A Fresh Take on Tuna Salad
Elevate your tuna salad to the next level - take out the mayo and add fresh flavor!
When I was a kid, my mom made us the best tuna salad -- full of celery, onion, a little mayo and some dijon, salt and pepper. To this day, when I eat tuna, it reminds me of summer days spent eating lunch in the shade of our porch, cooling off for a moment from the heat of the day. Tuna boasts a ton of nutrient value, and it's readily available, which makes it a win-win. Plus, most kids love tuna salad, so you only have to make one lunch for everyone.
To this day, when I eat tuna, it reminds me of summer days spent eating lunch in the shade on our porch.
As I got older, mayo and my body no longer got along. Sad to lose this summer tradition, I searched for a simple, delicious, and more nutritious way to enjoy tuna salad again that wouldn't make my stomach revolt against me.
Black Bean and Tuna Salad
Enter the black bean and tuna salad. This salad is nothing fancy, really, but perhaps that's why it's so delicious. It takes five minutes to prepare, and fills you up without weighing you down. Plus, the health benefits of tuna and black beans can't be beat. Add in a bed of organic greens, and you've got one heck of a meal. Tuna is a terrific source of Omega-3 fatty acids (one of the essential fats that our bodies can't make), protein, and melatonin. Black beans also provide protein, in addition to fiber (necessary for digestion) and several elements like mangenese, copper, vitamin B1, and iron (important for clotting). Dark leafy greens offer tons of vitamins (A, C), beta carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), calcium, and more.
1 can white flake tuna, drained
1/2 cup black beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups organic baby greens
Toss the tuna, black beans, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Nestle tuna over a bed of baby greens. Grab a sparkling water and head to a shady spot outside and enjoy.
(*Note: eating tuna is a great thing to do once or twice a week, but not every day. Tuna, and other fish higher on the food chain, accumulate mercury, which is toxic if over-consumed. Therefore, enjoy this - like most things in life - in moderation!)