Paleo tuna salad is relatively cheap, super convenient and a great source of protein and omega-3s. However, a lot of times supermarket canned tuna come marked with words like chunky, light, whole and albacore cluttering the labels; finding the healthiest selection can be difficult. Mercury is somewhat of a concern, but it’s generally accepted that you can eat canned tuna six times a month with no impact on your health.

There are some buzzwords you should look for at the grocery store to make sure you’re getting the most nutritious tuna. There’s a lot more literature regarding canned  tuna, but these are some basic steps to help guide you to the best choice.

• Look for tuna from small, American fisheries (like American Tuna or Dave’s Gourmet). They fish more sustainably and process their tuna minimally.
• Buy tuna in water, not oil. If you buy tuna canned in oil, when you drain it, many of the natural omega-3s from the fish go with it.
• Buy albacore or white tuna. It usually has higher omega-3 content than “light” tuna. Besides that, you don’t really know what you’re getting with light tuna–it could be a mix of three or four different varieties of tuna. When you buy albacore, you know that albacore tuna is the only fish in that can.
• Check the ingredients for additives and try to find a can that contains just tuna and water.

Ok got it? Cool, let’s make some Paleo tuna salad…

Paleo Tuna Salad

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Prepare: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• Juice of 1 lemon
• one 5-oz. can tuna, drained
• 1 Tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp. chopped celery
• 1 Tbsp. shredded carrot
• 1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of organic mix greens (or any leafy green you prefer)

Directions

1. With a fork, mash the avocado and combine with lemon juice.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients gently.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place the organic mix greens onto a large plate or bowl and spoon the mixed tuna onto the greens.
5. Enjoy!

Paleo tuna salad would go great after a breakfast that’s a little heavy on the carbs for a Paleoer, since this recipe has a lot of protein and healthy fats, with some carbs (the avocado). Still feeling hungry? Try some cauliflower rice to go with your tuna.

So what makes Paleo Tuna Salad “Paleo?”

• The tuna you picked is Paleo since:
  • You bought it from a smaller less industrial company.
  • It is either white or albacore tuna.
  • It is free of preservatives.
  • It would only get more Paleo if you had caught the tuna and cooked it yourself 🙂
• The mayonnaise used in traditional tuna salad is replaced with the avocado.