5 Observations About Pescatarian Life

Perfect pescatarian meal: Tuna Poke Bowl (enjoyed at The Hut, Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight) Since about April I have been following a pescatarian diet. I’ve always enjoyed fish and seafood and with all the recent reports linking meat eating and climate change – I wanted to do what I could to eat a more plant-based diet. Here’s what I’ve observed so far.

It’s hard not to replace meat with fish

My intention was to eat a more plant based diet – not simply replace meat with fish and prawns – but it was a bit harder than I thought. When your trying to cook up a meal with a good source of protein and can’t have meat, it’s very easy to just opt for fish instead. But slowly I’ve started to get more protein into my veggie meals with added beans and even tofu.

Restaurant menus are easier to navigate

I’m indecisive and could often agonise over a restaurant menu, trying hard to choose something that wouldn’t result in food envy! Now that I’ve cut out meat, unless I’m in a seafood restaurant, I’m usually down to about three of four choices so it makes the decision process easier. I thought I’d find this restrictive and frustrating, but it’s actually been really freeing.

Post gym protein needs thought

I would snack on often some organic meat for a post workout bit of protein – so this needed some thinking about how to get around. It wasn’t even really that I loved having meat, just that I was looking for some ‘clean’ protein to have after the gym. I don’t really do the whole protein shake thing, so many of them seem to have nasty ingredients and they always come in sickly sweet flavours – I’m just not a chocolate, salted caramel or fake-strawberry kind of girl! I prefer something savoury. Obviously, there’s eggs and nuts and I’ve now started having tinned fish too.

Hello tinned mackerel!

This is a revelation to me! I always thought tinned mackerel looked horrible and came with icky overly tomatoey sauces. But I was wrong! It’s actually really very nice. John West’s mackerel fillets in smoky barbecue sauce are amazing and there’s plenty just with olive oil which are vey nice too. I’m almost sad for the years I missed out on eating tinned mackerel!

I feel good about myself

I feel so much better being able to say ‘I don’t eat meat’. Okay, I haven’t gone vegan, there are issues with dairy and egg farming too and fishing isn’t exactly sustainable either – but I’ve taken a big step and now feel a tiny bit less guilty about contributing to climate change. I know plant based is best and I’m a step closer to walking the walk now.

If anyone else has made the leap to give up meat, whether it’s vegan, veggie or pescatarian like myself – I’d love to know how your finding it?