Going pescatarian?!
Answers: I wanted to become a vegetarian this year, for numerous reasons, but i'm afraid as a poor and already malnourished college student it will be difficult to go completely vegetarian. i've decided to stop eating red meat, and will try to stop eating chicken but will allow myself to eat fish. Any thoughts/ tips on being a pescatarian?
Fish is a delicious source of protein and essential fatty acids. However, you need to be careful which fish you eat. Some fish stocks have been overfished and are dangerously low - some marine species are endangerd. These species should not be eaten to help the populations get back up to strength.
The link below has a list of fish to avoid and a lost of fish that are safe to eat. Check the "lists" link.
The second link has a handy printout of popular fish that are ok to eat or not ok. For example, Atlantic salmon is a no no, but Pacific salmon is OK.
I'm a college student too, so I don't have all the time in the world to cook. But one of my usual pescatarian dishes, is drained ramen and nuked fish sticks with tartar sauce (which has eggs in it, but what can you do). I usually buy a huge bag of frozen fish sticks (Trident brand) from Costco which is only 8 bucks and lasts me a month. Another dish of mine is Mascato brand portugese sardines in spicy olive oil and rice mmm...yummy... And then for breakfast I fry rice and frozen veggie mix , toast up a paratha (its like Indian pita bread) and make an Indian taco. If you worry about nourishment then take a multivitamin too after breakfast. Its not hard being meat free at all, just get into the habit of it... and shop at asian groceries.
Plant sources of food are every bit as nutritious and much cheaper than fish. Use the computer to do some research instead of for asking thoughtless questions on YA.
There is nothing wrong with taking your time to go completely veg., it took me five years to give up chicken and turkey (moderately) after five years of no other meat. If you are doing this for the animals then watch Meet Your Meat or similar videos, they really got me to quit eating chickens and turkeys as soon as I watched the video (and I didn't even make it all the way through). A pescatarian diet is probably healthy, and I give props to those who are becoming vegetarian no matter how long it takes them. Good luck to ya.
Don't let people beat you down (whether you're vegan, vegetarian, pesca, whatever) for your food choices. Life is complicated enough.
If you are female, watch your iron. If you experience dizziness, go to your university clinic and mention your diet.
Try and include as much of the oily fishes (salmon) as you can in your diet. Many people have found that cooking fresh fish can be faster and more convenient that defrosting/frying/baking frozen items...and it tastes better and is a bit healthier. For convenience, my friends always make sure that they have several cans of tuna and tinned salmon on their shelf.
Try and eat fresh and local (it's tough but with some forethought, possible on a student budget:)
Be happy with your choices. You're getting a lot done being in school, getting your life together, and choosing to eat and enjoy life in a certain way. Being a vege/vegan/pesca does not make one a saint, but you should be happy because you made a conscious thoughtful decision about a significant part of your life.
It's personal choice, and you shouldn't let other people make you feel guilty about it.
I'm a veggie, but I used to eat fish. My reasoning was that a) I needed the protein and Omega 3 during my teen years and more importantly b) fish isn't farmed in the same way as meat, and as long as you buy fish that was free until it was caught, it isn't as bad
I decided to become completely veggie when I realised cochineal (ie red food colouring) is made out of crushed insects, and the idea repulsed me. It seemed a bit daft to care so much about insects yet still eat fish, so I stopped.
In the same way, I still take medication that contains gelatine- I'm not going to make myself ill for my beliefs.
Pescatarian is no harder than the normal omnivorous diet - you will be fine
But I must object to your assertion that being Vegetarian is expensive. I am at University, and as short for cash as any normal student, and I have found, and my meat eating friends agree, that being Vegetarian is a much cheaper way of eating through University. This next term I am aiming for Vegan, as the cost of Milk and cheese is high .
I think it's a bit hypocritical, honestly, especially if you're approaching it from the animal rights direction. (I'm vegetarian).
Still, it's better than eating fish and red meat, so good luck! You might like to try taking iron tablets, especially if you menstruate heavily.
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