Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe With An Avocado Twist

This healthy tuna salad swaps out mayonnaise for creamy avocado, giving the same rich texture without the heaviness, plus a boost of healthy fats, fiber, and nutrients. If you love a classic tuna salad recipe but hate mayo, this is for you!

With just two main ingredients, avocado tuna salad is a simple lunch you can throw together in minutes. It’s perfect when you need easy, healthy recipes, protein-packed salads, or meals for one person. My husband loves it as a cold work lunch that doesn’t need reheating.

Add this to your repertoire of quick meal ideas along with my favorite ways to eat cottage cheese toast, budget-friendly rice and eggs, and this insanely delicious sardine rice bowl.

What makes this tuna salad special? Avocado. Replacing mayonnaise with avocado gives the dish a delightful creaminess and adds a ton of nutrition. If you’re trying to stick to a balanced lifestyle, this recipe checks all the boxes. It’s loaded with protein, fiber from the avocado, and healthy fats, and it’s dairy-free, low-carb, and gluten-free.

It’s also endlessly versatile. Serve it straight up for an easy, healthy salad, scoop it into lettuce wraps, or keep it simple with crackers for a satisfying meal. If you’ve been stuck in a rut with the same old tuna salad recipes, this is your sign to try something different. Once you try this fresh, creamy avocado version, it will have a permanent place in your lunch rotation.

Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe

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This salad is packed with protein from tuna, a convenient, high-protein pantry staple I’m never without. It checks all the right boxes for convenience, nutrition, and affordability, and its long shelf life means you can always have a quick and healthy meal option. Follow a high-protein diet? Just one can offers 25-32 grams!

Related: Egg Salad Without Mayo

Ingredients You’ll Need

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• Avocado. I use a small avocado since this is meant to be a single serving. Avocados are incredibly nutritious, but they’re high in calories. If you use a large avocado, I suggest only half and saving the rest.
• Tuna. In this tuna salad recipe, I prefer yellowfin tuna packed in water. When you use tuna packed in oil, the oil quality is questionable, so I prefer to add my own.
• Shallots. A little minced shallot adds a subtle onion flavor and a little crunch.
• Olive oil. A touch of good-quality olive oil adds richness, flavor, and healthy fats.
• Lime juice. The acidity cuts through the dish’s richness and brightens it up.
• Parsley. Italian parsley has a fresh, herbal flavor with subtle peppery notes.

Step By Step Instructions

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1. Make the dressing first so the lime’s acidity can start to mellow the shallot. Add olive oil, lime juice, shallot, and some of the parsley to a small mixing bowl. Stir well, then let it sit while you prepare the tuna and avocado. (shown above)
2. Drain the tuna. Tuna in water has much more liquid than you might think, so firmly press the lid down into the tuna. I do this several times. You’ll be surprised how much more liquid you’ll get out even after you think you’ve drained it well.
3. Prepare the avocado last because it turns brown quickly. Slice the avocado in half and remove the core. Cut it into cubes and add it to the bowl.
4. Add the remaining parsley to the bowl. Gently but quickly mix the salad until you like the consistency.
5. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Love Tuna? Try My High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad

My favorite way to eat this is with crunchy salty crackers, but it’s delicious as a sandwich, wrap, on top of greens, or straight up with a spoon. Got leftover rice? Make a rice bowl! (shown below)

Tips For Success

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• As mentioned above, you must drain the tuna well, or your salad will be watery.
• Make sure you’re using a ripe avocado, or you will not get the same creaminess.
• If the tuna you use is salted, you may not need more.
• Fresh herbs make this even better. Dill and cilantro would be delicious.
• If you don’t have lime juice, lemon or red wine vinegar would work well.
• You could add a little Greek yogurt or avocado oil mayonnaise for extra creaminess.
• Crumbled feta or goat cheese, capers, or olives make delicious add-ins.
• Load it up with veggies! Tomatoes, red onion, or cucumber work well.
• I do not recommend prepping this in advance, as the avocado will turn dark.