In reviewing various diets and dietary restrictions, the concept of a pescetarian diet intrigued me. This form of diet is one that can be defined as a vegetarian diet with allowance for fish and seafood. Most people who choose to adhere to a pescetarian diet typical eat vegetarian meals, while incorporating fish and seafood into there diet a few times per week. Some individuals may also choose to add eggs and dairy to their diet, yet this is often limited or avoided altogether if the reasons for choosing to follow this diet centres around health concerns. Typically, breakfast for a pescetarian could consist of cereal or bread along with some yogurt with fruit. Those who choose to eat eggs may also decide to eat an omelette for breakfast. Common breakfast meats, such as bacon, may also be replaced in this diet by items such as soy based breakfast sausage links. For lunch, pescetarians may choose to eat something quick and easy on the go, such as a salmon burger, sushi, or a salad if they do not want to have fish for lunch. When it comes to dinner, a typical meal may be a piece of broiled fish served with a side of vegetables or rice. If choosing not to have fish for dinner, a pescetarian may choose to eat a vegetarian meal such as pasta with tomato sauce. As a meat eater who typically does not enjoy eating fish, I wanted to challenge myself by following a pescetarian diet for 3 days. When designing my meals, I wanted to try and create recipes that utilize fish while offering the textures of meat along with the great bold flavours I typically enjoy from cuisines such as those of India and Mexico. To make my meals well rounded, I wanted to incorporate grains and vegetables as side dishes. Have a look below at the recipe and photos for my Indian Spice Crusted Pan-Fried Haddock with Heirloom Carrot Quinoa. Hope you enjoy. I know I enjoyed the flavour of this dish and will definitely be making it again at some point in the future. After following a pescetarian diet, I was actually quite proud of myself. Not only did I end up eating more fish and seafood than I normally do, but I also appreciated the tastes of the various dishes I created and felt that I expanded my palate further. This diet also allowed me to gain further practice in filleting and cooking fish, helping to expand my expertise in this area. I also expanded my knowledge of the various types of fish available for purchase, as well as the differences between utilizing fresh fish versus frozen fish when preparing dishes. Eating fish and seafood based dishes allowed me to feel full, but not bloated like I sometimes feel after eating heavier meat based dishes. Overall, I felt like I was eating much cleaner than I normally do, however, I did feel a craving for meat that was hard to ignore at times. This craving became particularly strong when dining out in restaurants that offer more meat based dishes than vegetarian and fish based options. I also found it somewhat challenging to come up with dishes utilizing fish and seafood, likely due to my tendency to prepare meat dishes, but was proud of my pescetarian based creations.
For those of you reading this and considering trying a pescetarian based diet, I would advise you to include a variety of fish and seafood in your meals rather than sticking to one or two particular types of fish. You may also want to avoid many of the less healthy fish and seafood options available, such as deep fried fish sticks or breaded calamari. Of course, eating a pescetarian diet does not mean that you necessarily need to include fish with every meal you eat. I would advise that you also focus on including various dark leafy greens, such as kale, as well as beans to your diet to help increase your daily fibre intake as well as iron intake that could lack due to omission of red meat from your diet. Ideally, I found this diet beneficial, particularly because it provides me with increased omega-3s that I typical lack. This being said, I would most likely not continue on with a pescetarian diet for various reasons. Mainly, I still have a craving for meat and feel that it would be extremely hard for me to cope with this craving and be able to fully stick to this form of diet. Also, many of the dishes I tend to prepare are somewhat difficult to produce by substituting fish for the meat. I find this is mainly due to the fact that fish is a much more delicate protein that does not typically withstand various forms of cooking in the ways that meat does, such as in a stew or stirfry. Also, being a student I find that the cost of fresh fish is pricier than meat, especially in comparison to some larger cuts of meat that may typically go on sale at a local grocer. I find that meat can be easily frozen and prepared later, while freezing fresh fish seems like somewhat of a travesty. Yet, don’t let these comments discourage you from trying a pescetarian diet. All in all, I can now say that after following this diet I will definitely start incorporating more fish and seafood into my diet than I did it the past.
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AuthorHi everyone. I'm Peter, and I have decided to follow my passion and pursue a career in cooking. I look forward to connecting with you all. Archives
February 2017
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