Heather C Heather C is a married, mom of three: big sis Lily and identical twins Natalie and Sophia. She has been guest blogging for Mumbling Mommy since February of 2012 and began working as a Social Media Editor in 2014. After nearly a decade in banking, she now works part time at a doctor's office specializing in breastfeeding medicine and spends the rest of her days in her Midwest home as zookeeper/stay-at-home-mom. Heather C is also a runner, hiker, yogi, bike rider and more. She reads when she finds more than a few minutes to herself and she hosts a lot of pajama dance parties in her kitchen. In her spare time, she's the co-leader for her daughter's Girl Scout troop and an active member of the school's Parent-Teacher Committee as well as a certified postpartum doula.

This healthy Tuna Salad Recipe found me just when I needed it.

I had a GOOD summer. We ended the school year on a rough note, and all I wanted to do was get a break. And boy, oh boy, did we do that. We went on vacation, explored our city, and spent a ton of quality time together as a family. It was exactly what we needed to heal and re-energize for a new school year. Unfortunately, all that fun came along with quite a bit of indulging: eating out, fudge shops, frozen custard trips, even the summer classic of s’mores.

By the end of August, it was pretty clear I needed a diet reset. Nutrition is a big part of controlling my fibromyalgia, and I had definitely gotten off track. I was looking for a good recipe with no grains, no sugar, no dairy, and no harmful additives. I found a few options for tuna salad and combined my favorite parts to
create what I can only describe as the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten that is packed full of healthy ingredients. (I should mention I don’t actually like tuna salad normally, so this enjoyment was quite a surprise.)

Ready to give this tuna salad recipe a try?

Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe ingredients:

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 5 oz. can tuna (I highly recommend the brand Wild Planet because of the additional health benefits.)
  • ½ diced granny smith apple
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • Salt and garlic to taste

I used a dressing of 3 parts organic extra virgin olive oil to 1 part unfiltered apple cider vinegar to help bring all the ingredients together, as they aren’t quite wet enough on their own. Add this if you wish to make a tuna salad consistency of your liking. The dressing adds a nice flavor, too.

Mix together, serve right away and enjoy! I used roasted plantain chips to dip into my tuna salad. If you aren’t sensitive to grains, one of my favorite brands of gluten-free crackers is Mary’s Gone Crackers. Organic corn tortilla chips are good with it, too, I’m also told.

So what makes this tuna salad recipe so healthy, you are wondering?

  1. Using an avocado base over mayo: Avocados are known for being a healthy fat, great for your cardiovascular health, and chock full of vitamins like E, C, B6, and K among others. You can read more about the benefits of avocados here.
  2. Tuna salad versus chicken salad: Tuna has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Tuna is high in omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fat) needed for brain power. And what about the mercury? The quality of your tuna matters a lot. Make sure you are getting albacore tuna and if you’re buying canned like I do, be sure the can is marked as being BPA free and the tuna is wild caught rather than farm raised. Additional information about tuna can be found here.
  3. Everyone knows you should eat an apple a day: What better way to up your fruit and vegetable intake than by adding a great sweet and sour flavor to your favorite dip/meal. That old saying is very true. Apples are amazingly nutritious.
  4. Eggs aren’t as bad as their reputation: Many people have allergies to eggs. It is very unfortunate because eggs offer a broad array of nutrient support. Just like tuna, the quality of the egg definitely matters. Pick organic, pasture raised eggs. The extra cost is well worth it. Check out your local farmer’s market to see if they have any at a better price than your grocery store. We eat about 2 dozen eggs a week at my house. They are
    so good for you    .

Did you try this tuna salad recipe? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought!

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While you are here, you might also enjoy these posts:

The Last Granola Recipe You Will Ever Need

Beans and Rice Like You’ve Never Seen Before

Teaching Nutrition by Cooking with Kids

Category: Recipes

Tags: food