5 Tips for Starting a Pescatarian Diet

5 Tips for Starting a Pescatarian Diet : What is a pescatarian? If you embrace such a lifestyle, you enjoy dining on gifts from the sea like lobster and mackerel, along with land-based delights such as fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. You avoid chicken, beef and pork.

Research indicates that this eating pattern has enormous benefits for your overall health. If you’re ready to take the plunge, here are five tips for starting a pescatarian diet.

Take Seafood Beyond the Dinner Plate

If you live in the western hemisphere, your mind probably gravitates toward bacon, eggs and cereal when you think about breakfast foods. You most likely don’t envision sushi. However, fish would be an integral part of many morning meals if you lived in Japan. Why not take a hint from our friends on the other side of the globe?

For example, a bowl of lobster hash makes the ideal brunch for your Sunday delight. This underwater rock-crawler is chock-full of selenium and protein while possessing few calories. Selenium is particularly vital during the winter months, as it helps to maintain a healthy mood. Make this meal a staple if you lean toward seasonal depression.
Learn About the Nutritional Benefits of Seafood

Seafood is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. There’s a good reason that folks who live close to the ocean tend to have longer lifespans. Omega-3 fatty acids are one nutrient that works the magic.

Why omega-3’s? Heart disease remains the number one killer of men and women worldwide. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid crucial to cardiovascular health, and the best way to ensure sufficient intake is through food. These substances can reduce your heart’s tendency toward arrhythmias and lower your triglyceride levels and blood pressure.

Omega-3s also play a critical role in maintaining cell membranes and protecting the brain and nervous system from damage. Some research ties adequate intake with a lower risk of mental illnesses like depression, although scientists need further investigations.

Omega-3s aren’t the only nutrient you’ll find in the gifts from the sea. It’s also rich in minerals like magnesium and zinc, which play important roles in preventing depression and neurological problems. Fatty fish like mackerel and herring also contain high levels of vitamins A and D. Vitamin A is crucial for maintaining healthy eyesight, and vitamin D helps your bones absorb calcium.
Take a Cooking Lesson

Do you shy away from seafood because you don’t know how to prepare it? If so, you aren’t alone. However, you don’t have to elevate yourself to sous chef status to master a few recipes.

The beauty of seafood is that many dishes cook up in no time — a boon for busy weekday nights. For example, you can whip up many shrimp scampi pasta recipes in only 15 minutes from start to finish. You can grill or broil most fish in minutes, depending on the size of the fillet. These preparation methods keep the fat and calorie content low.
Explore New Restaurants

What if your kids or spouse balk at the smell of seafood cooking? If you don’t relish the fish aroma in your kitchen during months when you can’t open the windows, why not explore new restaurants?

Many establishments are still struggling to recuperate from COVID-19, so you can justify the expenditure as doing your part to regrow the economy. You can also experiment with flavors you wouldn’t necessarily have in your kitchen. For example, if you tend to prepare meals with a mainstream American flair, why not go out for Vietnamese or Thai to tempt your tastebuds with new sensations?
Make a Wild Catch

What’s the best part about seafood? If you live close enough to the ocean, you can gather or catch many meals for free or next to it.

For example, you might be able to dig for clams on a beach near your home if the water quality meets the standards. If you have shoreline property in Maine, you could set up some lobster traps. You could also take a deep-sea fishing expedition and bring home your catch.

What if you live in Kansas? You can still head to the fishing hole and reap many of the same benefits. For example, trout is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and you might be able to catch one in your local stream.

Start a Healthy Pescatarian Diet

Pescatarian diets offer a host of health benefits. Use these five tips to get started on your new meal plan.