katla90 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I am a recent vegetarian but I am not totally grossed out by some fish like Salmon or canned Tuna (pescetarian?) I am on day 4 of my Whole30 and I am trying to stick to the original Whole30 meal plan and shopping list and not the vegetarian one however I am afraid Salmon and Tuna will make up a lot of my protein. Is it bad to use that as my main protein source? Is there a such thing as too much fish? Should I try the vegetarian shopping list? Will I reap the same benefits? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I am a recent vegetarian but I am not totally grossed out by some fish like Salmon or canned Tuna (pescetarian?) I am on day 4 of my Whole30 and I am trying to stick to the original Whole30 meal plan and shopping list and not the vegetarian one however I am afraid Salmon and Tuna will make up a lot of my protein. Is it bad to use that as my main protein source? Is there a such thing as too much fish? Should I try the vegetarian shopping list? Will I reap the same benefits? Thanks. Is there any other fish that you like? How about shell fish? I don't think it is bad to eat fish as the main source of protein but you might get bored with it for 30 days. Do you eat eggs? That might help but I don't think it is required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katla90 Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 I do eat eggs. So far I haven't started with the fish and eggs have been my protein source but I can definitely tell I will get sick of them fast. I want to make sure that Salmon, tuna and even canned sardines would be ok to eat and eat often. I can't eat any shellfish. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andria Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Yes, you definitely want to use caution with the amount of fish you consume. It is pretty common knowledge to limit the amount of canned tuna you eat due to the mercury levels. Children and pregnant women are at the most risk, but overall recommendations are made on how much and how often it is safe to consume. www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp There are also newer studies showing that too much Omega 3 fish oil can be detrimental. I think you can get into more trouble with fish oil supplements (high potential for rancidity, they are still a PUFA; easier to take too much) than you can with the whole fish (i.e., whole foods are always better than supplements). But you might want to really vary your fish varieties into lower fat types as well since you will be using them as your main protein source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliciadunn Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I am a recent vegetarian but I am not totally grossed out by some fish like Salmon or canned Tuna (pescetarian?) I am on day 4 of my Whole30 and I am trying to stick to the original Whole30 meal plan and shopping list and not the vegetarian one however I am afraid Salmon and Tuna will make up a lot of my protein. Is it bad to use that as my main protein source? Is there a such thing as too much fish? Should I try the vegetarian shopping list? Will I reap the same benefits? Thanks. Hi Katla, that's a really interesting situation. I tend to believe that diversity is key, both to give your body a variety of nutrient sources, but also to prevent food boredom. So, if sticking to the "original" Whole30 means relying on canned salmon and tuna, and possibly eggs, you might think about using the Vegan/Vegetarian version with an occasional overlay of those fish proteins that you do eat. I'm sure others will weigh in but I hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Yes you can have sardines. There is a recipe in Well Fed 2 for fried sardines. It might be a nice change from eating them out of the can. Also Melissa J (The Clothes Make The Girl and Well Fed author) has a salmon cake recipe that is really good. Not sure if it is on her blog or just in her book. Can you have kippers? Can you make your own sushi without rice? http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/07/24/riceless-soy-free-sushi-domo-arigato/. You can also mix raw tuna or salmon with coconut aminos and avocado or what ever you can eat in a bowl. I can't find the recipe I thought it was nom nom paleo or The Clothes Make The Girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michellelisa Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Hey Katla- I'm doing the same- just eggs and fish- I have been vegetarian for the past 8 years. I'm trying this because I am overweight due to the heavy carbs like beans, and grains. I just started on April 1st. So far so good. I am able to eat shellfish for the variety. The above mentioned recipe for salmon cakes is awesome:) Good luck;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 You can definitely do a whole30 eating only eggs and fish, but I want to clarify one thing: the vegetarian shopping list is for true vegetarians only. It is a compromise needed to make sure people who will not eat fish/meat/etc. can get enough protein, but it is not available for mix-and-match with the regular whole30. If you are eating fish, go ahead with a regular whole30, and include as much variety as you can within the proteins you do eat (different types of fish, seafood, eggs, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorMom Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 http://www.ewg.org/research/tuna-calculator i find this helpful. I tend too eat too much tuna bc it's easy and delicious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meon30 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Try fresh fish - no mercury there. If you're not used to eating fish, then sea-bass / trout are a good option. like you, I'm a vegetarian, hence most of my protein is from eggs + a piece of fish 3-4 times a week and it works well! good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Try fresh fish - no mercury there. Although I'm all for eating fresh fish, and think sometimes people restrict fish a little more than strictly necessary due to mercury concerns, it is not true that there is no mercury in fresh fish. Mercury accumulates over time, so the larger/older the fish, the more mercury. This is why tuna is a concern, not due to the canning process. Fresh tuna has as much mercury as canned. It's the smaller/younger fish that have less mercury, so sardines, for example, fresh or in a can are a low-mercury choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpinSpin Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 You can also eat more 'light' tuna as opposed to albacore to reduce your mercury. Albacore tuna are the 'big boys' of the tuna world and they tend to have more mercury. Skip jack tuna (where 'light' tuna comes from) are smaller and have less. Also, look for brands (such as wild planet) that pole fish, rather than using nets, as the tuna they catch are smaller in size. Sardines are a fantastic option since they are tiny. Even so, with canned tuna, you can still eat 6 oz twice a week. What about changing up the types of fish you eat? Add in talapia, trout, sea bass, perch, sole, cod and halibut? Eating from different sources would also change things up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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