Canned tuna is an economical choice. But preparing it the same way can get stale. Here are some ideas for making tuna more exciting. Be sure to rinse the tuna well before using it to reduce the salt content.
1. Try Different Spices
Looking for a way to make your tuna salad a little different from the typical? Try adding seasonings, such as fresh or dried dill, tarragon, ginger, curry powder, chipotle pepper, smoked paprika, mint, basil, cilantro, or rosemary.
2. Make It Ethnic
Add salsa and a little chopped jalapeno to make it spicy. Or, add curry seasoning, ginger, and soy sauce. Or, add feta cheese and Greek olives.
3. Add Crunch
Celery is commonly added to tuna salad. Try adding a small amount of chopped zucchini, jicama, water chestnuts, pear or apple, broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrots, thawed frozen peas, peanuts, or toasted chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
4. Serve It Differently
In addition to sandwich bread, serve tuna salad in whole grain pita pockets, on bagel halves, or rolled in a whole grain tortilla or flat bread. Or, serve it in a tomato.
5. Make Mine Hot
Spread tuna salad on toasted whole grain bread, bagel, or English muffin halves. Top each half with low fat cheese (such as Swiss or Cheddar or mozzarella) and broil until cheese bubbles.
6. Make it fun
Get creative. Give your tuna sandwich a face, using assorted raw veggies for eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and hair.
7. Skip the Bread
Mix tuna salad into cooked pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or other cooked whole grains. Try some of the flavor additions suggested above. Throw in fresh or frozen mixed vegetables and/or cooked beans, such as kidney or garbanzo beans.
8. Go Easy on the Mayo
Substitute avocado for some or all of the mayo in your tuna salad. Avocado is a healthy fat. Or, combine the tuna with hummus. Serve with thinly sliced carrot dippers or baked tortilla chips. Or, add low fat no-added-salt cottage cheese to your tuna salad in place of the mayonnaise.
9. Make Tuna Patties
Combine canned tuna with leftover cooked mashed potatoes, an egg, Dijon mustard, and your favorite seasonings. Pan-fry them in a small amount of canola oil. The mashed potatoes and egg help to hold the mixture together. Serve topped with a red pepper sauce or cheese sauce or in a whole grain bun with a couple of pickles. You can get two tuna patties per 5-ounce can.
10. Add Fruit
Add cut up fresh or canned pineapple to tuna salad. Or, add red or green seedless grapes, Mandarin oranges, chopped green or red apples, or pears.
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