Healthy Tuna Salad (with added veggies)

This Healthy Tuna Salad is delicious, easy and offers up the perfect amount of crunch from added veggies! Made from simple ingredients, this delicious salad is great over greens, on a sandwich or simply on its own. The perfect no-cook, easy, healthy lunch recipe!

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Tuna salad is quick lunch or meal staple around our house and a classic recipe for many of us.

But have you tried adding a few extra veggies to your tuna salad? It not only sneaks a few extra plants into your diet, but the vegetables can add some lovey crunch and flavors to this easy salad recipe.

Super easy to make in minutes, this Healthy Tuna Salad recipe is full of flavor, protein and veggie goodness. So make sure to save this simple tuna recipe for the next time you need to throw together dinner in a flash or just don’t have the gumption to cook.

Why this Healthy Tuna Salad is so good for you

Tuna is such an awesome protein option since it is considered a whole protein, is low in fat and low in calories.

Also, studies have shown that consuming fish 2-3 times per week helps to reduce cholesterol and ups your intake in essential fatty acids that are necessary for heart and brain health (source). Consuming fish is also linked to healthy skin and hair.

Plus, the addition of vegetables not only gives this Healthy Tuna Salad a boost of crunch and flavor, but lots of extra vitamins, minerals and fiber. So, this veggie-loaded Tuna Salad is a must have for your healthy balanced life!

Different kinds of canned tuna

There are oodles of different tuna options out there and it can get confusing about which tuna options are the best for you.

• Oil packed tuna vs. water packed tuna. I usually opt for water packed tuna since it usually retains more of its Omega 3 fatty acids. And since I usually use my tuna in a mayo based salad or another recipe with healthy fat present, I like water packed so I can control the fat in my tuna dish. However, oil packed tuna has a richer flavor and is great for just crumbling over a bed of greens or eating straight out of the can with crackers for a grab-and-go protein.
• Albacore, Yellowfin, Skipjack, Tongol…..oh my! So many different kinda of tuna! Does it matter? What’s the difference? The most typical tuna options you are likely to find are albacore, light/skipjack tuna, or yellowfin. Yellowfin and albacore tuna are both white tunas.  They are less fishy tasting, so they are a great option for introducing fish to someone. They also have higher amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. But they can also be a bit pricier. For a more economical tuna option, go with skipjack or tongol.
• What about mercury? Skipjack and tongol have been found to have 3 times less mercury than albacore and yellowfin. For more information about mercury consumption, read this from from the FDA.

There are also tons of different brands of canned tuna on the market. I usually opt for either Safe Catch or Wild Planet. Both options can be found online or in many health grocery stores.

Suggested adaptations

• Use whatever veggies you have. I love to make this with whatever veggies I have. I will often make it with finely chopped spinach, cabbage, chopped cucumber, grated raw zucchini or even smashed avocado.
• Finely grated carrots or minced celery or reduce the amount for extra veggie-iffy eaters. If you are using a box grater, use the fine grate side to help the carrots to “disappear” more into the tuna salad or simply reduce the amount of carrot to 1/3 cup. Same for celery. Chop it extra fine and/or only use 1/2 a stalk.
• Replace some or all of the mayo with plain yogurt.
• Replace some or all of the mayo with mashed avocado.

Other easy salad recipes that serve up extra veggies!

• Veggie-Loaded Spring Chicken Salad
• Greek Chicken Salad
• Veggie-Loaded Mashed Chickpea Salad
• Lemon Garlic Chicken Stuffed Peppers