Sometimes eating healthy means new and strange ingredients and that can be exciting but other times, you just want a good ole favorite, like a tuna salad sandwich. We decided we would share one with you that has the same qualities as the old fashioned kind but also one with a twist.
First, let’s talk about the health benefits of tuna. Tuna contains a lot of good protein, selenium, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. All of these nutrients are fantastic but there are a few things to consider when choosing which canned tuna to eat.
One thing we found out when researching for this post is that not all tuna is equal. You really want to take care when selecting what you put in your body. You want to look for Wild caught tuna that is actually caught by pole-and-line, troll or handline catch methods. According to Whole Foods this “means fishermen catch tuna one fish at a time, which creates more fishing jobs” and it also cuts down on something called “bycatch” which is where a purse seine is cast off a boat to attract tuna but also catches sea turtles, sharks, and other marine life. Click HERE if you would like to read this article.
Another concern in fish, especially tuna because of it’s large size is mercury. Luckily canned tuna is one of the better fish to eat in terms of mercury but did you know that light tuna actually has less mercury than Albacore (aka, the white kind of tuna)? All fish pose a mercury threat but also they have health benefits too so it is important to do your homework and read labels.
Now on to the recipe – we used a non-dairy mayonnaise but if you can tolerate dairy, use what you like best. We also added shredded carrots for color, taste and we all know carrots are good for you. The sriracha, we think is absolutely delicious but if you do not like spice, then, by all means, leave that off. Sometimes, you just need to get back to basics and that is what this sandwich will do for you!
Tuna Salad Sandwich With A Twist
Ingredients
2 cans of wild-caught tuna fish
1/3 cup Vegenaise
1 carrot – peeled and grated
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/4 cup red onion diced finely
1/4 cup of halved kalamata olives
salt and pepper to taste
1 T sriracha per sandwich (optional)
Bread of choice
Instructions
1.) Open the cans of tuna and drain the excess liquid out into the sink. Empty both cans of tuna into a medium-size bowl. Break up the tuna with a fork.
2.) Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. We recommend you let this sit in the refrigerator so the flavors have the chance to incorporate but if time is limited, you can eat right away.
