A Pescatarian diet challenge

[Greek to me]

Does anyone have any great tips for Pescatarians?  If I remove all then normal breakfast foods, and my only protein source is seafood and eggs, can you suggest some creative menu ideas or direct me to a place to find some great recipes for these limitations.  I'd like to avoid purely Asian recipes (palate preference) which seem to be what I've been able to readily locate. 

Any ideas will help!

 

Second question...I recognize that no one will give calorie counts and food limitations (by quantity) and that the focus becomes satiety (I love this).  Can you recommend/support this focus as I believe changing this habit is be key to long term success.

 

Thanks!

 

[Tom Denham]

We actually do offer some guidance about how much to eat - the meal template: http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf  We recommend one or two servings of protein as big as the palm of your hand at 3 meals per day and then filling the rest of your plate with veggies. We don't say how densely the plate should be filled and some people fill it too lightly, but the guidance is given. And we also recommend one or two thumb-size portions of fat per meal and encourage people to eat more fat at some meals. For instance, a handful of olives or an avocado with a meal. Your sense of satiety should develop to the point where you can trust it, but at first, many people are so out of touch with their bodies that they need to follow the meal template to be sure they eat enough.

[amberino21]

I'd suggest not thinking about breakfast as breakfast - what are you planning on eating for meal 2&3? You can have that for meal 1 too!

Frittata/egg muffins, fish cakes, shakshuka eggs, "marinara" sauce with mixed seafood on zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, coconut crumbed fish etc

[Greek to me]

Thanks for the feedback.  Not a coconut person but will try and get used to eating fish for breakfast. Sounds a bit unappealing but worth trying!

 

Doubt I'll worry too much about filling plates too lightly.  I did review your meal plan guide.  Helpful but not exactly clear.  Not really sure what a thumb of clarified butter really is.  I get the fist open and closed though. 

 

Thanks again!

[amberino21]

To be specific, you could blob ghee on to a plate at the length and width/diameter of your thumb then put it in a measuring spoon as a guide.

If you don't like coconut, don't eat it! There are plenty of options

[Greek to me]

Ok..another dumb question...Let's say I follow this food breakdown...a fist full of tuna for protein - which usually is about 200 calories, veggies (assorted) which adds up to 100 calories, Fats which can add an additional 100 calories.  Whalla, I have a meal of about 400-500 calories.  Now I know we don't calorie count...but what I can't figure out is where everyone keeps saying they are eating around 2000 calories a day. HOW if they aren't snacking and are following these guidelines.  Sorry for my confusion...just trying to get it straight as I move forward onto day #1. 

[amberino21]

Who is saying they're eating around 2000 cals? No one really mentions calories that I've seen.

You'll likely find that you'll have more than 100 cals of fat per meal. You can also eat 1-2 palms of protein. Judge it on your needs. For an inactive person, 1500 cals (based on your calculations) wouldn't necessarily be a bad intake. Add in pre/postWO meals for those doing exercise and cals would be higher to support the extra requirements.

[Greek to me]

Ahhhh. Now that makes more sense. I have a friend who does Paleo. We've. Talked about intake and her #s are up there. She doesn't count -she just knows its way above 1500. All could see is weight gain at that quantity.

I'm still trying to figure out how you can eat the same amount of calories you need to sustain life based on BMR etc and actually lose weight. I get how body comp can change. But how do you actually end up losing weight if your overweight as well as the fat % issue?

Still trying to make sense of all the info.

[amberino21]

Eating less is not the answer to fat loss. You can increase your metabolic capacity, by eating! Your body needs to be given fuel to burn fuel. If it's starving, you won't be giving it anything to burn so it's kind of working inefficiently.

(I'm not on a whole 30 at the moment and working with a coach to prep for comps so tracking macros. whilst I'm very active with my sport, I'm eating an average of 2,300 cals a day and losing fat, but not weight, and increasing cals nearly every week. During my whole 30, I think I underestimated my needs and my weight and body composition didn't change)

[WunderHase]

Just one thought about the calories: people misjudge their intake and expenditure all the time, plus you can never be totally accurate (nor do you need to).

As for fish, I could eat smoked salmon any time of the day :-) Both kinds (the raw and the cooked). Also, how about making some fish meatballs or patties or what ever they're called in English. Cod is a wonderful source of protein and is rather mild tasting, so you could mash that up a bit, mix with eggs and spices (spring onion or dill or parsley or lemon...) and fry them in clarified butter. How about shrimp with mayo and boiled eggs or as a shrimp soup with a bit of cayenne pepper and garlic, if it's a cold day?

