6 Best Tasty Tuna Salad Recipes to Make at Home – Healthy Tuna Salads

When it comes to fish, make your cat’s favorite yours! Yes, have tuna fish. Why tuna fish, you ask? Tuna can be made part of a healthy dietary regime because of its super amazing health benefits. It can provide you with a daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids, potassium and the list goes on. So, what is it about tuna, that makes it tower over the other protein favorites? A couple of things to begin with; A tuna salad is what we have when we want something healthy and super yum! Trust us, on most days of the week we are struggling to keep up with the healthy-eating quotient and that’s when tuna salad happened to us!

And we haven’t started complaining yet! Now if you haven’t started gorging on tuna salad yet, maybe it is time for you to start eating tuna. Of course, we will provide you with the other reasons why should be a tuna addict too!

Health Benefits of Eating Tuna

There is just something about tuna fish, and we are about to find out what it really is. This fish has a very diverse lineage and it is one of the few fish loved by most people, both by those who like fish and those who don’t. The delicious taste has something to do with it, but apart from that, global availability, and its superlative health benefits make it a pretty cool substitute for the not so heart-friendly red meat.

And also, there is no harm in making your diet a little varied, and when it comes to tuna’s case, a little more nutritious as well. It has bonito and albacore as its family members, which are more correctly from the Scombridae family, also known as the mackerel group. However, tuna is a part of a tribe, called Thunnini. This “tribe” has almost 15 different kinds of tuna and most of this variety is enjoyed by people who swear by the fish on their plate.

• Heart Health- It protects your heart as it balances blood flow in the veins and reduces the cholesterol, thus ensuring optimal heart health.

• Balances blood pressure levels– Since tuna is rich in potassium, it helps lower the blood pressure considerably. The rich omega-3 content has an anti-inflammatory effect on the cardiovascular system. So, when your blood sugar levels are well-controlled, you have fewer risks of suffering from heart-related complicated problems.
• Contains immune boosting minerals – It has zinc, selenium, manganese, vitamin C and all the important minerals which boost your immune system in a big way. It is a free-radical scavenger and helps protect you from diseases like cancer.
• Reduce stress levels and depression with tuna– It can fight depression in a major way and is even more effective than Prozac. So the next time you feel stressed out, the solution is simple, eat tuna!
• It strengthens your bones– It contains vitamin D, the chief component to make healthy bones. Apart from that, vitamin D can also help prevent cancer.
• It aids weight loss– The increased amount of omega-3 fatty acids can subjugate the hunger hormone known as leptin, and you will find that a little amount of tuna can drive away the biggest of cravings. It is also high in protein and low in In fact, it is one of the best foods to ensure weight loss. It also helps boosts your metabolism and ensures fat loss.
• It reduces inflammation– Tuna can keep inflammation at bay, thanks to its incredibly healthy minerals and cholesterol That means it protects you from diseases like gout and arthritis.

• You will feel good and your mood will improve-The rich selenium content of the fish can have a positive impact on your mood. With omega 3 in the picture, there are even fewer chances of you going down in the dumps, the mood enhancing properties of both selenium and omega 3 fatty acids are what work
• A diabetic-friendly fish– Diabetics have a tough time deciding their menu, as they don’t know exactly what should they eat to keep their insulin levels down. A tuna fish can be an answer to most of their dietary problems. The omega 3 keeps the insulin levels under control.
• Your go-to energy foods– Tuna is a big favorite with the athletes, because it provides them with sustainable energy all throughout the day, primarily due to its high level of vitamin B12 and omega 3 fatty acid content.

How to Make a Healthy Tuna Salad

Do you want to make your tuna recipe healthy? Then we will give you just that! This is a sure-fire way to make your heart and health both happy and healthy. So, whether you are looking for a salad, which is savory, sweet or spicy-style, we’ve compiled a list of mouth-watering tuna salad recipes that will cater to a wide variety of palates. All you have got to do is toss up these colorful, nutrient-dense combinations and dial H for health!

1. Avocado Tuna Salad

What could be the best combination with tuna? Avocado, of course! With being labeled as the only fruit which contains (MUFA), the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids comprise of nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. Both these two foods, tuna and avocado will together keep your heart in a perennially happy state. Let’s toss up this exotic salad.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon dill relish
• 2 cans high-quality tuna fish (fresh tuna preferable)
• 1 celery stalk, chopped into small pieces
• ½ red onion, chopped into small pieces
• ½ of a lemon juice

Method: Take an avocado and mash together the avocado and Greek yogurt until smooth. Blend in the other ingredients like granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and relish until they combined. Mix in the tuna fish, red onion, and celery until all the ingredients are coated. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir well.

