A pescatarian diet is a vegetarian diet that also includes seafood: vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, and dairy, plus fish and shellfish, but no meat or poultry.[1] On a restaurant menu that opens up seafood mains, sushi, ceviche, and every vegetarian dish, so ordering is usually easy. The harder part is meat you cannot see: chicken or beef stock in soups and risotto, lard, bacon bits, gelatin, and meat-based gravies. Ask about those before you order, because a dish with no meat on the plate can still be cooked with it.
Confirm certification, ingredients, and allergens with the restaurant. For severe allergies, speak to staff in person before ordering; menu descriptions and SeEat are not a safety guarantee.
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What to order
- Grilled, baked, or steamed fish and seafood mains — ask whether the sauce or side is made with meat stock
- Sushi and sashimi platters — in a set meal, ask about every side dish, not only the fish
- Ceviche, shrimp cocktail, or grilled octopus as starters
- Seafood paella, pasta, or risotto — pick the seafood version rather than a mixed one with chicken or chorizo, and ask which stock is used
- Bean, egg, cheese, or vegetable mains — the whole vegetarian menu is open to you, with the same questions about stock and cooking fat
Soups, risotto, and rice: ask what the stock is
Dishes that look vegetarian or seafood-based are often built on a stock. A seafood risotto or a vegetable soup can still start with chicken stock, so the base is the first thing to ask about.
What to check
- French onion soup, ramen, pho, and many cream soups are commonly made with beef, pork, or chicken broth.
- Rice dishes such as paella or fried rice may mix seafood with chicken, chorizo, or bacon.
- Salads, baked potatoes, and green beans may be topped with bacon, and vegetables may be sautéed in bacon fat.
Questions for the restaurant
- Is the stock in this soup or risotto made from fish, vegetables, or meat?
- Is anything in this dish cooked in lard or bacon fat?
- Can the kitchen leave off the bacon or ham?
Set menus and group dinners: say what you do eat
At a tasting menu or a shared dinner, “no meat or poultry, but fish and seafood are fine” is clearer than “vegetarian”, which may get you a menu without any seafood.
What to check
- Set menus may swap courses without listing every ingredient, so check each course rather than the menu as a whole.
- Desserts such as panna cotta, mousse, and some cheesecakes are often set with gelatin.
Questions for the restaurant
- Can the chef replace the meat course with fish or a vegetarian dish?
- Which courses use meat stock, lard, or gelatin?
Frequently asked questions
How is pescatarian different from vegetarian?
A vegetarian skips fish and seafood as well as meat; a pescatarian keeps fish and shellfish and avoids only meat and poultry. Most pescatarians also eat eggs and dairy, but personal lines vary, so tell staff exactly what you avoid.[1]
Which hidden meat ingredients should I ask about?
Stock is the most common one: soups, risotto, rice, and braised vegetables are often cooked in chicken or beef stock. Lard is fat rendered from the fatty tissue of hogs and can turn up in refried beans, pastry, and fried food.[2] Gelatin is extracted from animal skin and bone, so panna cotta, mousse, and gummy sweets are worth a question.[3] Gravies are usually made from meat drippings, and salads may come with bacon bits.
Is fish sauce fine for a pescatarian?
Usually yes: fish sauce and anchovy-based sauces are made from fish, so they fit a pescatarian diet. They matter more to vegetarian friends at the table, who may not expect fish in a Thai curry, Caesar dressing, or some Worcestershire sauces.
Should I think about mercury when I eat a lot of fish?
Nearly all fish contain some methylmercury; the highest levels are in large, long-lived fish such as swordfish and shark, while smaller fish and shellfish such as sardines, anchovies, scallops, and oysters generally carry less.[1] FDA advises people who are or might become pregnant, people who are breastfeeding, and children aged 1 to 11 to avoid king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, and bigeye tuna.[4] For personal advice, talk to a clinician.
Related guides
Sources
- Harvard Health Publishing. Thinking about becoming a pescatarian? What you should know about the pescatarian diet. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Lard. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Gelatin. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Advice about Eating Fish. Accessed