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Healthy Asian Tuna Salad

This delicious and healthy tuna salad recipe is based on my favorite post-workout snack from the cafe at Lifetime Fitness. It's light, protein-rich, and packed with flavor (and a little bit of spice).

It's a unique departure from run-of-the-mill tuna salad, and it makes a fantastic lunch or light bite.

Asian tuna salad in a mason jar

One of my favorite ways to experiment in the kitchen is to try recreating things I've loved at restaurants or cafes.

My latest project was the Healthy Tuna Salad from the cafe at Lifetime Fitness.

I've always liked tuna salad, but typical tuna salads have consisted of mixing canned tuna with mayonnaise, and possibly adding some chopped hardboiled egg if I was feeling extra motivated.

When I had the albacore tuna salad at the LifeCafe, however, my mind was blown. It is SO full of flavor, has a great blend of textures from the craisins, green onion, and shredded carrot, and it has the perfect amount of spice.

Ingredients for Asian tuna salad, including carrots, tuna, cilantro, green onion, and craisins

The last time I bought the tuna salad at the cafe, I used my phone to snap a photo of the lid on the takeout container, which listed all of the ingredients. Using that as a guide, I took a stab at making it myself, and I'm proud to say (without my usual sarcasm)...

NAILED IT!

Aside from its tremendous flavor, I love this tuna salad because it is so versatile.

  • It's really good on its own as a light lunch or protein-packed snack (perfect for after workouts)
  • You can eat it in a wrap or tortilla, tossed with cold Asian noodles, or served over greens.
  • It's also great recipe to make over the weekend and keep in the fridge to snack on throughout the week.

If you like Asian flavors and a little bit of spice, this tuna salad will become your new best friend!

Try it and let me know what you think.

Healthy Asian Tuna Salad

A nutrient-packed, healthy tuna salad recipe with a spicy Asian kick.
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. canned albacore tuna
  • ½ cup shredded carrots
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • ¼ cup craisins chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
  • 2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon minced ginger

Instructions

  • Drain the tuna and flake with a fork in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the carrots, onion, craisins and cilantro and mix together.
  • In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce, chili powder, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, and minced ginger.
  • Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the tuna mixture until well combined.

Notes

*You may need to add a little extra mayonnaise depending on the type/brand of tuna you use.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 196mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2315IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Recipe Rating




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Piper

Wednesday 15th of June 2022

Love this recipe! Thank you....it is my favorite thing to eat on for lunch especially during the summer. Do you think I could sub canned chicken for an alternative??? My husband does not like tuna.

Kate

Monday 27th of June 2022

Yes, it should work with canned chicken!

Russell

Monday 22nd of March 2021

Variations on tuna salad are my usual lunch at work, since I'm working on my cholesterol and my family never welcomes the poor fish to the dinner table. I had been playing with Tex-Mex and decided to pivot to Asian. This is it! I normally put the tuna concoction over spinach, but for your I recipe mixed it with a half bag of shredded cabbage (slaw sans sauce). The batch almost didn't survive meal prep! So good. Thanks for posting this one.

Vicki

Wednesday 22nd of July 2020

The best and really flavorful recipe (added red onions). My family loved this recipe.

Eli

Friday 1st of March 2019

I had this yesterday at the Lifetime Cafe and was thinking—I need to figure this out. Thank you!

Erica Schwarz

Thursday 17th of January 2019

This is a perfect recipe to mealprep for workday lunches. And so healthy!

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