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    Home » Entrees

    Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe

    Published: Dec 3, 2021 · Modified: Jun 27, 2022 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · Leave a Comment

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    Healthy tuna salad is a classic lunchtime recipe, and it takes a mere 10 minutes to make! This version is dressed up with roasted peppers and pepperoncini.
    Tuna salad on crackers, topped with cucumber slices.

    Healthy tuna salad is a long-time favorite of mine. Yep, I was that kid who brought tuna salad sandwiches to school! As much as I love my mum’s version, these days I lighten things up by cutting back on the mayo and pumping up the flavor with other ingredients.

    In my low-fat salmon salad sandwich recipe, I used capers to add flavor and seasoning. In this tuna salad, I opted for roasted peppers, pepperoncini and celery. Simple, but so flavorful! And speaking of pepperoncini, don't miss out on my Cauliflower Salad with Pepperoncini.

    If you love tuna salad, but want something more substantial to serve for dinner, try my Tuna Pasta Salad. It's fantastic for picnics, too!

    Bowl of tuna, jars of mayonnaise, roasted peppers and pepperoncini, all on baking sheet.

    What you need for this Healthy Tuna Salad recipe:

    These are the main components of this recipe:

    • Tuna: Look for canned tuna packed in water, which is available in any grocery store. Drain off and discard the water.
    • Mayonnaise: You’ll need just a couple of tablespoons of light mayonnaise.
    • Roasted peppers: Either store-bought or homemade roasted peppers will work.
    • Pepperoncini: Jars of pepperoncini can be found near the pickles and olives in almost any grocery store.
    • Crackers: Wasa crispbreads are a long-time favorite – multigrain, whole grain, rye or light ‘n crisp. I used multigrain, but any of these are fantastic for open-faced lunches.
    • Cucumber: Sliced cucumber or tomato are both good options.

    See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

    💙What’s to love about this recipe:

    ▪️Easy: Mix the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl, smash it all together with a fork, then pile it on top of crackers, bread or lettuce. It takes 10 minutes or less to make!

    ▪️Healthy: Tuna is a great source of protein. One serving of this light tuna salad on top of Wasa crackers offers about 17 grams of protein. Plus, this lightened-up recipe has less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.

    ▪️Make-ahead: Make a batch on Sunday evening and use it for lunches over the next couple of days. A great meal prep option!

    Gray bowl with tuna, mayonnaise, peppers and pepperoncini.

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      How to make tuna salad healthy:

      • Since it’s the overabundance of mayonnaise that turns tuna salad from healthy to…well, not…the easiest way to lighten up tuna salad is by cutting back on the mayo.
      • However, since the mayo adds moisture and helps to bind the tuna together, you need something to fill this role.
      • In this case, that’s veggies – plenty of them. Mix the tuna with a couple of tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise, then add diced celery, roasted peppers and pepperoncini. Green onion and fresh parsley are also good additions. I’m not a fan of raw red onions. But if you are, finely dice a tablespoon and mix it in.
      • The veggies add moisture, but also add a wonderful layer of flavor and a little zip! Season to taste with kosher salt.
      Tuna salad on crackers with cucumber on a gray plate.

      Frequently asked questions:

      How long does tuna salad last?

      According to the U.S. government food safety site, tuna salad lasts for 3 to 4 days in a refrigerator set to 40 degrees F or below. I store mine in an airtight container like this one.

      Unfortunately, salads with mayonnaise don’t tend to freeze well.

      What can I use in place of mayonnaise?

      If you prefer to veer away from mayo altogether, use Greek yogurt instead. It has a tangier taste, so you could add a small drizzle of honey to balance out the flavors, if desired.

      Alternatively, dress the tuna with a white or red wine vinaigrette.

      How to serve tuna salad:

      Serve it as an open-faced sandwich on whole grain crackers, like I did in this recipe, or on whole grain bread. Alternatively, serve it over mixed greens, along with some chopped cucumber and tomatoes, or with some avocado slices. You could also make lettuce wraps with butter lettuce leaves or serve it in endive leaves as tuna boats!

      Other healthy lunch recipes:

      Turkey Panini with Apple, Cheddar & Arugula
      Kale, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Quesadillas
      Sweet Potato Toast with Tahini Arugula

      Tuna salad and cucumbers on crackers, on a gray plate.

      Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe

      Healthy tuna salad is a classic lunchtime recipe, and it takes a mere 10 minutes to make! This version is dressed up with roasted peppers and pepperoncini.
      5 from 1 vote
      Print Pin Rate
      Course: Entrees, Salads
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: Healthy Tuna Salad
      Prep Time: 10 minutes
      Total Time: 10 minutes
      Servings: 2 Servings
      Calories: 175.6kcal
      Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

      Ingredients

      • 1 (5 oz.) can tuna in water drained
      • 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
      • 1 medium stalk celery diced
      • 3 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
      • 3 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
      • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
      • 4 whole grain or multigrain Wasa crakcers or something similar
      • 12 slices cucumber
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      Instructions

      • In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, celery, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini and salt.
      • Divide the mixture evenly between the crackers and top each with 3 slices of cucumber. Serve.

      Notes

      Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Blue - Freestyle SP) / 4 (Green) / 3 (Purple)
      Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Sparks nutrition calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 2topped crackers | Calories: 175.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.9g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 788.2mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 1.1g
      Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

      This post was first published on January 12, 2021 and updated on December 3, 2021.

      Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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        Hi there! Welcome to Cookin' Canuck.

        I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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