Just say no...

...to mayo. It's the one way in which I could never, ever be French. I hate it. My mother is convinced I'm not actually her child - she puts mayo on everything. I put it on exactly nothing.

So I'm always on the lookout for tuna- and chicken-salad recipes that use alternative ingredients for a binding agent, such as Greek yogurt, sour cream, or in this case, avocado.

I had been meaning to make a no-mayo chicken or tuna salad for a while. At my last visit with my PCP, I complained about my miserable fatigue. Part of it was my thyroid, but she also suggested I avoid carbs at lunch to help me get through the afternoon without the blood sugar crash and subsequent nap. She encouraged me to eat a good amount of protein at lunch, too.
 
Well. Easier said than done, especially when you're smack in the middle of a move.

But now the kitchen is (mostly) organized - or at least enough so for me to cook. With the hubs out of town this week, I needed an easy and healthy lunch option (since I'm not doing much evening cooking there are no leftovers). This led me to attempt to finally make a no-mayo tuna salad. Once you get it made, it's an easy, fast, protein-packed lunch; just throw it atop some lettuce with an apple or some strawberries on the side, and you're in business.
 
I used a combination of two recipes, this one and this one. It was a little bland so I'm going to tinker with it some more, but it's a good base to start from. Overall, I was pretty satisfied, and I think my fellow no-mayo friends will agree with me. Do you have a favorite no-mayo chicken or tuna salad? If so, share it in the comments below - I'd love to try it!
 
xoxo,
E

Emily-approved tuna salad

Ingredients:
4 cans tuna fish (I used Trader Joe's tuna with no salt added)
2 ripe avocados - they must be ripe!
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
Salt and pepper - lots
Garlic salt
Dried dill weed
Paprika

Directions:
Mash the avocado very well. If you have a good potato masher, use that. We don't, so I used two forks.
Mix mashed avocado in a large bowl with the tuna, celery, and onion.
Add the spices to taste - seriously, there is no rhyme or reason to it. Just do what tastes good.
Eat, and enjoy the mayo-less-ness of it.

Nutrition:
I estimated this makes about 6 servings, but for me it's probably more like 8. But at 6 servings, it's only 180 calories apiece. Just remember that if you put it between two slices of bread your calorie count will jump a lot.