Why Jo is a Pescatarian
I’ve been a pescatarian for about a year and a half now, since November of 2018. I think Thanksgiving was my last (meat) supper actually! A lot of people, especially my friends and family, ask about why I made this decision so I wanted to give a full explanation and reasoning behind it here. The photo above is from CUT steakhouse in Las Vegas (when I had to order fish rather than steak like the rest of my fam) - felt like it was fitting for this post haha!
I've broken down this post into both a chronological story as well as Q&A style to try and provide as much clear and concise info as possible.
First and foremost, I am not one of those pescatarians / vegetarians that judge people for eating meat. That would be impossible for me since Jacqs is the biggest carnivore lol we really balance each other out. Thank god for her because whenever we go out to dinner her and Connor share a massive steak and I third wheel with my salmon. But on a serious note, everyone is entitled to their own eating preference, and should choose to eat what makes them feel fulfilled, satisfied and nourished. Eating pescatarian is what I’ve found works best for me personally!
Let’s start with the basics since some people may not know the difference between being vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian. I mistakenly assumed that most people knew the definitions but quickly learned that’s not the case after having to explain it to my family over and over again every time they cook meat for dinner! Here’s a quick breakdown ( if you already know the difference feel free to skip through):
Vegans - Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin.
Vegetarians - Do not eat meat, poultry, or fish but can have animal byproducts.
Pescatarian - Do not eat meat or poultry but can eat fish and seafood! **THIS IS WHAT I AM!
About a year and a half ago, I started to make the transition to being a Pescatarian, but I didn’t go completely cold turkey (lol at the irony of this phrase) and stop eating meat overnight. I felt like it was probably 4-6 weeks in the making until I finally thought “I’m barely eating meat anyway, I might as well just cut it out fully”.
I used to eat meat very frequently - almost every single night for dinner tbh. My typical dinner would consist of baked chicken, vegetables and some sort of healthy carb such as rice, potatoes or something of that sort. So the decision to no longer eat meat was actually a big step for me and would’ve sounded crazy if you had asked me a few months prior to me making the jump. I remember there was one specific week in particular that I could not even finish my plate because I was so over meat. I had gotten so in the habit of eating it every night I didn’t even realize how much I didn’t enjoy it. It was a combination of both the taste and texture beginning to gross me out, and becoming overall more educated on the impacts meat had both on my personal health as well as the external factors such as animal rights and sustainability.
My decision was made from a variety of factors which I’ll try to clearly list out below and give you personal take on them:
Health - I feel so much better sticking to just seafood. My body digests it well and I feel nourished and energized from a pescatarian diet. In general, fish digests much quicker than red meat. The omega-3 fatty acids that are found in seafood are necessary for the human diet (hence why people take fish oil pills). Fish is the only true source of the omega-3 acids. Furthermore, I do my best to avoid fish that come from farms, and try to only consume wild, fresh caught fish to ensure I’m eating salmon, cod, halibut, etc. without any chemicals.
Environmental - Fish and seafood are often more environmentally sustainable sources of protein, as they don’t require as many resources to grow compared to livestock or any other animals raised on farms. A few other negative environmental impacts include deforestation to create space to house livestock, growing toxic emissions and waste. There are so many articles you can read through to do your own research. Rather than linking said articles, I encourage you to do your research and get the facts from un-bias sources! Even if you are a meat eater and don’t see yourself ever straining away from that, there are ways to try and minimize your environmental impact like purchasing from the right sources, organic, etc.
Animal Rights - I also educated myself more on how animals are treated, the commercial “slaughter houses” and all of that horrifying info. I’m sure many of you have seen some of these documentaries that induce fear… I definitely don’t base my decisions solely on these mainstream films, but I definitely do my own research. Through my research and talking with other pescatarians, I learned more about commercial meat production in our country, and that played a role in my decision as well. I personally just don’t want to contribute to the meat industry and feel like being pescatarian is something I can maintain and do my part to contribute without being overly restrictive. I’m proud of this decision and feel like it’s something I've just incorporated into a lifestyle.
Other FAQ’s:
Q: Do you feel like you get enough protein without eating meat?
A: Yes! I feel like I’m actually even more conscious of my protein intake now and get more than I used to. Rather than just eating a chicken breast for lunch and dinner, and assuming that was enough protein, I actually have to get creative and make choices for more protein. I incorporate lots of legumes, nuts, greek yogurt, eggs, vegan protein powders, etc into my diet on top of eating fish and seafood of course.
Q: Does not eating meat get in the way when you go out to eat?
A: Honestly not at all. Every restaurant I go to typically has at least one fish option and if they don’t then I’ll eat something vegetarian. Sometime I have to get a little creative (like at In-N-Out haha) but for the most part, I think it’s pretty easy. When you truly are passionate about something and confident in your decision, you’ll find a way to make it work without being too difficult. Also, if anyone makes a snarky comment about not eating meat, I’ll just make a joke about it. Again, I’m confident in my decision and really don’t care if other people don’t agree with my personal eating style.
Q: Do you ever eat meat, even just a little bit?
A: VERY rarely. Maybe like three times in the past year. No more than a bite though, and I would not order it for myself. If it’s a really special occasion or I’m traveling and Connor tells me “this is the best steak I’ve had in my entire life, you need to try it” I MIGHT have a bite then, but I have to be super convinced. Whenever I’ve had a bite I don’t really feel the desire to eat anymore.
Q: What happens when you eat meat?
A: I haven’t eaten enough to really notice it except for one time. In Mexico I ate a small serving size of meat at my FAVORITE restaurant (Sonora Grill Prime in Puerto Vallarta - you must go if you’re ever in PV, see photo on the right). It’s a kilo of filet that comes out on a freakin boiling salt block - I was a few drinks deep and just couldn’t resist. It was a great evening until about 2 am… and then I woke up in the middle of the night and got SO SICK. It was disgusting. Definitely my body rejecting the steak! What a lot of people don't realize is that over time your body's craving for meat disappears, and someone maintaining a meat free diet will get sick from it. I’ve learned that the hard way!
Q: Why do you still eat fish? Why not cut out everything and be a vegetarian?
Good question. First, I’ve found that eating fish and seafood genuinely makes me feel good and nourished so I don’t feel the need to eliminate that. Secondly, I take comfort in knowing that there’s studies showing fish and seafood are not developed in the same way as mammals like cows. For example, seafood like shrimp have “ganglia,” and not brains. I understand that this is a controversial topic and has not been 100% proven but there are a lot of studies that showcase these findings.
Any other questions? Let me know! Happy to answer.
Keep it Sweaty,
Jo
