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Looking for a more climate friendly diet without cutting out your favourites? Try becoming a pescatarian! This diet is great for those who aren’t ready to commit to vegetarian or vegan lifestyle but are wanting to minimise their environmental footprint and eat healthier.
What is a pescatarian diet?
A pescatarian diet is a diet that includes fish, plant foods and seafood. This diet excludes red and white meat. Other than that, there isn’t a rulebook or formula to follow to become a pescatarian.
Like vegetarians, Pescatarians can also eat dairy and eggs, such a milk, cheese, and ice cream. A lot like the Mediterranean diet, it incorporates a lot of fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts. Both diets have been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk and artery disease.
It seems like becoming pescatarian has loads of benefits. For a healthier life and better impact on the environment. But why?
Does a pescatarian diet help the environment?
The biggest pro about this diet is that seafood has lower emissions. Firstly, fish doesn’t produce greenhouse gases and no large-scale deforestation for grazing and agriculture is necessary. Alongside that, being pescatarian incudes lowering your carbon footprint. Even though It doesn’t eliminate it completely, its reduces your carbon footprint significantly compared to its meat based counterparts.
However not all seafood can be considered sustainable. Luckily, there are many ways to become a sustainable pescatarian who still enjoys their food and thinks about the world around them.
Sustainable seafood tips.
Buying fresh and local seafood
Buying from local seafood markets and stores will not only improve the community’s economy but also reduce your carbon footprint and emissions from transportation. It is also known that buying locally sourced food is often healthier and fresher than buying from a supermarket.
Also, you’ll be able to find out exactly where and when the fish was caught. Asking the fishermen directly allows transparency and traceability, which is important to know order to eat sustainable fish.
Buying seafood responsibly.
Unfortunately, our oceans are facing sustainability issues. Many parts of the ocean are being overfished and harvested at capacity. Also, not all fish farms are raised responsibly. Seafood like prawns, catfish, shrimps or tilapia could produce the same amount of emissions chicken and beef make. The most environmentally and climate friendly fish is Shellfish like oysters and mussels.
Look for eco certifications.
Looking out for the MSC certified sustainable seafood sticker on seafood lets consumers know that it has been responsibly sourced. Also, certifications like ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) and GAP (Global Aquaculture Practices) are also labels to look out for when shopping and are widely found around the UK.
Following a pescatarian diet has great health benefits and is environmentally friendly. Try it out today!