I’ve had the opportunity of making this recipe at a few of my healthy cooking demos recently, and it has been quite the hit!

Using semi-mashed avocado in place of mayo adds heart-healthy fats, fiber, and extra vitamins and minerals. The avocado allows the dish to still remain rich and creamy while forgoing the mayo. Mayo doesn’t offer much beneficial nutrition, and it is often loaded with saturated fat and added sugar. Anytime we can make simple swaps to add more nutrition to meals (without sacrificing flavor), we should!

Ingredients:

• 1 five-ounce can or pouch of albacore tuna
• 1/2-1 ripe (but not mushy) avocado, depending on size and how creamy you like your tuna salad
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• A couple tablespoons of finely diced celery (sometimes I buy the pre-diced celery tub from Publix)
• A couple tablespoons of dill relish
• Optional diced onion
• Optional sprinkling of fresh parsley and/or basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop the flesh of the avocado into 1/2 inch chunks.
2. Mix all ingredients together in bowl, slightly mashing some of the avocado chunks along the way.
3. Allow flavors to melt together for a few minutes. Serve over salad, in lettuce wraps, or on bread or crackers. This is great topped with some sliced tomato and a drizzle of balsamic glaze too!