Most of us are constantly trying to not only lose weight, but also eat healthier. Nicole Hallissey MS, RDN, CDN, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, who really knows her stuff and knows how to write in such a way that she keeps her readers interest in addition to offering great advice and recipes. She shows us the way to meet our goals in her cookbook, The Truly Healthy Pescatarian Cookbook. A Pescatarian diet, incidentally, “is a vegetarian diet with the added benefits of seafood. Pescatarians avoid eating red meat and poultry; instead they focus on a wide array of protein sources from the sea, including fish, shrimp, clams, and all other types of shellfish.” Fish and seafood lovers, whether they indulge in red meat and poultry or not, will love this book.

The book includes recipes for breakfasts, soups and salads, vegetarian mains, and seafood mains. There are also snacks, side dishes, and even desserts (they, luckily don’t contain seafood). Hallissey has a good imagination, and some of the dishes she presents in the book are unique and appealing. Favorites include a delicious Panko-Crusted Seasoned Cod with Crunchy Asparagus, Shrimp and Pesto Grilled Pizza (the crust is easily made in an automatic bread machine), and Honey Barbeque Salmon Cobb Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. There are dozens of mouthwatering light dishes that are in the queue, such as Turmeric-Spiced Crispy Cauliflower, Spiced Crab Guacamole, and Zucchini Noodle and Shrimp Stir-Fry. The recipes are written in an easy-to-follow way, and are suitable for every cook, from beginning to advanced.

The one drawback to this cookbook is the fact that there are a limited number of photographs; not every dish is pictured, which is unfortunate since most cooks like to know what their finished dish is supposed to look like. The photographs that are included are excellent, however.

Anyone who leans toward healthy, low fat, and vegetarian will appreciate this cookbook. Non-vegetarians will find plenty of recipes that they will want to make, and several of the side dishes are delicious next to non-vegetarian main dishes.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This was a very well written cookbook. I found the layout to flow well and the recipes were easy to understand and follow along to. I look forward to trying some of them out for my family.

I would like to thank the publisher, Calisto Media, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting a book full of fish recipes, however, this book is a balanced cookbook with fish and non fish recipes. The recipes look really good and I will definitely try some. The only drawback for me is not enough photographs of the cooked dishes. But all in all still a great cookbook with everything from breakfast to lunch and dinner.

I enjoyed looking through this cookbook. The recipes are all healthy - very plant-based, utilizing whole foods and following a Mediterranean-style of eating. I would recommend this book to any individual looking for recipe inspiration, hoping to eat healthier or see gradual weight loss, and those searching for an anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting cookbook. The only con to this book is that not all recipes include a photo. Otherwise, I highly recommend!

Thank you, Callisto Media and NetGalley!

This is a great reference for those who are looking to change their eating habits. Whether it be for health reasons or allergies, this cookbook provides a variety of options for those who need additional ideas and recipes!

A pescatarian diet is similar to a vegetarian diet with the added benefit of seafood. Even if you aren’t going that route, this is still a very nice cookbook for anyone.

This book starts out with an an explanation of the pescatarian way of life and continues with information to help you get started. There are suggestions for what to stock your pantry with, equipment you might need for the recipes as well as suggestions for buying seafood and how to add flavor to your food. There is even a section on how to find your ideal weight and maintain it.

The recipes: There are a few that I noticed that don’t involve seafood; they would come under the category of vegetarian which is a part of the actual diet.

The cookbook is nicely done, and I recommend it.

The pescatarian diet is a vegetarian diet with the added benefits of seafood and fish. Because I am allergic to shellfish, this diet is not a great choice for me, however, there were some great recipes in this book that I will use and substitute another protein or keep it vegetarian.

The recipes looked really good in this book. It uses pretty common and simple ingredients, I liked the balance of fish recipes to non fish recipes. I selected this cookbook based on the Title and cover photo. The cookbook was organized into sections such as breakfast, salads, entrees etc. What I really didn’t like is the lack of photos of the recipes. Many people eat with their eyes and only one recipe per section was photographed. What would have made this cook book great is photographs of the recipe.

The hailing of the Mediterranean diet as one of the healthiest with its focus on vegetables, fruit, and lean protein means that the switch to a pescatarian diet automatically incorporates many of the elements of the Mediterranean diet. In The Truly Healthy Pescatarian Cookbook, nutritionist Nicole Hallissey discusses the basics of the pescatarian diet, what kitchen tools you need as well as how to find your optimum weight and how to lose to get there.

Many of the recipes are different than you find in typical vegan or vegetarian cookbooks. For instance, the only smoothie recipe is one you eat with a spoon (thank you) for exactly the reason I’ve brought up in the past. It’s hard to get full with a smoothie breakfast.

The incorporated ingredients are not only readily available in your local market, but they won’t break the bank either with the obvious benefit that these recipes are family-friendly.

Several of these recipes, Fattoush Nachos with Hummus Drizzle, Spicy Tempeh Stir-Fry, and Tex-Mex Tempeh Veggie Skillet, I intend to try and hopefully add to my rotation of meals. Several of the breakfast recipes, the egg muffins, for instance, are definitely worth trying. While the Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry sounds intriguing, I already have one that I cook that incorporates greens and is more savory and spicier than the one included here.

Perhaps that is my issue with many of the recipes in The Truly Healthy Pescatarian Cookbook. The incorporation of sweet vegetables and fruits tend to make the savory dishes sweeter. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll probably be drawn to these recipes, but I prefer sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and other sweet vegetables as a side rather than in the main. Even introducing corn and carrots can make a dish sweeten up.

Before I became vegetarian, I hated mushrooms, but now they are a go-to for their meaty flavor, and yet, not a single vegetarian recipe here includes them. However, if you love zucchini, sweet potatoes, avocado, salmon, and arugula, you’re in luck. Also, if you’re a fan of greens, you’re out-of-luck.

This is a minor gripe, that was hopefully dealt with in the final edition, but among the ingredients for the Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry is coconut cream without a footnote as to whether she really means coconut cream or milk and hopefully not creme de coconut, which is an ingredient in pina coladas.

The seafood and fish recipes are different enough that if you’re considering becoming pescatarian you might enjoy this cookbook. However, as mentioned above, many of the fish recipes also include sweet elements: the paella has sweet plantains, honey mustard dipping sauce for the fish sticks, pineapple in the fried rice, just to mention a few.

If you’re considering making the switch to a meatless diet, incorporating more fish into your diet and don’t mind sweetened dishes, you might like The Truly Healthy Pescatarian Cookbook. This would definitely make a good introduction to the pescatarian lifestyle. If you’re already pescatarian or vegetarian, you probably want a more involved cookbook with more diversity in the recipes.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.