17 Scrumptious Ways To Eat Tinned Tuna

Tuna for two

Energy to share
Low-GI carbs in the oatcakes mean the protein’s soaked up slowly, keeping you fuelled for longer.

Tuna
Oatcakes
Jarred antipasti vegetables
Goat’s cheese

The slow-releasing carbs in the oatcakes make this a perfect pre-workout or mid-afternoon snack for two. Layer up 3 oatcakes each with slices of grilled veg, a spoonful of tuna and a crumbling of cheese. Bite-sized gourmet finger food to share, no chopping or cooking required.

Rainbow wrap

Instant immunity kick
Pepper and cress combine to make the most powerful antioxidant pairings, according to Nutritional Science.

Wholewheat tortilla
Tuna
Sweetcorn
Red pepper
Watercress

Wrap at the ready. Load with tuna, sweetcorn, sliced peppers and a handful of cress. Your red pepper gives a hit of vitamin C and the watercress is bursting with free-radical-fighting antioxidants and a decent dose of chlorophyll to aid your digestive system. Roll up and eat on the move.

Pickled salad

Prolong your performance
Nitrates in beetroot for endurance and stamina.

Tuna
Beetroot
Gherkins
Apple
White wine vinegar

Grab a chopping board and chop the apple, beetroot and dill pickles. Combine in a bowl with tuna and a decent glug of vinegar – leave for a couple minutes while the juices mix. Beetroot is packed with nitrates which will boost stamina and endurance to enhance your physical performance.

Breakfast bagel

Curb hunger til lunch
Bromelain in pineapple was found by the Langone Medical Centre to be the most effective natural appetite suppressant.

Tuna
Bagel
Tinned pineapple ring
Natural yoghurt

Toast your bagel. When it’s done, pile it up with the pineapple ring, drained tuna and a few dollops of yogurt. This provides fast acting fuel to kick off your day. Plus the probiotic bacteria in the yoghurt and the protein-digesting enzymes in the fruit mean the sugars will be absorbed slowly, so you won’t be hungry come 11am.

Tuna avocado

Double the muscle
Pair tuna’s protein with monounsaturated fats in avocado for a potent muscle-building combination.

Tuna
Avocado
Cayenne pepper

Halve your avocado and remove the stone. Top each half with drained tuna and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. The fats in avocado are absorbed immediately by muscle tissue, while the capsaicin in pepper means the tuna’s protein is sucked up too. It’ll keep you going 'til dinner.

Low-carb sushi

Get strong and grow lean
Seaweed improves blood’s oxygen content.

Tuna
Seaweed sheets
Cucumber
Wasabi pasta

Lay out the seaweed, pack on the tuna, slice on the cucumber with some mayo and roll tightly. Cut into bite-sized pieces and top with wasabi. Seaweed gives the most iron pound for pound in nature, while the thermogenic reaction caused by the wasabi means everything’s easily absorbed by the body. Simple Japanese.

Tuna on toast

Simple and effective energy
Carbs deliver energy while vinegar helps to slow the blood-sugar spike.

Tuna
Wholemeal bread
Balsamic vinegar

While your bread toasts, mix up the drained tuna with a few glugs of vinegar for a tasty zero-fat alternative to mayo. Pile with the mixture and chomp. A fast, no fuss meal in minutes with a decent dose of fibre and protein to stave off hunger till your next meal.

Mediterranean couscous

Age-defying lunch
Olives and olive oil are the best combination for skin health, according to Kobe University research.

Tuna
Flavoured couscous
Olives
Mozzarella

Tip the couscous into a bowl with boiling water and cover. Toss together tuna, olives and some torn mozzarella – an ounce of the white stuff equates to 20% of your daily calcium needs. When you’re done tearing, mix the lot together with a fork.

Hoisin tuna

Pre-night out snack
Suck away water and reveal more muscle.

Tuna
Spring onion
Cucumber
Hoisin sauce

Break up the cucumber and mix everything in a bowl. Hoison’s salt content means that it sucks excess water from your system, revealing your abs and improving muscle definition. Just go easy on the onion if you’re heading out.

Instant Thai curry

Muscle repair in a can
Healthy fats in coconut milk combine with vegetables that repair muscle fibres.

Tuna
Tinned mixed veg
Thai green curry paste
Low fat coconut milk, ½ can

Fry off a big spoon of curry paste in a saucepan then mix in the coconut milk. Drain the veg, then pour everything in. Coconut milk is packed with 12 vitamins, along with a decent dose of calcium and magnesium.

Tuna tacos

Eat up and chill out
Tryptophan in the beans aids sleep and eases anxiety.

Tuna
Taco shells
Guacamole
Re-fried beans

While your taco shells are warming, combine the tuna and beans – double protein hit plus a healthy dose of fibre. Shells at the ready, scoop in mixture and top with guacamole. This Friday night feast couldn't be simpler and gives a winning combo of carbs, protein and good fats.

Satay tuna wrap

Eat your way to a healthy heart
Unsaturated fats in peanut butter are proven to promote heart health.

Tuna
Crunchy peanut butter
Soy sauce
Lime juice
Cos lettuce

Grab a bowl, spoon in a generous helping of peanut butter with a glug of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice – whisk with a fork. Add your drained tuna, combine, then top onto your individual leaf shells. The poly and monounsaturated fats in peanut butter ward off your risk of heart disease.

Instant pasta

Boost your brain power
Omega 3 fatty acids in fish boost brain health.

Tuna
100g wholemeal pasta
Anchovy fillets (tinned)
Capers
Spring onion

Stick your pasta on to boil - you’ve got 10mins. While it cooks roughly chop the spring onions and anchovies into your bowl, add tuna and a handful of capers, almost there. Pasta’s ready, drain and mix into the bowl. A glug of olive oil and some seasoning and you’re ready to eat. 10 minutes for an instant weeknight win.

Tuna pitta

Skip the ice bath
Make a quicker post-workout recovery with the anti-inflammatories in spinach.

Tuna
Pitta
Harissa
Spinach

Put your pitta in the toaster. Mix the drained tuna with a big spoonful of harissa – your secret weapon. Slice the heated pitta and stuff with tuna and a handful of spinach. This lunch is laughably quick; you’ll never go back to limp shop-bought sandwiches.

Hot Mexican quesadilla

Immediate energy

Tuna
Tortilla
Salsa
Grated cheese
Jalapenos

Whack a frying pan onto the hob. While it heats, cover half your tortilla with drained tuna, then top with salsa, jalapenos and cheese. Fold in half and stick it in the pan, wait for cheese to melt, turn over and lightly toast the other side. You’ll have a Mexican feast in moments.

Summer rice salad

Slumber boost
The rice and tuna provide 150% of your RDA of sleep-enhancing amino acid tryptophan.

Tuna
Microwave rice
Pine nuts, handful
Spinach
Lemon juice

Stick the rice in the microwave. In a bowl, mix together the tuna, pine nuts, spinach and a good squeeze on lemon juice. When the rice is ready, mix it all together. We guarantee you a good night’s sleep.

Hero’s breakfast

Muscle in the morning
Tuna and two eggs delivers 60g protein – that's 75% of your RDA of protein before the clock strikes 9am.

Tuna
2 eggs
Spinach
Red pepper

Whisk your eggs in a bowl while the frying pan heats a splash of olive oil. Add the tuna, spinach and chopped pepper to your whisked eggs, then pour mixture into the pan. Flip or fold until the egg is cooked throughout. This breakfast will get you through those big days at work.

Words: Mark Sansom

Wednesday, 9 July 2014