Pescatarian tips

Two years ago, my husband and I went pescatarian. It was easier than we thought, and we love it!

What do we mean by pescatarian? To us, it means that we do not eat meat (i.e. chicken, pork, beef, venison) for animal welfare, environmental, and health reasons. We eat seafood once or twice a week. Our faves are shrimp and salmon. We also eat eggs and dairy, organic when possible. We love cheese and it is a staple for us, so one little compromise we make is that we drink soy milk to cut down on our otherwise substantial dairy consumption!

I respect people’s foodways and am not here to judge others’ choices. Whether you are considering reducing your meat intake, going flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, or are just curious about experimenting with different foods and techniques, I'm here to help!

Indian food is your friend

This is convenient, since I’ve always loved it! A huge proportion of India’s population is vegetarian, and they have mastered the art of full-flavored cooking without meat. Beans, rice, potatoes, and spinach are eaten daily. I really like to make multiple Indian dishes over the course of a week and accumulate a buffet’s worth of variety. All of the Indian recipes on my blog freeze well, too. 
Coconut dal

Mexican food is also your friend

Again, this is a cuisine heavy on beans, rice, and spice. I like to have components on hand that I can use interchangeably, like vegetarian canned refried beans, salsa, chips, tortillas, pico de gallo ingredients (tomato, onion, and cilantro), cheese, sour cream and maybe avocados and mushrooms. Mix and match to make loaded nachos, quesadillas, burritos, bowls, or throw in some eggs for breakfast tacos. 
Burrito bowl with soy chorizo

Cajun food takes creativity

I was born and raised in Louisiana, and I crave Cajun and Creole food in my soul. Mastering Cajun recipes for a pescatarian diet was proof of concept for us to even start this journey. Cajun food involves lots of seafood, so it’s perfect for a pescatarian diet, right? Not so fast! It also packs a lot of sausage and pork fat. To make it work, I have to strategically employ some fake meat products (see below). 
Shrimp and vegan sausage gumbo

Favorite "fake meat" products

Most of the time, I try to eat meals that are naturally meat-free, relying on beans, mushrooms, cheese, and the like to add protein or rich flavor. But occasionally, I just want to sink my teeth into a "burger," or I want to convert a meaty recipe to pescatarian (I'm looking at you, Cajun food). Here are my favorite products:

Andouille/sausage for Cajun recipes. Tofurkey makes a really really good vegan andouille. Try it in my brown rice jambalaya or shrimp gumbo. I’ve also used Field Roast chipotle sausage. It’s ok but not great. If this is all I have, I only put a little so as to get a hint of meat but not enough to notice that it’s fake. A gluten-free friend of mine uses Trader Joe's soy chorizo in my Cajun recipes.

Italian sausage. Field Roast vegan Italian sausage is so, so good! It comes in link form, but I usually tear it up with my hands to resemble ground Italian sausage. Try it in my Instant Pot minestrone or Instant Pot pasta toscana.

Soy chorizo. Trader Joe's soy chorizo is a staple for making burrito bowls or chorizo scrambled eggs for breakfast tacos or burritos. 

Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage. This is the only fake sausage I eat by itself. A yummy breakfast sausage, it comes in a roll and you just slice off a few rounds and saute.

Better than Bouillon. This is a kitchen staple whether you eat meat or not. It's broth concentrated until it is a paste, and a little jar will last in your fridge for a year or two. It offers so much more control and much less waste than its equivalent in cartons or cans. It comes in more than 10 varieties, some of which are vegan. Their vegetable broth can be found at most grocery stores, and it is versatile enough for all your recipes. If you want to level up, order my other faves, “no chicken,” “no beef.” These make excellent soups, chilies, and gravies. 

Vegan gravy with not-so-vegan cheese fries

Goya ham flavor concentrate. This isn’t billed as vegetarian, but it happens to be. This powdered bouillon is a staple for replacing that hammy, pork fatty flavor that Cajun bean dishes demand, and it is cheap on Amazon.

Craving a "meaty" sandwich? Sometimes you just want to sink your teeth into a burger or "chicken" sandy. Beyond burgers are our favorite. They're so forgiving. They are quite rich and fatty, like a good burger. Because of hteir fat content, they are really juicy and hard to overcook. I put smoked paprika or liquid smoke on them and get a nice sear in a cast iron skillet. Morning Star Buffalo Chik patties make a tasty spicy "chicken" sandwich. I add Frank's hot sauce and spread ranch or blue cheese dressing on a homemade bun.

#Whatpescatarianseat

Social media is full of #whatveganseat and “what I ate in a day” posts. Here's what I typically eat. You’ll see a weird mix of high/low, and homemade vs. prepared food because I need that kind of flexibility in my life!

Breakfast

Lunch

  • Quesadillas filled with refried beans, cheese, and mushrooms, dipped in salsa
  • Smoked salmon and avocado sandwich
  • Halloumi sauteed with olive oil and garlic until browned, splash of lemon, served with tomatoes, mixed greens, kalamata olives, and balsamic dressing as a salad or in a pita spread with hummus
  • Grilled cheese on homemade bread with Trader Joe's tomato and roasted red pepper soup
  • Instant ramen with an egg and frozen veggies poached in the broth, doused in sriracha
  • Leftovers from dinner :) 

Snacks

Dinner

Dessert

  • Berries and yogurt
  • Watermelon with feta or chili-lime seasoning
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Trader Joe's dark chocolate almond bars (half a bar is only 125 calories and 10 carbs)
  • let's be honest, sometimes we binge treats, especially Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups, chocolate-covered pretzels, and Tilamook marionberry pie ice cream

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