pescatarian

or pes·ce·tar·i·an

[ pes-kuh-tair-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. a person whose diet is mostly vegetarian but includes fish and seafood.

adjective

1. of or relating to pescatarians or their diet:

   a pescatarian breakfast.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pescatarian¹

1990–95; probably from Italian pesce fish (from Latin piscis ) + (vege)tarian ( def )

Example Sentences

Emmie told Harris in the letter that she’s a pescatarian and likes to bake.

From Los Angeles Times

Sleeper is a pescatarian, but the Drake Family Farm’s cheese is one she will eat because she sees the ethical sourcing that goes into it.

From Los Angeles Times

We mostly eat vegan and pescatarian at home, and my husband cooks.

From Los Angeles Times

For most of my adult life I'd dabbled with pescatarian and vegetarian diets, but they never fully stuck.

From Salon

Would a "full-fledged" vegan who still eats oysters actually be considered more of a pescatarian?

From Salon

More About Pescatarian

What does pescatarian mean?

A pescatarian is someone whose diet is vegetarian but who also eats fish and seafood. Pescatarian can also be used as an adjective describing such a diet.

A vegetarian is someone who eats a meatless diet that is often primarily based on vegetables. Following a pescatarian diet is called pescatarianism, and it is thought to offer many health benefits. Pescatarian is sometimes spelled pescetarian.

Example: I’m trying to cut out meat and go vegetarian, so for now I’m going to be pescatarian.

Where does pescatarian come from?

The first uses of pescatarian come from around the early 1990s, around the time that the diet started to gain popularity. It is based on the word vegetarian, in which vege refers to vegetables. In pescatarian, this is replaced with pesca, which is probably based on the Italian word for “fish.” The suffix -arian is used to indicate a person who practices or advocates for something.

There are many reasons people become pescatarians. Most often, it is to be healthier. Sometimes, people who want to eat a mostly vegetarian diet also want to retain a source of protein that is not meat (like chicken or beef). Fish and other seafood provide this protein, sometimes along with some added nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acid, which has been linked to several health benefits. Other people become pescatarians as a way to start reducing their reliance on animal-based proteins before eventually becoming vegetarians or vegans (people whose diet contains no animal products of any kind, including eggs or dairy products). And others find their way to pescatarianism through popular diets that encourage the consumption of high amounts of protein.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of pescatarian?

• pescetarian (alternate spelling)
• pescatarianism (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with pescatarian? 

 

• vegetarian
• flexitarian

What are some words that often get used in discussing pescatarian?

• fish
• diet
• seafood
• protein
• omega-3 fatty acid
• lifestyle

How is pescatarian used real life?

Pescatarian is often used in discussions of diets that are intended to be healthier options, especially for the purposes of changing one’s lifestyle.

I became pescatarian for many, many reasons, and I'm happy with it. When other people judge me on my dietary choices, it's…idk, why does it matter to you what I eat anyway? 🙄 sigh

— lily (@LilyPichu) September 16, 2018

all the girls in my uni house have gone from being pescatarian and meat eaters to veggie/vegan in a year!!!!

— liv (@imagineolivia) February 17, 2020

I think I might risk it all for this Popeyes chicken sandwich. Break my pescatarian diet or nah 🤔

— Rodney McLeod (@Rodney_McLeod4) August 23, 2019

 

 

Try using pescatarian!

Is pescatarian used correctly in the following sentence?

I went pescatarian a few months back and I haven’t had any meat since.