I’ve been slightly obsessed with avocados lately. I can’t get enough of them really. A couple of months ago my mom brought me a few of hers from her Costco haul and stuck them in my fridge…I was skeptical of how they would keep but I have to tell you, it has been a game changer. They keep well and longer in the fridge and I just try to remember to pull out my avocado at least a few hours before I’m going to use it to get it down to room temperature.

Another game changer? This green little gadget. I’m not one to collect gadgets unless they are super practical…this avocado cutter/pitter/slicer is amazing. (I won it in a giveaway years ago and just came across it unopened, so glad I did!!)

Is tuna good with avocado?

YES! I love using avocado as a healthier substitute for mayo in tuna salad. To make avocado tuna salad all you do is combine tuna, avocado and lemon juice in a small bowl and mash together with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Delicious.

I’ve been adding avocado to salad recipes like this Spinach and Arugula Citrus Salad and smeared on toast like this Avocado Feta Toast with Zaatar for a while, but recently I tried mixing it with tuna as a mayo replacement and for an extra nutritional protein boost. Yet, another game changer. If you love avocado and tuna you will love this recipe (or should I say “non-recipe”)! Throw it on a salad like this Avocado Tuna Salad with Spinach or on some multigrain bread or with some crackers. It’s a great (quick) protein packed lunch (or dinner) option.

Nutritional note: don’t be afraid of the fat in avocados. Avocados are full of MUFAS (monounsaturated fatty acids) and our bodies need and benefit from them in countless ways.

(More benefits of avocados found here.)

I’m always looking for ways to add more avocado to my life and this Avocado and Three Bean Salad and this Smoky Cucumber, Radish and Avocado Salad are high on my to-make list!

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This recipe was created in partnership with Genova Seafood.

Click Here to Pin this Kale Salad recipe!

This Lemony Tuna and White Bean Kale Salad with Avocado has been my go-to salad the last couple of weeks. I’ve made it for quick lunches and I’ve also packed leftovers to take with me to my daughter’s volleyball tournament over the weekend. You know I felt so much better eating this salad in the bleachers instead of concession stand food!

There is a lot of quality protein in this kale salad. Tuna, specifically this Genova Yellowfin Tuna, is one of my favorite proteins to salads each week. I have partnered up with Genova for this recipe but I discovered this tuna a few years back when my grocery store had it on sale (this is the salad I first made with this tuna!). I picked up a few cans back then and I have been hooked on its rich, savory taste ever since. You can find where Genova is sold near you here.

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Click here to pin these healthy recipes using canned tuna for later!

If you didn’t already notice, I’m a big fan of tuna. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to use when I’m looking for a protein packed lunch. Mashed with avocado or combined with celery, mayo and a little Greek yogurt for a more traditional – but lightened up – tuna salad, I like to eat tuna for lunch at least once a week.

Today I’m featuring 21 Healthy Recipes Using Canned Tuna from other bloggers as well as some of my very own personal favorites. Since I know that canned tuna is a pantry staple for most households, I hope you’ll find some ideas and inspiration to try something new!

If you see a recipe you’d like to try, let me know in the comments…or please share one of your own.

Have a great week!

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Before I talk about today’s recipe, I first want to thank every single one of you who took the time to fill out my recent Reader Survey. I read through every response and appreciate all of your comments and feedback. It was a treat to learn more about those of you who come here for my recipes!! Thank you thank you. If you have yet to fill one out and would like to, you can do that right here.

Today’s recipe is a special one. It is from my friend Andie’s new cookbook, Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook and I’m so excited to share it with you. Her blog is a source of healthy recipes as well as wisdom and encouragement to live a balanced life after losing weight. Andie lost 130 lbs years ago and has shared her journey in her touching memoir It Was Me All Along (my review of it here). If you’ve ever struggled with weight, her very personal story about her struggles and relationship with food is one that many can and will relate to. (more…)

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I originally posted this Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad a little over a year ago. I made it again recently and decided to snap some new pics (the ones in the original post were from my iPhone). It’s one of my go-to salads (one that I will most likely be having for lunch today) and really fills you up with a good amount of veggies and protein. It’s funny, and a little ironic, because as I’m rereading my thoughts in my original post as I just scheduled initial assessment for my gym’s 60 Day Comeback Challenge for tomorrow this morning.

Earlier this year, I made a commitment to make health and fitness a priority in my life. I know I am generally very health and fitness focused but I had some personal changes and goals I wanted to work towards, especially after having my 3rd child. Joining a new gym and really stepping up my work outs have been a game changer for me. I feel stronger than I ever have in my life and am really proud of my accomplishments at the gym. I wake up before the crack of dawn 4 days a week and am excited to get to the gym – how many people can say that? I love my trainers, my workouts and the overall postive vibe and people at my gym.

