Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad

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I’ll admit it.  I’ve been a bad example to my children regarding eating healthy, especially at lunch time.  We’re usually arriving home from preschool pick-up or an activity so I’m moving quickly to get lunch ready for Leighton and Carson so that they can go down for naps.  Fixing myself lunch, let alone a healthy lunch,  is always an afterthought as the clock is running for how long children will be napping and what I can get accomplished in the meantime.

I’m ready to make a change.  No more cookies for lunch when I’m working to fill the cooking jar.  No more popcorn just because it’s easy.  I figure if I can find quick, healthy dishes that I can make beforehand, I’ll be setting myself up for success.

In thinking of dishes that might fit this criteria, I knew I needed a protein that I wouldn’t have to prepare or cook.  Simplicity is key!  I usually turn to beans or lentils but had overlooked tuna.  An obvious choice as it really can’t get much easier than pulling a can from the pantry and adding it to a recipe.  

This Skipjack Chunk tuna from Ocean Naturals is everything I was looking for and then some.  Not only does it taste great and it has great nutritional value – hello 15g of protein per serving! – but it’s also good for the planet as well.

It’s all there in black and white on the side of the packaging.  Ocean Naturals promises wild, responsibly-caught seafood.  And did you notice the QR code in the corner?  My inner-techie was in love with being able to scan the code with my phone to learn more about the actual can of tuna I was about to consume.

After scanning the QR code, I entered the lot code from the bottom of my can and instantly knew the name of the captain on the vessel that caught the tuna I was holding in my hand and how it was caught.  If only everything in my kitchen had a magic code of knowledge!  (If you don’t have a smart phone, you can also enter the lot code on the Ocean Naturals website.)

Ocean Naturals also hosts a Tuna Tuesday giveaway for their Facebook fans each week where you can win free product.  You too, could soon know exactly where your seafood was caught.

With my amazing protein in hand, I was ready to make lunch – a Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad.  A combination of fresh ingredients and pantry/fridge staples that I typically have on hand.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad

Author: Melanie

Ingredients

• 4 cups quinoa cooked
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• 1 cucumber diced
• 1 cup kalamata olives sliced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 6 oz. can Ocean Naturals Skipjack Chunk Light Tuna in water

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to large bowl and toss to combine.

Possibly the best feature of this salad?  Leftovers!  The flavors continue to meld together and you have another amazing lunch ready and waiting for you in the fridge.  No thinking required.  And no excuses to grab a cookie instead!