Serve the mixture on a sandwich or with crackers and vegetables. Let this tuna salad sit for a couple of hours for even better flavor.

2. Healthy Tuna Salad

How to make a good tuna salad? Well, here is how you can make it. This salad is healthy and a perfect option when you are in no mood to spend long hours cooking something fancy, yet don’t have the heart to eat your boring everyday food. It happens to me when I feel I am quite done with eggs in the morning and need a change of protein.

Ingredients

• 2 whole-wheat pitas
• 1 can tuna canned in water without the extra salt
• 2 wedges Lemon juice
• 2 olive oil
• 1/2 small onion diced (choose purple or red onion they add color)
• 1/2 cup of diced red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Cooking something delicious does not mean you have to cook up a storm, open a can of tuna, drain it, and place in a bowl. Blend in the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the bell pepper, onion, and parsley. Don’t forget to add sea salt or rock salt and pepper to taste. Place it into the pita and go nom!

3. How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad?

This tuna pasta salad is what savory comforting foods are all about. When delicious pasta marries chunky tuna, it is clearly a marriage made in gourmet heaven.

• 340 grams macaroni cooked and drained
• 12 ounces can chunk albacore tuna, drained
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup frozen green pea, thawed
• 1 and 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper

Method: Cook and drain the pasta and combine it with the drained tuna, chopped celery, peas, and mayonnaise, use only the required amount of mayonnaise for the salad to lend a creamy touch. Let the dish chill for at least 1- 2 hours before you serve your tuna pasta salad.

4. Mayo-free Tuna Salad

Are you watching your waistline? Then you surely are avoiding everything that is making you put on extra adipose tissues! Mayonnaise, although tasty, is full of fat and not always of the good kind. If you are buying it from a store processed, with way too many additives than necessary, you need to shun it altogether. But if you are thinking how to make tuna salad without mayo, then this recipe is exactly what you need.

 

Ingredients

• 3 cans tuna, drained
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
• 1 carrot, finely shredded
• ¼ cup diced onion
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ – ½ cup olive oil
• 2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method: In a large bowl, flake the tuna with the help of a fork. Combine celery, carrot and bell pepper to the salad. Take a small bowl and whisk together all the wet ingredients, namely olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, and mustard or you can shake them together in a jar. Pour the freshly made salad dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Add the required seasonings in the form of salt and pepper to taste.

5. Tuna Olive Salad

The best part of tuna is its versatility, you can make it super healthy and then you can add a little mayo to rustle up a good for the soul kind of recipe too. This salad though does not veer towards the not not-so-healthy aisle at all. In fact, with all the green veggies added, it makes for an antioxidant rich, inflammation fighting salad. A MUFA filled salad to keep you satiated for long hours. It is pretty low on calories too. All in all, a total win-win situation.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 large tomato, diced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• 10 large Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small zucchini, sliced longitudinally
• ½ of avocado, nicely diced
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 can chunk light tuna in water, drained
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp. Himalayan or sea salt
• ¾ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Method: The zucchini slices should be kept on both sides in a hot cast iron skillet grill pan or you can heat it on a very hot grill too. Remove the pan and let it cool for a few minutes. Cut it into small pieces. Combine all the ingredients in an extra large mixing bowl and stir it gently until the salad is well combined. Serve fresh.

6. Classic Macaroni Tuna Salad

There couldn’t be a simpler recipe for the classic macaroni tuna salad, the perfect comfort food. Just some good old mayonnaise and tuna can rustle up wonders. You can put in a few more greens if you want, but there are some days when the something thick and savory can work just fine. When I am low and not quite feeling all is right with the world, this is what I make. A big bowl of this and a funny sitcom on the idiot box and I am good to go!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of macaroni
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, nicely diced
• 2 cans of tuna fish, drained
• 1 can peas, drained
• 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method: First, you need to prepare the macaroni, just follow the package directions. Rinse the macaroni thoroughly with cold water and drain well. Combine the rest of the ingredients like diced hard boiled eggs, tuna, peas and the mayonnaise. Blend really well. Refrigerate the tuna macaroni before serving. You can add mustard, cucumber, onion to make it more interesting.

How to make tuna salad? Well, now you know the answer, there’s nothing remotely complicated like rocket science about it. A little bit of imagination, a little flair and you will be able to make tuna salad not only yours, but the entire household’s favorite. So, what’s for dinner tonight? A tuna salad sounds perfectly fine! Do give it a try.

6 Healthy Tuna Salad Recipes That are Healthy and Tasty – PDF