Canned Tuna Equals Budget Friendly High Protein Meal Options For You

Recipes for your page!

Since Donald Jean Trump's temper tantrum tariffs have fucked everything up for everybody and nobody seems to care enough to do a single thing about it, eating healthy is almost a bad joke for most Americans. Oh well. Enter canned tuna.

Budget friendly and versatile, canned tuna can be used in a wide variety of surprising ways to provide some basic high protein meals. Here are some.

Tuna casserole, of course. This tried and true grandma classic comfort food is perfect for fall and winter cozy, hearty eating and is one of the original one pot meals. Boil up some egg noodles, stir in tuna, canned or frozen green peas, cream of mushroom soup, top with shredded cheese and crunched up plain potato chips, bake and voila. Nice big meal for a whole family or multiple portions to put in the fridge for singles and smaller families. Recipes abound online, but it really is as easy as described above. Just adjust baking time to the size of your batch and desired finished crispiness. If you can afford the extra expense, you can even make it healthier with whole-grain pasta or pasta made with chickpea or lentil flour instead of regular egg noodles. You can add more veggies, too. Frozen or canned mixed vegetables would probably be awesome with the traditional vibe of tuna casserole.

For a European twist, try pasta e tonno, an Italian staple that literally translates to “pasta with tuna" because it's, well, pata with tuna. Just cook your favorite pasta, sauté some garlic, and add your favorite jarred marinara and canned tuna. Top with parsley and chili flakes for or whatever floats your boat to kick it up a notch and really personalize it. I personally don't think marinara sauce with tuna sounds that appetizing so I'd probably do simply butter or margarine or even a light Italian vinaigrette. Again, whatever floats your boat.

Speaking of vinaigrette, combine pasta and tuna with fresh chopped vegetables to create a sort of tuna-infused pasta salad. You can also just skip the pasta entirely and instead combine the tuna with veggies and toss with a garlic vinaigrette.

Canned tuna works as a condiment almost right out of the can since it's soft and easy to work with. But you can make it even better as a topping or spread by simply adding a little mayo—or maybe even pulsing it a bit in a food processor, so it has a more spreadable kind of consistency, to serve on crackers or cucumber slices as a snack or appetizer. Great idea for upcoming holiday parties. Also, tuna whatever spices like Italian spice blends, cream cheese mushed together in a ball and coated with either crushed nuts or even Parmesan cheese and then chilled is an instant party favorite cheese ball. Much cheaper than anything Hickory Farms.

My personal favorite and the one I will probably be trying first is patties or a a "loaf." If beef can be turned into patties and crab can be turned into cakes, why not tuna? If you have leftover mashed potatoes, start by adding that to the tuna, aiming for a roughly 50-50 mix. Potato helps bind all the ingredients together and provides a little more heartiness and carbs. Include herbs to enhance the flavor like dill, parsley, or green onion, plus a splash of lemon juice. Breadcrumbs can also be mixed in to contribute some texture. Then, season with salt and pepper, form into disks, and pan-fry. Tuna patties, like salmon patties but way easier. And cheaper. You can even eat them as vegan "burgers" on a bun. Yum.

There are oh so many more ways to make canned tuna into satisfying and even healthy meals. What are some of yours? Let Better Trailers & Double Wides readers know! Sharing is caring.

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