Tuna Salad on Rice Cakes

Why it’s here

On a cut, this is the lunch that keeps me honest. No stove, no reheating, nothing to go wrong. Greek yogurt does most of the mayo’s job for a fraction of the fat, and the pickles and mustard keep it from tasting like diet food. It works just as well as a heavy snack between sessions.

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (5 oz each) light tuna in water, drained well
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp light mayo
• 1 tbsp Dijon or yellow mustard
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 dill pickle spears, finely diced, plus a splash of the brine
• 2 tbsp red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Black pepper, and fresh dill if you have it
• 6 plain brown rice cakes

Method

1. Drain the tuna hard. Press it in the can with a fork. Wet tuna makes a watery salad.
2. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and a splash of pickle brine.
3. Add the tuna, celery, pickles, and red onion. Fold until combined but still chunky.
4. Season with pepper and dill. Taste. It usually wants more mustard or brine than you think.
5. Pile onto rice cakes right before you eat. Three rice cakes per serving.

Macros per serving

Worked out from the ingredient weights above using standard USDA values (a drained 5 oz can is about 4 oz of tuna).

Notes

• Storage: the salad keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Keep the rice cakes separate or they go soft in minutes.
• Meal prep: mix a double batch Sunday night. Scoop and go.
• More carbs on a training day: add a piece of fruit or a couple more rice cakes. Each rice cake is about 35 calories and 7 g carbs.
• Mercury: light tuna (skipjack) runs much lower than albacore. If tuna is a daily habit, light is the one to buy.