To Fish... or not to Fish?

“Can I eat fish whilst doing No Meat May?” - this is one of the biggest questions we get asked every year when people are starting out on their No Meat May journey.

We say, if you wanna go all the way with No Meat May, you gotta give our friends from the seas a break. Remember that famous line from Finding Nemo!? Fish are friends, not food.

And truth is if we keep fishing at the current unsustainable rate, we’ll have no friends left in our oceans - it’s estimated that all species of wild seafood will be extinct within 25 years.

“It's clear that fish and chips will be off the menu within our lifetimes if we don't act now”

- Willie Mackenzie, Greenpeace

Fishes, and all sorts of other weird and wonderful sea creatures are animals too. And when caught from the ocean or farmed in fish farms, they are essentially turned into meat - most commonly called white meat, or seafood.

There are a lot of big issues with the overfishing of our oceans for profit and the impact of fish farms on our environment. If you are interested in knowing more we recommend watching the documentary Seaspiracy.

The film explores the environmental issues affecting our oceans, including plastic pollution, ghost nets and overfishing, along with challenging the concept of sustainable fishing, the dolphin-safe label and sustainable seafood certifications.

We recognise everyone is different when it comes to the No Meat May challenge, and that some may not be ready to go 100% no meat and no fish, and that's ok with us. For some, pledging no land animals is a HUGE step. You make your rules, you make a realistic pledge for you, and we back you 100%.

However, by sharing some fun, fish-free recipes and loading you with the knowledge to ensure adequate nutrition when cutting out fish, we hope you’ll give it a try!

Our favourite fishy swaps

Fish - To get your omegas be sure to add a tablespoon of flax, chia or hemp seeds to your daily meals, and check out our blog on top tips for meeting your omega needs. For fishy flavours and textures try smashed chickpeas or jackfruit as a great substitute for tuna - we've linked an easy chickpea tuna recipe below. Adding nori, capers, dill, lemon and lime and other herbs associated with eating seafood really brings out those fishy flavours. We also love using tofu to make 'tofish' - grab the recipe here and follow along with our YouTube cooking video.

Seafood - King Oyster mushrooms scored and marinated in citrus, chilli and herbs, make a wonderful scallop like dish. Try oyster or chanterelle mushrooms cooked in a little vegan butter, dill, garlic, and wine sauce and served with capers for seafood like flavours and textures.

Our favourite fish-free recipes

These are some of our favourite recipes, where fish would normally be the hero. Instead by experimenting with plant-based alternatives like chickpeas and tofu, and adding lots of wonderful seasonings and flavours, you can recreate your favourite dishes without harming the fishes!