[Greek to me]

Great ideas on the recipes. For some reason I thought smoked salmon would be a no no.

I won't know how the change will affect me until I try so hard to make any assumptions.

With regards fat loss. That is great and losing fat is totally awesome. BUT when you weigh say 150 and you are 30% body fat, you can easily lose 10% body fat and stay at 150#. But let's say you weigh 250. (I don't but I'm trying to clarify my question). Yes you can easily lose body fat here as well, but you would also need to lose weight. So the question is, how this plan addresses that especially since there is no caloric restriction?

[WunderHase]

Great ideas on the recipes. For some reason I thought smoked salmon would be a no no.

I won't know how the change will affect me until I try so hard to make any assumptions.

With regards fat loss. That is great and losing fat is totally awesome. BUT when you weigh say 150 and you are 30% body fat, you can easily lose 10% body fat and stay at 150#. But let's say you weigh 250. (I don't but I'm trying to clarify my question). Yes you can easily lose body fat here as well, but you would also need to lose weight. So the question is, how this plan addresses that especially since there is no caloric restriction?

 

Is it? "Oops", if it is :-) I can't think why it would be. I know there's a bit of sugar used in the smoking process, but it's not actually put on the salmon itself. At least not in this part of the world.

 

I was also under the impression that Whole30 doesn't address fat loss or particularly aim for caloric restriction. It is not a weight loss plan. However, like with other eating plans that are low on carbs, the restriction in calories will happen pretty automatically. If you stick to the eating template, there is no way a 250lbs person would not be on caloric deficit. There is also no way they would starve. You can have more if you want, within reason, and even if you'd lack reason, eating fat without a lot of carbs will eventually blunt your appetite so much that it's really hard to overdo it. Also, you have to take into consideration the amount of water weight that is lost. In a person weighing 250lbs that could be 10-20lbs. You could technically lose that without any restriction in calories by just leaving out the carbs.

[amberino21]

The whole 30 doesn't talk about weight loss as it's not a weight loss plan - many do, as by eliminating the few foods that are causing issues they'll eliminate bloat and water retention, inflammation, whilst feeding the body with nutrient dense food instead of food void of nutrients that leads to overeating. It also encourages better hormonal health. There are many ways in which this program supports fat loss in those that need to do that.

Weight loss is a ridiculous term - everyone who wants to lose something is aiming to lose fat. If I lost 30lbs of fat but put on 10lbs of muscle tells a different story than saying I lost 20lbs!

[Greek to me]

Thanks...I get the principle in theory.  It's a mind shift.  I think I'll throw the question out there and see!  Appreciate all the support!!!

[SharynF]

I replied to a similar post by someone else on a different thread. This is what I said.

 

I think fish and eggs would be ok as long as you vary the fish. Smoked haddock with poached egg is a classic. Tuna Nicoise includes eggs. Pan fried cod with loads of veggies is one of my favourite meals. 

 

Vary the texture and cooking methods and you should be ok for 30 days; fresh and canned tuna, sardines and mackerel. Fresh cod, haddock, whiting, cobbler and prawns. Smoked mackerel, haddock and trout. Loads of options. You could make kedgeree with cauliflower rice, smoked haddock, hard boiled eggs and mayo.  I made the kedgeree last week with smoked river cobbler and it was lovely.

 

A challenge worth going for I think - good luck 

[aventurine]

Not much to add, but glad to see a fellow pescetarian.

[praxisproject]

If you're not allergic to coconut, you might like this recipe:

 

http://www.ladyhomemade.com/2012/11/14/quick-salmon-patties-and-whole30-week-two/

 

it's got eggs, salmon and coconut flour and you can get a lot of taste variety by altering the herbs and zest. I like it with spring onions.

[Greek to me]

Can I substitute the coconut flour for almond flour? Not a coconut fan. I know it's just a binder in this recipe but I thought we were not allowed to use it at all during the Whole 30

[connie_m]

I had cod with a sauce of tomatoes, olives and capers this morning for breakfast with a bunch of steamed broccoli and coconut oil.   I'm not pescatarian, it's just what I had leftover, but it falls under your non-asian fish ideas.     And it tasted fine for breakfast.

 

Also - if you haven't tried coconut flour - it doesn't taste like coconut at all to me.    And I can't remember about almond flour - I don't have any in the house, so I just use coconut flour because it's what I have around, but I'm sure someone knows.   

