A pescatarian diet can be very healthy.
Pescatarian is someone who adds fish and seafood to a vegetarian diet.
There are many reasons why people choose to give up meat and poultry but still eat fish.
Some people choose to add fish to their vegetarian diet so they can reap the health benefits of a plant-based diet and heart-healthy fish.
Others may be trying to curb the environmental impact of their diet. For some, this may just be a matter of taste.
This article explains in detail the benefits and disadvantages of the pescatarian diet, including what pescatarians do and don't eat.
What is pescatarian?
In the simplest terms, a fish vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat but eats fish.
The word pescatarian was coined in the early 1990s as a combination of the Italian word "pesce" and "vegetarian". Sometimes spelled "pescetarian", but the meaning is the same.
In the scientific literature, this diet is often described as "Bisco vegetarian" and falls under the category of vegetarianism (1).
According to this definition, a pescatarian is someone who chooses to eat vegetarian but also fish and other seafood.
It's a predominantly plant-based diet that includes whole grains, nuts, legumes, produce, and healthy fats, with seafood playing a key role as the primary protein source.
Many pescatarians also eat dairy products and eggs.
Of course, just as vegetarian diets can be very different, so can a pescatarian diet. It is possible to eat a meat-free diet rich in processed starches, junk foods, and fish sticks instead of a healthier diet based on whole foods.
Summary: Pescatarians are people who mainly follow a vegetarian diet but also eat fish and seafood.
Why do people choose a pescatarian diet?
There are several reasons why people may choose to eat a pescatarian diet. Here are some of the main ones.
Health benefits
Plant-based diets have many proven benefits, including a reduced risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. (2, 3, 4)。
According to research, you can also reap many protective benefits from a pescatarian diet.
One study found that women who ate pescatarian weighed 1.1 kg less per year than those who ate meat (4).
People who shift their diets to plant-based ones gain the least weight, suggesting that reducing animal consumption may be good for you regardless of your current diet.
Another study concluded that pescatarian animals had a lower risk of diabetes at 4.8% compared to 7.6% in omnivores. (2)。
In addition, a large study looked at people who rarely ate meat or pescatarians. They had a 22% lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to regular meat eaters (3).
Environmental issues
Raising livestock comes with high environmental costs.
According to the United Nations, raising livestock accounts for 15% of all anthropogenic carbon emissions (5).
In contrast, the carbon footprint of producing fish and seafood is lower than producing any type of animal meat or cheese (6).
A 2014 study calculated that those who ate fish had a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from their diets compared to those who ate at least one serving of meat per day (7).
Moral reasons
Morality is probably the main reason why people choose a vegetarian diet. This may also be the main reason for pescatarians.
Some of the ethical reasons why people choose not to eat meat include (8, 9):
- Against slaughter: They don't want to kill animals for food.
- Inhumane factory practices: They refuse to support factory farms that raise livestock under inhumane conditions.
- Poor labor conditions: They refuse to support factory farms with poor workers' conditions.
- Humanitarian reasons: When there is so much hunger in the world, they believe that producing grains for animal feed is an unjust use of land and resources.
Eliminating land animals from your diet can address some of these ethical issues. That said, aquaculture and overfishing can also be problematic.
Summary: People choose a pescatarian diet for several reasons, including health, morals, and environmental concerns.
What do Pescatarians eat?
A typical pescatarian diet is predominantly vegetarian with the addition of seafood.
Pescatarians eat

- Whole grains and cereal products
- Beans and their products, including beans, lentils, tofu, and hummus
- Nuts and nut butters, peanuts and seeds
- Seeds, including hemp, chia seeds, and flaxseeds
- Dairy products, including yogurt, milk and cheese
- fruit
- vegetable
- Fish and shellfish
- egg
Pescatarians don't eat

- Beef
- chicken
- pork
- mutton
- turkey
- game
Summary: A healthy pescatarian diet consists primarily of the least processed plant foods, seafood, and possibly dairy and eggs.
Benefits of adding fish to a vegetarian diet
Adding fish to a vegetarian diet has many health benefits.
Many people worry that eliminating animal products altogether or avoiding animal meat consumption can lead to under-intake of certain key nutrients (10, 11, 12).
In particular, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, and protein may be harder to obtain on vegan diets (11, 13).
Adding seafood to a vegetarian diet, including fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, can provide beneficial nutrition and diversity.
Get more Omega-3s
Fish is the best way to get omega-3 fatty acids (14).
Some plant foods, including walnuts and flaxseeds, contain α-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat. However, this type of ALA is not easily converted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the body. (15, 16)。
DHA and EPA have additional health benefits that support not only the heart but also brain function and mood (17).
In contrast, oily fish such as salmon and sardines contain EPA and DHA.
Increase your protein intake
Humans only need about 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight per day to stay healthy. For a 68-kilogram person, that's about 54 grams.
However, many people prefer to eat more protein than that.
It's hard to achieve a high-protein diet with only plant protein, especially if you don't want to add extra carbohydrates or fat to your protein.
Fish and other seafood are excellent sources of lean protein.
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Seafood is rich in other nutrients
In addition to omega-3s and protein, seafood is rich in several other nutrients.
For example, oysters are rich in vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium. Just one oyster provides 133% of the vitamin B12 RDI and 55% of the zinc and selenium RDI (18).
Mussels are also rich in vitamin B12 and selenium, as well as manganese and other B vitamins (19).
White fish species like cod and flounder don't provide much omega-3 fat, but they're a source of extremely lean protein.
For example, just 3 ounces of cod provides 19 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. Cod is also an excellent source of selenium and a good source of phosphorus, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12 (20).
You'll have extra options
Being a vegetarian is sometimes restricted.
Eating out in restaurants often makes your choices less healthy, and dishes like cheese pasta are the main "vegetarian" option.
If health inspires your food choices at least in part, then becoming a pescatarian will give you more options.
Fish is generally a good fish, especially if you grill, grill, or sauté it instead of frying it (21).
Summary: Adding seafood to your vegetarian diet can give you more options and is a great way to get protein, omega-3s, and other nutrients.
Disadvantages of diet
There are not many health hazards to this diet.
That said, some people may be more susceptible to high intake of fish.
Fish, especially large fish, may contain mercury and other toxins (22, 23).
For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that young children and women of childbearing age, especially pregnant and lactating women, avoid tilefish, swordfish, sharks, and mackerel. (24)。
These stocks should also limit albacore and yellowfin tuna to one serving per week or less palm size. Light tuna is low in mercury and can be consumed 2-3 servings per week.
Since this diet is predominantly vegetarian, it suffers from some of the other pitfalls that often accompany a vegetarian diet. For example, carbohydrates can easily overeat, especially if you're dependent on a lot of processed grains.
Summary: There may be some drawbacks to eating a pescatarian diet. Carbohydrates are easy to overeat, and some fish are high in mercury.
Long story short
A pescatarian diet can be very healthy.
What's more, it allows you to avoid some of the ethical and environmental issues associated with eating a diet that includes meat.
In addition, this type of diet offers more flexibility and some extra nutrients compared to a standard vegetarian diet.
Overall, a plant-based diet that eats some seafood is a healthy choice.