4 Types of Foods a Pescatarian Can Eat

You may have heard one of your friends say they're a pescatarian, and you may have wondered what on earth that means. By definition, a pescatarian is a person who eats seafood but not other types of meat.

A pescatarian diet usually includes salmon. (Image: Jupiterimages/Photolibrary/GettyImages)

But just as each person is different, what they choose to eat can vary. If you're hosting a dinner party for a pescatarian, it's best to clarify with them what they eat and don't eat. If you're considering becoming a pescatarian yourself, you can use the four types of foods outlined below to guide you.

What Is a Pescatarian?

Pescatarians are similar to vegetarians, but the difference is that pescatarians eat fish and shellfish in addition to an otherwise vegetarian diet. Like vegetarians, most pescatarians include eggs and dairy in their diets, according to registered dietitian Judith C. Thalheimer in Today's Dietitian.

Major vegetarian organizations, including the Vegetarian Society, do not recognize pescatarians as true vegetarians. But pescatarians believe that they can improve their health, the plight of land animals and the condition of our planet by refusing to consume meats other than seafood.

While you can eat an unhealthy diet as a pescatarian, most pescatarians and vegetarians consume less total fat, less cholesterol and less saturated fat than people who eat meat regularly.

According to the UK's National Health Service, most people should include more seafood in their diet because fish and shellfish are rich in nutrients, and oily fish like like salmon are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Pescatarians can eat mollusks like mussels. (Image: Lisovskaya/iStock/Getty Images)

1. Seafood for Pescatarians

Pescatarians do not eat land animals and birds, including beef, pork, chicken and other types of poultry. They do, however, eat fish, including:

Salmon
Tuna
Trout
Whitefish
Sardines
Fish roe (fish eggs or caviar)

This type of diet also allows for shellfish like:

Lobster
Shrimp (or prawns)
Crawfish
Crab
Scallops
Clams
Mussels
Squid
Octopus
Oysters

These foods can be prepared in any manner, as long as they are not prepared with other ingredients that contain meat from land animals.

Read more: 9 Excuses to Eat More Seafood

2. Plant Foods for Pescatarians

Fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins are often the main course for pescatarians, much like vegetarians and vegans. Depending on personal preferences and food allergies or sensitivities, they can eat any or all of the following:

Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Soy products such as tofu and tempeh

Some pescatarians rely on beans, nuts and dairy for the majority of their protein, eating fish and seafood only on occasion.

Not all pescatarians eat eggs and dairy but some do. (Image: Maximkostenko/iStock/Getty Images)

3. Eggs and Dairy for Pescatarians

Whether or not to consume eggs and dairy is a personal choice that each pescatarian makes based on his own preferences and values. Some of these products pescatarians may or may not eat include:

Milk
Yogurt
Cheese
Eggs
Butter
Whey
Ice cream
Baked goods containing eggs and dairy

4. Carbohydrates for Pescatarians

Carbohydrates are a staple of most pescatarian diets. Fruits, vegetables, beans and grains are rich sources of carbohydrates not found in meat and fish. These foods are excellent sources of not only carbohydrates for energy, but also vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Good sources of carbohydrates in a pescatarian diet include:

Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables
Whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa
Whole wheat bread and pasta
Black beans and chickpeas
Hummus
Sweet potatoes

The pitfall of some vegetarians and pescatarians is eating too many refined and processed carbohydrate foods. These foods are typically low in nutrients and high in fat and sugar.

Unhealthy carbohydrate foods pescatarians should avoid or limit include:

Chips and other packaged snack foods
Refined white bread and pasta
White rice
Pastries, cookies and cakes
French fries

Disadvantages of a Pescatarian Diet

Fish and shellfish are good sources of protein and healthy fats, but eating too much increases your exposure to pollutants and mercury. Depending on the waters that are being fished, some of those pollutants can include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin and perflourooctane sulfonate (PFO).

Excessive exposure to these pollutants on a pescatarian diet could potentially increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and thyroid disease. The risks of exposure are higher in pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a list of fish and shellfish that are safest to eat. Some of the best choices are:

Salmon
Black sea bass
Cod
Squid
Tilapia
Oysters
Crawfish
Sardines
Scallops
Shrimp

The FDA and EPA caution pregnant women and women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children to not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because of the high levels of mercury those fish contain.

If you consume very minimal amounts of fish or animal products, be certain to choose vitamin B-12 fortified foods, like breakfast cereal or soy milk, to make up for a potential deficit, or ask your health care provider to recommend a supplement.

Read more: 13 Types of Fish to Avoid Eating

You can try a health vegetarian salad with chickpeas as part of a pescatarian diet. (Image: Olha_Afanasieva/iStock/Getty Images)

10 Healthy Pescatarian Recipes

Still not sure what to eat on a pescatarian diet? Try one of these healthy and delicious options morning, noon or night!

Breakfast

Hass Avocado and Edamame Tartine
California Breakfast Burrito
Wild Mushroom and Baby Spinach Egg Skillet

Lunch

Champagne Cobb-Style Salad (with or without tuna)
Fish and Veggie Tacos

Dinner

White Winter Chili (with or without shrimp)
Shrimp and Tofu Panang Curry
Avocado Soup With Shrimp

Snacks

Sriracha Popcorn
Goji Berry, Almond and Cacao Trail Mix