You choose the foods you want to consume based on a number of factors including disease prevention, lifestyle choices, weight loss, and ethical and moral issues. A diet made of up fish and vegetables, also known as pescatarianism, is a popular approach to nutrition. Although this also can be a healthy choice, you must be careful to make sure you are getting a well-balanced diet.
Decision
You might choose to be a pescatarian because of environmental, ethical or moral issues regarding chicken and cattle farms. You might have been a vegetarian but not been getting enough protein in your diet, so you decided to include fish. Or you might choose to eat fish and vegetables as part of a transition to a full vegetarian diet.
Health Benefits
Fish is an excellent source of lean protein and is good for your brain. In a Reuter's Health study, male adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 who ate fish at least twice week had higher scores on standard tests than those who did not incorporate fish into their diet. According to the American Heart Association, fish is an ideal source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can decrease blood pressure, triglyceride levels and arrhythmia.
Weight Loss
Vegetables and fish are both major staples for those who are interested in losing weight. Prepared correctly, these foods can be low in calories and high in nutrients. For example, a wild Atlantic salmon fillet that has been cut in half has approximately 280 calories. Add raw vegetable for 50 calories more, and you have a meal consisting of just 330 calories. Depending on your tastes, the fish can be eaten raw, baked, broiled or steamed.
Mediterranean Diet
A diet of fish and vegetables closely resembles the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy cuisine based on the foods eaten in Italy and Greece. The Mediterranean Diet is a balanced diet that includes olive oil, wine, eggs, seeds and nuts, legumes and fresh fruits. It includes poultry and very occasional red meat, but you can alter it to include only fish. By following the Mediterranean Diet or a similar diet based on fish and vegetables, you can fill your nutritional needs in a healthy way.
Warning
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, every species of fish contains trace amounts of mercury, although the risk of contracting mercury poisoning is extremely low. Even with the low risk, you should monitor what kinds and how much fish you eat. The EPA advises against eating tilefish, king mackerel, swordfish and shark, because larger fish accumulate more mercury than smaller fish.
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