The Benefits of a Pescatarian Diet

The pescatarian diet marries nutrient-rich foods with environmental consciousness. The benefits of a pescatarian diet, for various groups in history, were even religious in nature—in ancient Greece and medieval Europe, for example. Today, there is plenty of scientific evidence to support the healthy aspects of pescetarianism. Eating seafood is emphasized in the pescatarian diet, alongside plant-based foods. At City Fish Market, we’ve got all the fresh seafood you might want to accentuate at your home table. 

What Do Pescatarians Eat?

In the simplest terms, pescatarians eat like vegetarians, with the addition of seafood. The term “pescatarian” has been around since the 1990s. It blends the Italian word for fish, “pesce,” with “vegetarian.” 

The following are among the plant-based foods pescatarians commonly eat: Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, and lentils. These plant-based foods, together with seafood, provide numerous vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytochemicals. Pescatarians aren’t breaking any rules when they consume eggs and dairy products, but all pescatarians say no to red meat and poultry.

Here are 34 Easy Pescatarian Recipes that Make the Most of Seafood.

The Pescatarian Diet and Environmental Consciousness

There are so many potential benefits of a pescatarian diet. For many, making good decisions for the environment is one of the best reasons to choose sustainable seafood. When you prioritize sustainability in your seafood choices, the following are among the benefits:

• Help ensure long-term fish populations
• Preserve marine ecosystems
• Contribute to global food security
• Support the livelihoods of communities that rely on fishing

To be sure, all types of seafood can be enjoyed on the pescatarian diet, but those who strive to make choices based on sustainability often gravitate towards the following types of seafood (which also have great nutritional benefits):

• Tuna is packed with omega-3s and is an excellent protein source.
• Salmon is flavorful, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and a common favorite.
• Shellfish such as shrimp, oysters, mussels, and clams are popular, offering essential minerals such as iron and zinc as well as unique flavor profiles.
• Sardines are often recommended for low mercury levels, according to some medical experts. Sardines are also an excellent source of vitamin D and omega-3s.

The Best Health Benefits of a Pescatarian Diet

Our bodies benefit greatly from eating our vegetables and grains. This is something many of us have known since our childhood, when we were urged to eat allegedly yucky things such as spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, and whole grain wheat bread. 

The benefits of seafood are far less famous. They must be because if the truth got out about seafood, surely top-quality fish markets like ours would be forced to expand even more than we already have. The following are a few of the best benefits of eating seafood, whether in a pescatarian diet or not:

• Seafood is a lean protein. How lean? There is only 1 gram of saturated fat in 5 ounces of tuna. About 90% of the calories in tuna come from protein. (The meats pescatarians avoid have much higher levels of saturated fat.) 
• Seafood is also a complete protein, which means that seafood contains all nine essential amino acids. Eating complete proteins is essential for maintaining good health and muscle function.
• Seafood contains types of healthy omega-3 fatty acids that you can’t get anywhere else and that your body does not produce. We recommend you load up on seafood with high levels of omega-3s because they help reduce inflammation and support a healthy brain, a healthy heart, and healthy eyes. Seafood high in omega-3s includes salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, oysters, halibut, cod, rainbow trout, and anchovies.

Visit City Fish Market for the Seafood in Your Pescatarian Diet

The benefits of a pescatarian diet are abundant! The best part if you live in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Maine is that City Fish Market can be your go-to place for the freshest seafood. Once home chefs, including pescatarians, see the beautiful spread of fresh seafood in our retail counters, they often add our address to their top GPS destinations. That address is 884 Silas Deane Hwy in Wethersfield, CT.

Stop by today for fresh seafood, no matter what your recipe calls for. We proudly offer fresh sardines, salmon, mackerel, halibut, herring, cod, and tuna, in addition to shellfish galore, such as oysters and shrimp, and so much more. We also deliver! Just give us a call or fill out our online form.