I know it sounds weird to add diced apples to a tuna salad, but this lunch recipe for tuna salad with diced apple is delicious.
We have it on Ritz crackers while binge-watching Dexter or the latest Netflix series. Look, we’ve been shut up inside of our homes for a while now. There isn’t much to do. Don’t judge me:)
Is Tuna Salad Healthy?
Oh yeah, Yes, yes it is.
This hearty but light lunch entree salad can also be a main dish if you want to put the tuna salad on some bread and throw a sliced tomato on top of that. I know that it tastes good, and that’s all that matters.
And did you know that tuna is a great weight-loss food because of its high protein content and low in saturated fat? Well, it is.
Tuna also provides amino acids that your body can use to build muscle tissue, so it’s a guilt-free food to eat. Fish is just great healthy food.
Check out all of the wonderful nutrition facts about canned tuna. This is for a can of Starkist tuna in water.
Hmm…if it’s so good for weight loss, I should eat this salad daily. I did put on a few pounds thanks to all that’s been going on in the last couple of years. I admit it, but at least I wasn’t alone. It seems like a lot of my friends were snacking, too.
Did I just throw my friends under the bus? Wow.
Can You Tweak This Chopped Apple Tuna Salad Recipe?
You sure can! I used to think that I was always attracted to food that wasn’t good for me-sort of like a couple of men that were in my life.
Moving on, then I started making the dishes differently, and now I enjoy foods that I once thought of as dull. Hard-boiled eggs are a favorite around here and you can always add hard boiled egg to this salad recipe.
You can also make this salad with apples and pecans. And there’s always a version of this albacore tuna recipe with apples and raisins, and you can even make it with apples and grapes.
Other Great Ideas for This Salad
Besides apples, pecans, and raisins, what else can you add to this lunch salad?
- Lemon juice is great. Not only does lemon juice add a nice zing and flavor, but lemon juice also brings in some awesome vitamin C. Lemon juice also adds some preservative value.
- You can use Miracle Whip instead of mayo if that’s your thing.
- Dried cranberry is just as delicious in this salad (or in chicken salad) as raisins.
- Oh, and yes, you can use this exact same recipe to make chicken salad.
- Any type of nuts is perfect in this salad. We have also made it with walnuts or almonds. You can use chopped walnuts that you buy, or you can crack your own walnuts.
- Serve it over a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with lemon juice. We like baby lettuce greens, but leaf lettuce is also yummy.
- Use red onion or green onion.
- Add an additional apple slice (or two!) to your sandwich for even more crunch.
- Want an extra kick? The recipe calls for black pepper, but you can also use cayenne pepper or a dab of hot sauce.
- Serve with a side dish like deviled eggs.
- Want to experiment with spices? Try curry powder.
- To add more protein, toss in some chickpeas.
- Don’t overdo it on salt for your sandwich. Tuna already has a nice salt flavor.
- Serve with avocado slices or diced avocado.
Weight Watchers
If you’re doing Weight Watchers (WW) or another healthy meal plan, you’re probably always on the lookout for delicious low-point lunches, and this tuna salad recipe fits the bill!
It used to be that canned tuna was a zero point food for everyone on the Weight Watchers diet, but now that we’re doing Weight Watchers Personal Points, not everyone can count canned tuna as a zero point food.
However, if you do have canned tuna as a zero point food, this tuna salad recipe is perfect and full of flavor. How can you make this tuna salad super low in points?
Weight Watchers Points in Tuna Salad
Here is the low-down on the number of points in this apple tuna salad.
- Sweet pickle relish has 1 point per tablespoon. If you’re saving your points for that after-dinner chocolate, you can just leave the pickle relish out of your tuna salad.
- Use dill relish instead. Dill relish has zero points, so you can always opt to use dill relish instead of sweet relish.
- Chopped boiled eggs. If you have eggs set as a zero point food, consider adding some chopped hard boiled eggs to this recipe for even more filling protein and flavor.
- Use light mayo. Light mayonnaise has just 1 point for every tablespoon, and you won’t even notice the taste difference between regular mayo and light mayo. We are also in love with olive oil mayo and avocado oil mayo.
- Opt for Greek yogurt. If you don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can use Greek yogurt as an ingredient. For some folks on WW, Greek yogurt is a zero points food. Make sure you’ve chosen Greek yogurt as a zero points food, though, if you like it. Everyone’s plan is different.
- Sour cream. A combination of Greek yogurt and light sour cream gives an excellent consistency and flavor.
Here’s another idea we love: wrap this yummy fish salad in a lettuce leaf for a super light lunch. Don’t forget the red onion for plenty of crunch!
Conover, Did You Really Steal This Tuna Salad Recipe From Your Mother?
Yes, yes I did.
My mother used to make tuna salad this way for lunch with the dijon mustard and diced apples, so I got the idea from her. I’ve stolen her recipes before.
There are so many different ways you can serve this tuna salad. I tend to like versatile dishes.
You probably haven’t gotten past the part where I admitted to stealing my Mom’s recipes. Well, there’s a story that goes with that. My mother (Melba) would be cooking something that I really liked, so I’d ask her how to make it.
Why Would You Do Such A Terrible Thing?
One I asked her when I was a teenager (that was back in the Stone Age), how to make the white gravy she was making.
I don’t remember the dish she was preparing back then. Her parents were farmers. She was a southern gal that knew her way around the kitchen. But, like her mother, she didn’t go by measurements.
It was a dash of this and a pinch of that. She said, “Conover, you just make it!”
She seemed frustrated as if I should have been born with the knowledge of how to prepare the white gravy. So, I watched her until I could figure it out, then I stole her recipes. Just like that.
Oh, yes, I did. But I share them with you guys, so does that redeem me? No? Well, fine!
This isn’t your mother’s tuna salad recipe. Oh, wait. It is my mother’s tuna salad recipe.
Let’s do this!
Conover’s (mom’s) Tuna Salad with Diced Apple Recipe
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: None
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of tuna fish, drained
- 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 rib of finely diced celery
- 1/4th cup of chopped onions (red onion, white onion, or yellow onion)
- 1 small apple, diced
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon of fresh dill weed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, put some dill weed on top for the garnish, and you’re good to go.
You can serve this tuna salad on sliced white bread, whole grain bread, brioche, in tortillas for wraps, in pita bread, or whatever you prefer, or on crackers for a snack or lunch. Let’s eat!
Tuna Salad With Diced Apple
Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna
- 3 tablespoons mayonaisse
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 rib diced celery
- 1 whole apple diced
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, put some dill weed on top for the garnish, and you’re good to go. You can serve this on sliced white bread, brioche, or whatever you prefer, or on crackers for a snack.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
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