Do vegetarians eat fish or seafood?

Vegetarianism has grown in popularity in the last decade or so. There are 2.3 million vegetarians in Canada and about 6% of adults are vegetarian in the United States. Many reasons can entice someone to transition towards a vegetarian diet: Health and environmental outcomes, religious practices or animal rights.  

Yet, many vegetarians consume certain animal containing foods, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs. In this regard, you may be asking yourself if fish and seafood are suitable for vegetarians. Don’t worry! This article will provide you with the answer.

Can Vegetarians Eat Fish or Seafood?

Vegetarians, by definition, do not eat animal flesh. That includes fish and seafood, making these food items not suitable for vegetarians.

For example, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, which is the most common and inclusive form of vegetarianism, consume plant-based foods as well as dairy and eggs. However, no meat, fish or seafood is consumed.

If fish and seafood are eaten, but not other animal flesh, then the individual is considered pescatarian. A pescatarian is also considered to be a plant-predominant diet.  

Besides pescatarians and lacto-ovo vegetarians, here are other examples of plant-predominant diets:

What Motivates Some People to Consume Fish?

Some may include fish in their diets to allow more variety, especially in terms of protein sources. Including fish in our regimen can also bring many health benefits, which motivates many to consume them. 

For example, fish and seafood are high in protein and vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12 and zinc, which can be harder to get on a plant-based diet. Research shows that zinc plays a crucial role on the immune system and vitamin B12 is greatly involved in brain function. 

Among all foods available on earth, oysters are the ones with the most zinc. A 100g serving of oysters offers 16 mg of zinc along with 16 micrograms of vitamin B12 which is above adults’ daily requirements! This means you can have smaller portions of these foods and still meet your daily requirements in zinc and vitamin B12.

Fatty fish, like sardines and salmon, are excellent sources of omega 3, specifically in EPA and DHA. These are long-chain forms of omega 3’s. In plant sources, we usually find another type of omega 3 called ALA. 

Even though ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA in our bodies, this conversion is not always effective. As a result, vegetarians can be more at risk of lacking certain essential fats like EPA and DHA unless they supplement them.

Check out these 4 vegan sources high in omega 3.

A vegetarian dietitian or nutritionist can help you get them naturally or recommend supplements. Feel free to reach out.

Main Takeaways

• Fish and seafood are not part of a vegetarian diet.
• Some people may choose to include fish to have more variety, vitamin B12, zinc, protein and omega 3’s like EPA and DHA that are already readily available.

Need help balancing your diet after removing fish or seafood? Book a free discovery call with a vegetarian dietitian to see how we can support you!