My tuna salad with grapes recipe makes the perfect prep-ahead lunch or easy dinner! Healthy, budget-friendly & includes meal prep instructions.
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I love getting in the kitchen and creating new recipes or making my tried and true family favorites like lasagna or roast chicken. There are days though when I just need to make something FAST, that's still healthy and delicious. That's where my tuna salad with grapes comes in!
This simple, no-cook, meal prep tuna works equally well for a lunch or an easy family dinner. It's bright, fresh and quite satisfying. A base of arugula is topped with quinoa, an avocado mayo tuna salad and halved grapes. Including grapes in tuna salad creates the perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors and creamy and crunchy textures. It pretty much has a little bit of everything!
Make sure to check out my meal prep tips and variations below the recipe.
Tuna Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 5 oz arugula
- 1 bunch purple grapes
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 15 oz low mercury canned tuna fish*
- 1/3 cup avocado mayo*
- salt
- 1 cup quinoa
- 15 oz chicken broth
Instructions
- Place 1 cup quinoa & 15oz chicken broth in a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low & simmer for 20 mins or until water is combined.
- Peel & dice 1 cucumber.
- Halve purple grapes to equal ~1c. Use any leftover grapes for snacking.
- In a large container combine: 15oz drained canned tuna, diced cucumber, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/3 cup mayo. Salt to taste.
- Build bowls w/ quinoa, tuna salad, arugula & halved grapes.
- Option to add more mayo if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Meal Prep Tuna Salad
Want to meal prep tuna salad? This is great if you're planning to use this dish for a packed lunch, or simply want it ready to go for a busy weeknight.
To prep ahead, first cook the quinoa and store in the fridge. Next, peel and dice the cucumber. Halve the grapes. Then, combine canned tuna, avocado mayo, cucumber and sunflower seeds and salt to taste. Store in the fridge.
When you're ready to serve, all you'll need to do is layer arugula with quinoa, tuna salad & grapes. Then enjoy!
Variations on Tuna Salad with Grapes
This recipe is super flexible! Experiment with your add-ins to make it your own. Here are some fun variations you may want to try:
- Add diced celery for extra crunch
- Mix in dried cranberries (You can find no-sugar-added cranberries here < affiliate link)
- Add diced apple
- Sprinkle with chopped toasted walnuts
- Add a dash of curry powder to the tuna salad
- Enjoy in a wrap instead of over quinoa
- Add other veggies on top of the salad. Chopped bell peppers or carrots would be delicious!
What makes this a healthy tuna salad recipe?
While this meal is simple, it packs in everything you need for a healthy lunch or dinner. Protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and plenty of produce. In addition to the macronutrients, the individual ingredients also offer nutritional benefits worth mentioning:
Tuna Fish (Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Omega-3s, Vitamin D, Iron, Potassium, Selenium, Iodine)
Due to its Vitamin B12 and iron content, eating tuna may help prevent anemia. It also contains significant Omega-3s, making it good for eye health, heart health and possible cancer prevention. Tuna is an excellent source of lean protein.
Although it does offer significant nutritional benefits, you do need to limit how much tuna you consume, due to its mercury content. For that reason, I personally love the Safe Catch brand of canned tuna. They actually test each fish for mercury content before canning!
Cucumber (Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium)
Studies show that cucumbers may help with blood sugar control. Cucumbers also have a super high water content and can help you stay hydrated. It is important to note that much of cucumbers' nutrition is in the peel so you will miss out on some of the vitamins if you peel them.
Arugula (Calcium, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A)
As with all types of greens, arugula offers substantial nutrition and, in particular, may help prevent and fight cancer. In addition to being full of vitamins, arugula also offers a lot of fiber.
Grapes (Vitamin K, Copper, B Vitamins, Potassium, Vitamin C)
The copper found in grapes helps your body with energy production. Your body uses Vitamin K to aid in blood clotting. The potassium in grapes may help lower blood pressure. Eating red grapes in particular may help reduce cholesterol. Some studies also show that grapes can benefit your mood and brain health so eat up!
Sunflower Seeds (Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Folate, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium)
Quite high in both Vitamin E and Selenium, eating sunflower seeds may help your body fight chronic disease and inflammation. Sunflower seeds may also help lower blood pressure.
Bonus? Sunflower seeds are a great budget-friendly alternative to nuts when you want to add a bit of crunch to a dish!
Quinoa (Folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Magnesium)
One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein (including all 9 essential amino acids) and 15% daily value of iron, making it an excellent dietary choice, especially for those looking to increase protein in their diet. Quinoa is also high in manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and folate. In addition to its vitamins, quinoa contains two plant compounds, quercetin and kaempferol, both of which are anti-inflammatory.
Is avocado mayo healthy?
I'm a big fan of avocado mayo, both for taste and nutrition reasons. Primal Kitchen has been my go-to brand of choice for years!
The ingredients are simply avocado oil, organic eggs, organic egg yolks, organic vinegar, sea salt and organic rosemary extract. I feel good about each of those ingredients individually so I consider the mayo as a whole a healthy item!
In contrast, many jars of mayo you find on grocery store shelves use low quality oils and may contain additives and preservatives as well.
FAQ – Everything You Want to Know about Tuna Salad with Grapes
What mixes well with canned tuna?
Adding a creamy ingredient, like the avocado mayo in this recipe, as well as a bit of crunch and a touch of sweetness makes for a delicious tuna salad. Items like celery, walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries and chopped apples all mix well with canned tuna. You can also try adding fresh herbs or a dash or curry powder for something different.
What brand mayo is best for tuna salad?
I'm a huge fan of Primal Kitchen avocado mayo for tuna salad.
How long is prepped tuna good for?
If you use choose to meal prep this tuna salad with grapes, you can expect it to last about 3-5 days in the fridge. You may need to give it a stir before enjoying.
I Want More Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas for Work
Tuna salad with grapes does indeed make an excellent packed lunch! Want some more healthy packed lunch ideas for work? Here are some of my favorites!
(And even if you work from home, don't forget to prep some sort of lunch for yourself for the week! Schedules get crazy and time gets away from us but taking even a short break for a nutritious meal can give your productivity a big boost!)
Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Pack the chicken salad separately from the lettuce and wrap when you're ready to enjoy! These go really well with a side of fresh fruit.
Harvest Cobb Salad
Like bringing salads for lunch but get bored of the same old combinations? My Harvest Cobb Salad is a great alternative!
It comes together quickly, packs beautifully and includes all sorts of festive fall flavors and textures.
Caesar Salmon Wraps
The homemade, dairy-free caesar dressing really takes this one up a notch!
If you're using this for a packed lunch for work, you can either roll the wraps ahead of time or simply pack the ingredients separately and wrap when you're ready to eat.
Chicken Enchilada Bowls
I don't know about you but sometimes in the colder months, I really crave a warm lunch. Any type of bowl-meal like these Chicken Enchilada Bowls, is a great choice!
Want more healthy lunch ideas? Check out my Gluten Free Mix & Match Lunch Guide!
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