don't do eggs or cow's milk.
  • bellaxero
    bellaxero Posts: 62
    Thank you everyone!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    i am a pescatarian i guess. i love salmon and i use tuna as a quick snack and protein source. i personally like beans so i eat them anyway i can and with a side of rice which also is high in protein. spinach is a great source of protein and then obviously nuts. i know that i have to actively put protein in my diet or there will be little to none so i have started having protein shakes for breakfast with almond milk. i don't try to get high amounts of protein in my diet i just make sure i have SOME protein during the day b/c there have been days when i've had little.

    as far as dairy that's very limited in my diet. like...i might sprinkle a small amount of cheese on my salad if it's in the fridge. i don't do eggs or cow's milk.

    Just one pot of greek yoghurt has about 18 grammes of protein. Very easy. Salmon fillet has about 20g. Shame you avoid dairy as cottage cheese is a good source also.
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    With tuna be mindful of mercury levels. I would eat WAY more tuna sandwiches for lunch if not for the pesky mercury.
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    I know the farmer we get beef from, and hunters who are good shots, so there's minimal suffering. Moose is very similar to beef. Just need to find someone who raises free range chicken. Maybe you could ask around, even check out Kijiji in your area and look for contacts who can supply you with a variety of meats, not just fish, because that could get boring quickly. You could get creative, there are people who raise ostrich for meat, goose, deer, etc.
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    Before i begin, please please please, I am not looking for bashing becuase of what I am choosing to eat. I am just trying to make an informed decision. Thanks.

    I have been veg for about a month.I know it hasnt been a long time, but whatever. I became a veg because of the way that the animals are treated prior to death and of course, the way that they are killed. I do not have a problem with eating animals. animals eat animals. Its a way of life etc etc, If i had my own farm and knew what was going into my food and how it was being treated and killed I would have no problem eating it if/when the time came.

    That being said,

    I have had real difficulty finding protein that I can eat outside of protein shakes and bars (which can be extremely expensive) and beans every night. I can't have soy based anything ( so there goes tofu and a lot of frozen options at the grocer) I started doing some research and thought about maybe switching to pesc to help with protein.

    Ive been trying to do research but everything seems to conflict. Some say yes, others say no and they all have their wildly varying evidence.

    I Would only be eating shrimp and salmon everyonce in a while, it would NOT be an every day thing or even an every week thing, just a supplement.

    Im just not sure what to do, and would like some advice from the community as to the pros and cons and personal experiences.

    Thank you!!

    There are tons of protein options out there without eating meats and fish.

    Switch up how you use protein powders. Vanilla protein powder is great mixed in with coffee (if you drink coffee). You can add powders to baking and use unflavoured powders for sauces (you can find some great, inexpensive options out there!). Quinoa is great as well as it is a complete protein. Yogurts are great for protein and you can get the lower cal versions. Prepare beans in a different way (roasted chickpeas are amazing!!!!!!). Chili is a great way to get protein in as well from the beans.

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