You’ve probably heard about various dietary programs such as veganism and vegetarianism, but have you heard about the pescatarian diet? As a company that deals in fish, we are very familiar with this healthy eating choice and want to share what we know with our readers. Let’s take a closer look at the pescatarian diet and its benefits.
What’s It Mean to Be a Pescatarian?
According to Healthline, “By that definition, a pescatarian is someone who chooses to eat a vegetarian diet, but who also eats fish and other seafood. It’s a largely plant-based diet of whole grains, nuts, legumes, produce and healthy fats, with seafood playing a key role as a main protein source. Many pescatarians also eat dairy and eggs.”
Why Do People Choose Pescatarian?
There are many reasons someone may choose a diet that is balanced with seafood and plant-based foods. Some of those reasons include health benefits, environmental concerns, and ethical issues.
Health Benefits
There are so many health benefits to eating a plant-based, seafood diet. One of the biggest is the lowered risk of chronic diseases such as: heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and the risks of strokes. The lowered meat and animal consumption has been shown to reduce calories thus reducing the risk for several of these diseases.
Along with heart health, weight control, and a decrease in the many chronic diseases Americans face, fish can lower anxiety and depression and help slow cognitive declines later in life.
Environmental Factors
If you are someone who wants to make their carbon footprint smaller, eating a pescatarian diet could be a small step to doing so. According to the United Nations, raising livestock contributes to 15% of all human-made carbon emissions. Producing seafood or fish has the lowest carbon footprint of all production types. If there is even a small way your pattern of eating can help reduce the Greenhouse Effect, this would be one of them.
Ethical Concerns
From concerns about the working conditions in meat manufacturing plants, to cruel practices such as the slaughtering of animals, many pescatarians make their dietary decisions on the ethics behind the process of meat preparation for consumption. These humanitarian reasons are very personal and can make the decision a fairly easy one for many who enjoy seafood and a plant-based diet.
Want to start adding fish into your diet? Check out our retail ready selection on our website and get started this season.
