Pescatarian
The Pescatarian Diet combines the principles of a vegetarian diet with the inclusion of seafood. The diet, emphasizing vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and seafood, offers health benefits from a plant-based diet, supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids and proteins from seafood. Pescatarians exclude meat but include fish and shellfish, sometimes for health or ethical reasons. This diet is more restrictive than the Mediterranean diet but less so than a Vegan diet, as it allows seafood.
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Pescatarian Diet
The Pescatarian Diet, as followed by its adherents, is a belief in the health benefits of a vegetarian diet but with the inclusion of seafood. The term 'pescatarian' is derived from the Italian word for fish ('pesce') combined with 'vegetarian'. Followers of this diet believe it provides the health benefits associated with a plant-based diet, with additional nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and proteins from seafood.
This diet emphasizes vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and seafood, with the occasional inclusion of eggs and dairy. Like a vegetarian diet, it excludes the consumption of meat, but unlike vegetarianism, it includes fish and shellfish.
Pescatarians might choose this diet for health reasons, including a belief in the cardiovascular benefits of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the desire for a protein source that isn't plant-based, or the perceived risks associated with consuming red meat. Others may choose it for ethical reasons, such as concerns about animal welfare.
Compared to a Mediterranean diet, both encourage the consumption of fish and seafood, but the Pescatarian diet is more restrictive in that it completely excludes meat. It is less restrictive than a Vegan diet, which excludes all animal-derived products.