Is it hard to be a pescatarian?

[Mike]

I've tried being vegetarian just shy of a vegan and found it way too difficult. Is pescaterian any easier and is it also healthy and good for weight loss and the environment?

[antoniojones1968]

No idea. Is this the diet where you don't eat meat but you eat fish or something like that?

[Nelly]

A Pescatarian diet is essentially a vegetarian diet expect that you eat fish and dairy. So you don?t eat meat, but you do consume seafood as well as eggs and dairy products. It would be easier to follow than traditional vegetarian or straight up vegan, but it still requires a major change and some people still find it restrictive. It is healthy for you as any diet can be, as long as you make sure you get your proper nutrients and follow a balanced diet.

[bigbobby]

IMO if you're a natural born meat eater, any diet that requires you to cut it out of your diet is going to be hard. While this one is definitely not as extreme as being vegan or a strict vegetarian, in my experience, any time you follow a diet that tells you that you can't do something anymore that you always did and took for granted, you're going to struggle with it at first. If you want to follow it, good. Just remember that it likely won't be as simple as you think at first and even when you do get used to it, there are times when you're still likely to struggle. Learn about it and be realistic and that's how you'll know if it's a good choice for you.

[Gina]

I think everyone answered the "how hard it is part" so I'll answer the environmental part. It can be eco-friendly but just like vegan and vegetarian diets, how eco friendly they are extends well beyond not eating meat. The only way these diets are truly eco-friendly is if you're buying sustainable and locally sourced foods. For instance, if you eat a lot of avocado but you don't live somewhere that grows it, then your avacdo has a large carbon footprint because it needs to be transported to your city and your local store. Also, in the case of pescatarian, it matters what fish you eat. If you choose to eat fish that are overfished and endangered...also not eco-friendly. Hope that helps to answer your question :)

[kellykatt]

I think everyone answered the "how hard it is part" so I'll answer the environmental part. It can be eco-friendly but just like vegan and vegetarian diets, how eco friendly they are extends well beyond not eating meat. The only way these diets are truly eco-friendly is if you're buying sustainable and locally sourced foods. For instance, if you eat a lot of avocado but you don't live somewhere that grows it, then your avacdo has a large carbon footprint because it needs to be transported to your city and your local store. Also, in the case of pescatarian, it matters what fish you eat. If you choose to eat fish that are overfished and endangered...also not eco-friendly. Hope that helps to answer your question :)

That's a good point Gina. I never thought of that but you're right. Cutting out meat is definitely beneficial for the environment but eating locally is equally important. If your diet consists mostly of imported ingredients, you're not actually being all that eco-conscious.

[Ron]

Mike have you given any real thought as to why you would want to be a pescatarian? What were your reasons for wanting to go vegan or vegetarian in the first place? Was it only not eating meat that you found difficult or other things, too? I'm only wondering if you might find it easier to simply follow a diet that still includes meat but a lot less of it and only certain cuts. If your goal is to lose weight, it may be easier to stick to a calorie controlled diet if you like what you're eating and it makes sense to your lifestyle, is all I'm saying.

[freddyboy]

I don't think it's hard, but I do think it's important to get your fish from sustainable and reputable sources. Lots of fish are overfished like tuna and others may be grown on farms that might not be the cleanest...I mean, have you heard about the shrimp horror stories from china? It's important to know from where you're obtaining your fish and to try to be as good to your health as you are to the environment.