This no mayo tuna salad with avocado will be your new go-to lunch recipe. It’s so easy to make, but also nutritious and tasty! It’s toddler approved, too. 🙂
If you saw my Healthy Egg Salad Recipe post last week, this one will look familiar – and that’s because it is! The basic mix-ins are the same, but I include some fun variations (mediterranean tuna salad, anyone?) at the end of this post that are unique to the tuna situation.
As with my go-to egg salad, in this healthy tuna salad recipe avocado replaces the traditional mayo and dijon mustard adds a kick of flavor. Enjoy it with crackers, on a sandwich, in a salad mixed with veggies, or on its own.
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I love tuna, not only because it’s delicious – it was always one of my favorite lunches as a kid and still is – but also because it’s so versatile!
Tuna is also a good source of essential nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and Vitamin D.
Plus, canned tuna is shelf stable, easy to store in your pantry, and really useful to have on hand (especially in a pinch!). Check out my Healthy Pantry Staples List post for more tuna recipe ideas, as well as some 15 minute dinner ideas utilizing my other shelf stable faves.
Check out these other delicious cold lunch ideas and no mayo chicken salad!
Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe with Avocado
You don’t need mayo to make tuna salad creamy and delicious, my friends – avocado is a fun way to mix it up that adds lots of healthy fat and flavor.
Adding a little dijon mustard makes it even more delicious.
Feel free to experiment with your favorite additions to make this recipe your own! (I’ll share some of my favorite flavor variations at the end of this post!)
By the way, here’s my other go-to tuna salad recipe – this one is made with plain Greek yogurt: Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad Recipe.
How to Make Tuna Salad Without Mayo
I’m pretty sure this is one of the quickest and easiest lunch recipes ever.
Here are the 3 main ingredients you need to make this no mayo tuna salad:
Yep, that’s it!
Just canned tuna, avocado, and dijon mustard. (If you’re putting it in a sandwich, you’ll need your favorite sandwich fixings, too.)
To make, mash together the avocado and dijon mustard in a bowl. Drain tuna and stir into the mixture.
Then, add any additional seasonings or herbs if desired (ideas below). It’s that simple!
Storage Tips
Since avocado can get brown pretty quickly (even in the fridge), I don’t recommend making this recipe too far in advance. But if you want to make it a couple hours ahead of time, that should be fine!
Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container, and store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Recipe Variations
If you want to add something extra to your tuna salad, here are some delicious recipe variations to try! (Hot tip: I also love adding broccoli slaw for extra crunch.)
Healthy Tuna Melt
I love a good tuna melt – anyone else? They remind me of being pregnant with Riese because I was obsessed with them then – it was one of my very random, very strong food cravings!
To make this variation, first make the basic avocado tuna salad (the full recipe is at the end of this post), then add 2 tablespoons of diced pickles and spread the mixture onto a slice of already toasted bread.
Top with a slice of white cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand).
Broil until the cheese is melted, and enjoy!
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Many years ago, when I was working in an office up in Bethesda, MD, there was a lunch place nearby (which sadly no longer exists) that had the most amazing tuna salad pita sandwiches.
The thing that made them so good was that they included artichoke hearts. I never would have thought to add artichoke hearts to tuna salad but turns out it’s a perfect combo, and ever since I’ve always loved adding chopped artichoke hearts to my tuna salad.
To make this, chop 2 artichoke hearts, then add them into the basic avocado tuna salad mix (the full recipe is at the end of this post) along with 2 tablespoons of chopped kalamata olives, the zest of 1/2 a lemon, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
This combo packs so much flavor – try it!
However you choose to eat it, tuna salad with avocado makes a tasty, quick & easy lunch. I hope you enjoy this healthy tuna salad recipe as much as I do!
Here are a couple more tasty lunch ideas:
- Mix & Match Healthy Sandwich Recipes
- Healthy Tuna Salad with Greek Yogurt
- Scandinavian Sardine Sandwiches Recipe
- Mediterranean Chicken Pita Pockets
- Greek Yogurt Cranberry Chicken Salad with Walnuts (No Mayo!)
What’s your favorite way to make (or eat) tuna salad? Let me know in the comments!
Healthy No Mayo Tuna Salad with Avocado (+ Flavor Variations)
This simple but fabulous recipe for healthy tuna salad is a lightened-up version of traditional tuna salad (but with avocado instead of mayo)!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 5-oz can tuna, drained
- Optional additions: salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste, etc.
Instructions:
- Mash the avocado and dijon together in a small bowl.
- Add the tuna and toss to coat in the avocado mixture.
- Add additional seasonings, if desired.
- See the blog post for some more variation ideas, like a tuna melt and Mediterranean Tuna Salad!
