[7luminaries]

Originally Posted by Gem

People will have a variety of ethical stances, but I take a purely nutritional standpoint, and from that perspective there is no such thing as bad food. Fish is nutrient dense, a leading protein source, rich with essential fatty acids, A,B,D and K vitamins and some minerals. Some folks might not want to eat fish, but that only means they need to get the nutrients from other food sources.

The whole problem with ethical eating is not eliminating animal products per se, but eliminating animal products at the expense of adequate nutrition. As we eliminate more food options from our diets it becomes increasingly difficult to get the nutrition we need, so personally I don't advocate eliminating any food options. For example, vegans eliminate a vast array of animal products, but they also present with a host of issues related to poor nutrition and the majority of them go back to animal food to save their deteriorating health. It's remarkable that vegan eating is socially projected as 'good' both ethically and nutritionally. It can be a healthy way of eating, but you need to know nutrition and take a few supplements. Most people don't know these things, so they lack essential nutrients, and their heath deteriorates.


That said, this is my comment - don't restrict your diet to the detriment of your nutrition. If you really need dietary advice, see a properly qualified dietitian

Agreed. Purely objectively, a vegan diet is an extremely poor choice for an ominivore species and in particular does not tend to meet the needs of the brain, which is an energy hog & represents ~20% of our baseline metabolism (humanity). Nearly all other bodily systems also require components only or best sourced from animal sources and nearly all vegans are (even severely) deficient in a few key nutrients which are difficult to adequately supplement.

If you can tolerate dairy and eggs, then a vegetarian diet may suffice, but if like a marjority of adults round the globe you cannot consume much if any dairy (or just find whole unprocessed dairy a bit rich in its natural, most recommended and best utilised form), then a regular omnivore's diet is best, with as many local and organic, minimally processed products as possible.

So in that regard, fish too should be local and/or wild caught, ideally, having been sourced in a sustainable manner. Due to pollution and overfishing, the fact is many fish-based cuisines will probably have to transition to consuming more meat in future. Wild caught fish which clean enough to eat are likely to be more of an occasional treat in many parts...so that there's still some left to sustain their (fish) population.

Peace & blessings
7L