[Roz Griffiths]

Can I substitute the coconut flour for almond flour? Not a coconut fan. I know it's just a binder in this recipe but I thought we were not allowed to use it at all during the Whole 30

Coconut flour is fine during a whole30, if used as in this situation, as a binder or "breading". Just don't go making pancakes with it

[MrsStick]

The thing about the way eating this way works...if you don't eat enough food - or even the right amount of various nutrients and macros - your body can hold onto weight and gain weight despite eating 1000-1500 calories. Hormones are a crazy thing, and if you get them fixed, you'll be in a good place weight-wise. Hormones are mostly composed of fat.

 

I look, feel, and weigh my best when I eat a good, big lunch by the template (although when I'm not on a W-30, I might include full-fat dairy as my fat). I look/feel/weigh more when I'm skipping lunch (shouldn't happen, right? I'm eating fewer calories!), when I'm not eating by the template (2 HB eggs is not enough), or when I'm eating fast food (obviously, but sometimes I do feel better...if I have a light stomach thing just enough to feel miserable, eating fries might feel better than HB eggs and raw veggies). 

 

This week, the two days where I LOOKED my best were right after days where I filled a 1.75 qt Pyrex bowl up with a massive salad, had taco meat in a small bowl to heat up, and small bowl of my fat (sour cream) mixed with salsa (no sugar). And I can 100% say that eating that much food (all of my coworkers commented on it - holy cow! that's a huge salad!) is why I look/feel great.

 

That being said, it's a SALAD, people. If I had an entire loaf of bread, you probably wouldn't say anything. Why must you comment on the fact that I actually want to feel full after eating my salad? Salads are more air than any other food. If I cooked it down, it'd be the same size as your little container of whatever-it-is that you're eating. 

[KJ!]

Greek, I have two "quick and easy meals" that I go to whenever I have no time to cook, and that are pescatarian:

 

#1, fill your bowl to the 2 cup mark with chopped romaine (always in the fridge for me). Top with 5oz Wild Planet Wild Tuna AND the liquid from the can (ingredients albacore tuna and sea salt; wild, sustainable, 100% poll and troll caught, low mercury, no water oil or filler, no BPA, 3480mg Omega3 per can, 2320 DHA 720 EPA, still with me?). Dress it with about a Tablespoon of juice from a fresh lemon or lime plus a generous drizzle of macadamia nut oil (I use NOW brand). There are days when I also salt this lightly.

 

If you split the can of tuna, be sure to split the juice with it. The juice is cooked out from the fish in the canning process and has a large part of your omega 3's.

 

#2, fill your bowl to about the 1 cup mark with steamed kale (always in my fridge as well) chopping it with your kitchen shears as it goes into the bowl (were the kale raw, it would be way more than 2c worth). Stir in 3.75oz Season Brand Sardines in pure olive oil AND the liquid from the can (ingredients sardines, olive oil, and salt; wild, sustainable, certified by Friend of the Sea, skinless, boneless, no BPA, about 1300mg Omega3's per can). Mix the olive oil, sardines and kale together - the oil will magically disappear - and yum it up.

 

Yes, I eat these for Meal One as well as Two and Three!

[Vian]

Carbs are what make you fat, not fat. Carbs stimulate insulin production and insulin is your fat-storing hormone. You can excessively over eat on a low carb high fat diet and your body will adjust your metabolism to burn off the extra calories rather than storing them. This is why people lost in the wilderness don't lose as much weight as they "should" if calories in = calories out. Their body recognizes the lack of fuel and slows their metabolism way down to conserve energy (same thing that happens to people who starve themselves to lose weight). 

[Aveno]

Its is my day 2, and I feel it may be challenging for a pescatarian  to come up with breakfast ideas outside of eggs, cold salads, and fruits. I am looking forward for a warm breakfast, and found coconut flour recipes to bake my coffee cakes with fruits and nuts. Adding to my shopping list.

Here is the website for that: https://draxe.com/coconut-flour-nutrition/

[SugarcubeOD]

Sorry @Aveno, baked goods, even made with compliant ingredients are not permitted on the Whole30.  This is what we would call Sex With your Pants On (feel free to google the term if you're not familiar).

If you want a warm breakfast, anything you eat for lunch and dinner can also be eaten for breakfast.  A lot of people eat leftovers from dinner the night before or make a big pan of frittata and then heat up slices as needed.

Please take some time to re-read the rules of the program, linked below.