Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

Tuna salad sandwiches is one of the simplest lunches to throw together. Usually people already have a can of tuna lying around in their pantry, and its a great way to sneak in some fish (hello DHA and EPA!). Tuna, in general, is also a great source of many nutrients, including protein, selenium, and Vitamin D. Tuna canned in oil typically contains 17 mcg of iodine, which is a key nutrient when pregnant and lactating

When couples are TTC or are already pregnant, they are told to avoid fish that contains high levels of mercury, but are often not given much in terms of details. Well, here are the details:

• Bigeye tuna (ahi) fit known to potentially have large amounts of mercury, and should be avoided.

• albacore and yellowfin tuna should be limited to 6 oz/week maximum

• skipjack tuna is known to be a fish choices that is lower in mercury, and can be consumed two times/week.

I threw together a simple sandwich this weekend that my family actually ate! I took a pouch of skipjack tuna (I try to avoid cans that may contain BPA), and mixed it with some surprising things instead of traditional mayonnaise.

AVOCADO TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

Ingredients:

1 pouch of skipjack tuna-drained

one mini avocado, ripe (I get the mini ones at Trader Joe’s)

1 Tbsp plain 4% fat Greek yogurt

Salt and pepper-to taste

Two slices whole-grain bread

Recipe:

Peel and mash the avocado in a small bowl until smooth. Mix with the Greek yogurt and salt/pepper. Mix in the tuna until combined. Assemble sandwich and top with lettuce, tomato, or whichever other toppings you like. Enjoy!

I like this recipe because it provides a serving of low-mercury fish, while also providing more healthy fats from the avocado and yogurt. The avocado also provides a boost of other nutrients like magnesium and makes the sandwich just as satisfying.