All About Pescetarians (Fish-Eating Vegetarians)

in #blog5 years ago

I'm glad to see a lot of adventurous eaters who tweak the standard eating "rules". While "vegetarian" eating used to mean only eating from the plant kingdom (no animals or animal products), there are several categories which now personalize the plan. I don't think the food police will come and arrest someone calling themselves a vegetarian, who consumes some animal products, but also embraces a non-meat lifestyle.


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Check out the different types of vegetarian eating styles. Do you see your own habits here? Would you like to try it out? They're all healthful, but beware that the more restrictive the eating plan, the harder you have to work at maintaining adequate nutrient intake (especially for calcium, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and protein).

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: No animal products, includes eggs and dairy products

Ovo-vegetarian: No animal products, consumed eggs but no dairy.

Pescetarian: Eats fish, but no meat or chicken (dairy/eggs optional)

Flexitarian: Meatless meals several times a week, but still eats meat (including red meat)

Vegan: Only foods of plant origin - no animals or animal byproducts (no dairy or eggs)

I'll be revisiting these other plans, but today I'd like to give you some tips on healthy pescetarian eating.

Here are my tips you can apply to most vegetarian eating plans. Do you have any tips of your own? Blog away! When it comes to vegetarian eating, we need all the information we can get!

1. Check with your doctor. You want to start out in good health, and identify any possible deficiencies or medical issues ahead of time

2. Make sure to meet your protein needs. Here's an easy way: take your weight, divide it in half, and that's the number of protein grams you need daily. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, you need about 70 grams of protein every day. Fish-eaters should be aware of mercury intake, and stick with low-mercury fish including salmon, shrimp, and canned light tuna. Soy products like edamame and tofu are also winners. So are low or non-fat dairy products (read on!).

3. Include dairy products. I know the dairy-avoiding folks will disagree, but for most people (especially growing teens), calcium intake is often a problem if dairy products are avoided. It IS possible to maintain calcium requirements by consuming dark green vegetables - but bear in mind that it takes about 4 cups of broccoli to equal the calcium in an 8 ounce glass of milk. If low or non-fat dairy products are included, you'll get some "double duty" foods - both calcium and protein.

4. Take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily. This is important insurance to meet your nutrient needs. You might be a risk for inadequate Iron, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, or zinc - all which managed by a single supplement containing 100% of the recommended daily intake (RDI). When it comes to vitamins and minerals, more does not mean better!

So, whether you're a vegetarian full or part-time—please share your own eating experiences!

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