Not All Tuna Salads are Created Equal

I love asking children questions because they give the best and most honest answers.  I was lucky enough to have an outing today with the kids I nanny for.  I asked the six year old what topic I should use for my cooking blog today and she answered, “You should probably write about avocados since you are always eating them.  Or maybe tuna because I love your tuna salad.  Actually, write about sneaking vegetables into everything because you are always doing that.”  I thought, why not all three?

While I like to advocate for the importance of a diet consisting of the freshest foods that are grown or raised organically and as close to home as possible, the modern American lifestyle does not lend itself to the healthiest eating habits.  We need ideas for foods that are quick, easy, and healthy.  I feel like a very important staple pantry item for pescatarians is canned tuna in water.  It is cheap, easy to store, rich in those omega-3 fatty acids doctors are always talking about, and an excellent base for all kinds of creative recipes.

Tuna salad doesn’t have to be full of fatty mayonnaise.  While the more traditional recipes are delicious, there are easy ways to dress up your tuna and make it one of the best possible quick and healthy choices for a lunch or dinner on one of those really busy days.

One of my personal favorites is something I call “Mediterranean” Tuna Salad.  I drain the tuna and mix it with chopped black olives, diced tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts and chopped fresh Italian parsley.  The tomatoes provide you with antioxidants and carotenoids (yes, carotenoids are found in red veggies along with orange and yellow ones).  Black olives are rich in healthy fats that lower cholesterol, contain vitamin E (an antioxidant that eliminates free radicals and prevents cancer), and aid in nutrient absorption and proper digestion.  And, artichokes are full of antioxidants, magnesium, and potassium, which improve immunity as well as heart and bone health.  Parsley is a cleansing herb, meaning that consuming it cleans toxins out of your body.

I also like to mix a can of tuna with an avocado and a little cumin and chili powder.  The spices are obviously for flavor alone.  But the avocado, aside from being one of my favorite fruits, is so full healthy nutrients thought to prevent several kinds of cancer, especially prostate cancer and oral cancer.  Eating them also improves the health of your skin and eyes. 

These salads are incredibly easy to make and incredibly good for you.  So, next time you have had a long, tough day and are thinking you may as well just pick up a greasy pizza on the way home, consider throwing together a tuna salad instead.  It will make your taste buds and your body happy.