Now, although I feel stronger and have the gym situation under control, I still struggle with food. Plain and simple – I like to eat! 🙂 My Fitness Pal is going to make a comeback in my life to help my achieve my goals in the 60 Day Challenge (and maybe help me win some cash too!). I’ll keep you posted here and hope to share any food and recipe ideas that are helping me along the way.

Stay tuned…and enjoy this salad in the meantime.

(Originally posted August 19, 2014)

There a couple reasons why I’m loving this salad so much lately. One, it’s incredibly filling and full of flavor. Two, it’s low in calories, carbs and is helping me lose weight! For the last couple of weeks, my husband and I have been buckling down and tracking our food and activity in My Fitness Pal, as well as using our Fitbits to keep us motivated to move. I’m happy to report that in just a couple of weeks of really paying attention to what we are eating and how much exercise we are getting in, we are both losing weight at a healthy, steady pace.

It’s no secret that I’ve been trying to shed some baby weight for the last 10 months and I’ve been majorly frustrated lately because I’ve been stuck at a weight since February. Unfortunately for me (as I’m sure many others), my weight tends to affect my mood more than I’d like to admit. I get by by wearing yoga pants most of the time, but when it’s time to put on real clothes I usually get hit with a reality check that doesn’t make me feel all that good (ugh).

My goal has never been to be “skinny” but to be comfortable in my skin, be healthy and fit and feel good about myself in my clothes. For me to get back to that place, I know I need to muster up a little extra will power and motivation and make smart choices, keep my calories in check and move more. So that’s what I’m doing! (Believe me it has not been easy. But with each successful day that passes it gets easier, more routine and more doable. I am looking forward to reaching my goal!)

I have made myself this salad recipe a couple times in the last few weeks, most recently this weekend for both my husband and myself. It’s obvious that I love it, but I was extra happy to see that my husband loved it too, especially because he has never been a huge tuna fish lover (like I am).

It’s light, filling and simple. It is great for lunch, but would make a nice healthy dinner salad too. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand (if I had cucumbers and tomatoes they would have made it into my bowl).

Also, I have been cutting back on salad calories lately by just dressing my salads with red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. If you want to add a drizzle of olive oil, feel free to, but if you love vinegar like I do then I think you will enjoy this just how it’s prepared.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Fish

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Ingredients

• 1 can Italian tuna in olive oil, drained well (or whatever light tuna you prefer)
• iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 onion, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• pepperoncini, optional
• a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil
• dried oregano flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Add lettuce, celery, pepper, cucumber and onion to your salad bowl. Top with feta and tuna. Splash with red wine vinegar and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper, to taste.

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Notes

For a less filling salad, use only half a can of tuna.

(Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.)

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So much goodness in this salad. SO MUCH GOODNESS. I ate it for lunch 4 days in a row last week, that’s how much I loved it. I’ll be honest by the fourth day I was a little over it so I mixed in some romaine and a little ceasar dressing and wow, that might be another recipe/post for another day.

Have you tried farro? It seems to be becoming pretty trendy in recipes I’m noticing…could farro become the new quinoa? I don’t know…quinoa is pretty much all over the place these days. Personally, I really like farro (check out my Garden Farro Salad recipe and this Summer Tabouli with Farro recipe I’ve made before). It has a chewy, nutty texture and is a great grain to serve on it’s own or mixed in with other ingredients into a salad like this Italian Tuna and White Bean Farro Salad.

This farro salad is great to pack in your lunchbox or eat for lunches at home throughout the week like I did. Because farro is such a hearty grain, it holds up well and fills you up with good carbs, protein and fiber. The tuna, beans, celery and feta add even more nutrition and flavor. This is definitely healthy, good-for-you eatin’!

(I think it would be kind of nice to serve for a group along with a variety of salads at a lunchtime gathering too.)

Here is a great blog post on how to cook farro – it explains 3 different methods and a little background on this tasty little grain (I found this post to be really informative!).

Farro might be a challenge to find in your regular grocery store but I do find it there sometimes. I’ve also seen it at Costco, The Fresh Market and my local health food store. You can also order it on Amazon.

Hope everyone is having a great week! In case you missed it, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for The Skinnytaste Cookbook, ends Monday, October 3.

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So it’s been a few posts since I mentioned the ‘diet‘. Ugh. That word still makes me cringe. So I did it, I played with the diet for 2 weeks (almost 17 days). I ate well, I detoxed my body, I felt good, I was cranky, I lost 7 pounds, I’m drinking less wine, I re-developed good eating habits, I rebelled a little, I lost the holiday bloat, I moved on. I am no longer on a ‘diet’. Ugh. Thank goodness.

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