The pescatarian diet offers a nice balance of lean protein and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables. When following this diet, you add all kinds of fish and shellfish to a vegetarian way of eating, which includes grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. The result is a diet that sustains the body with plenty of vitamins and minerals while reducing your impact on the environment. To further minimize your impact, you must choose sustainable fish, like tilapia, over endangered species, such as halibut and cod. Here is what you need to know to start following the pescatarian way of life.

Benefits

All of the foods on this diet plan are naturally low in fat and high in nutrients. As a result, you may reduce gastrointestinal distress often caused by eating foods high in fat. Furthermore, pescatarian foods are fiber rich to further support the health of your digestive system.

Fish and shellfish are low calories foods as well, making it easier to stick to your daily limits when trying to lose weight. The high fiber contents will help you feel fuller, longer to reduce calorie intake even more.

You will take in ample amounts of healthy omega-3 fats, which can keep blood pressure low while improving brain health. If you choose your fish and shellfish right, you can also feel good about your reduced impact on the Earth.

Foods

The bulk of your daily intake will include plant-based foods with balanced nutrients to provide your body with the correct amount of vitamins and minerals needed to thrive. You should eat a couple servings of nuts, beans, soy, fish or shellfish every day to give your body enough protein for energy and strength.

You can eat any type of fresh, smoked or canned fish on the market, including tuna and salmon. You can also enjoy scallops, clams, shrimp, oysters and other types of crustaceans and mollusks. Tracking your intake using an app or website can help you make sure your calories and nutrients stay in line with daily recommendations for a healthy body.

Eating Plan

You’ll need to use your height, weight and activity levels to find out the right amount of each food group to consume every day. Although this amount can vary each day, it should all balance out at the end of the week. If you’re not consuming enough fat to feel satiated, consider adding healthy fats from avocados and coconut oil to one meal a day. If you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass, tweak your eating plan on occasion to continue hitting your goals.

Expectations

The pescatarian diet demands you pay more attention to your nutrient balance than other ways of eating. In addition, you may need to prep and cook your food from fresh more often while on this diet. As with all diets, you need to give your body a while to adjust to the pescatarian way of eating. If this lifestyle does not meet your needs after a few months, however, consider trying something new.