Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad

Looking for a healthy tuna salad? This Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad is the perfect fall lunch. It’s filled with so many delicious flavors and textures, and contains lots of nutrients!

I love coming up with new lunch ideas, and I get even more excited when I transform a classic dish into something more. That’s exactly what I did with this tuna salad recipe. I added some apples and cranberries to a traditional tuna salad recipe, and now I have one of my new favorite lunches that’s perfect for fall! It’s a simple recipe but makes a tasty and satisfying lunch!

I never get tired of Tuna Salad. It’s so easy and tasty. So far, I’ve come up two other tuna salad recipes: my Curried Tuna and Tomato Salad and Avocado Tuna Salad. After making this Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad, and I’m not sure which one is the best tuna salad! Let’s call it a tie. Any of these are perfect for a busy day when you want a delicious lunch.

There’s a lot of delicious flavors and textures going on in this recipe. The crunchy apples and cranberries give this recipe the perfect touch of sweetness that goes so well with the other ingredients. The dill weed, salt, and pepper are the only seasonings you need to bring the flavor to the next level. Fresh dill would be fabulous here, but I used dried because it’s a pantry staple you probably always have on hand.

Not only does this recipe taste delicious, but it’s full of nutrients! The apples have lots of fiber and vitamin c, the celery and red onion are loaded with antioxidants, and the tuna contains lots of vitamin d which is great for bone health and strengthening the immune system.

Tips:

1. Serve this tuna salad over a bed of mixed greens. It’s the perfect base that adds even more nutrition.
2. If you decide to make eat this as a sandwich, toast your bread! It will bring your tuna salad sandwich to the next level!
3. Add some nuts! If you’re looking to add more healthy fats into your diet, adding some walnuts is the way to go. Not only would they taste delicious with the apples and cranberries, but they also contain lots of health benefits.
4. After you make this recipe, store it in the fridge for a little bit before you eat it. You obviously don’t have to do this, but the longer the tuna salad sits, the more all the flavors will have time to marinate together. It will also allow time for it to chill in the fridge before you eat it.
5. If you have a hard time trying to get your kids to eat fish, you could always sub chicken instead of tuna!

Ingredients Needed:

Apple– Apples are what give this recipe a fall twist! They add great texture, and the perfect amount of sweet flavor. They’re filled with fiber and vitamin c.

Dried Cranberries– The dried cranberries combine so well with the apples! They are also great for boosting the immune system and maintaining heart health. I would prefer to use tangy cranberries that are unsweetened, but those are more difficult to find.

Lemon Juice– Lemon juice adds the perfect hint of citrus flavor. It also keeps the apples from turning brown. Along with the apples, it’s an excellent source of vitamin c. I prefer fresh lemon juice over lemon juice concentrate.

Celery– Celery also gives this Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad delicious texture. It contains antioxidants, reduces inflammation, and supports digestion.

Red Onion– Red onion is rich in antioxidants. It also contains a good amount of manganese, vitamin b6, and vitamin c.

Tuna– Tuna is the star ingredient in this Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad! It’s a great source of lean protein, and contains lots of vitamin d which is great for bone health and strengthening the immune system. Of course it’s a great source of omega 3 fatty acid! I used Skip Jack Wild Tuna because of its low mercury content, but solid white albacore tuna would also be a good choice here.

Mayonnaise– Mayo acts as the binding ingredient and makes this a creamy salad. It goes well with the other ingredients in this recipe. I always seek out a high-quality mayonnaise with avocado oil. Canola mayonnaise isn’t as healthy of a choice.

Dill Weed– Dill weed adds great flavor! It’s rich in plant compounds that can help in protection against heart disease, and certain forms of cancer.

Salt and Pepper– Just a little bit is the perfect finishing touch.

How to make Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad:

1. In a small bowl, stir together your diced apples, red onion, celery, and lemon juice.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir until combined well.
3. Serve with bread or on a bed of lettuce. Enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad FAQS

Can I substitute the mayonnaise?

Plain greek yogurt would be a good substitute. You can also use mashed avocado like I do in this Healthy Tuna Salad recipe!

What kind of apple should I use?

I think any sort of sweet apple would be best in this recipe. I would recommend using a fuji apple, honey crisp, or gala apple, but you can use whatever you have on hand and it will work just fine.

Can I substitute the dried cranberries?

If you don’t have dried cranberries on hand, dried cherries would be the next best substitute. You could also use raisins if you would prefer.

What goes with Tuna Salad?

This Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad can be a whole meal on it’s own. I like eating it over a bed of lettuce or some toasted bread. You could also just eat it on it’s own or with crackers. It would be great with a side of soup such as my Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice or Sweet Potato Soup.

What are some other add-ins that would be good?

If you’d like to spice this recipe up even more, try adding nuts! Not only would nuts add a delicious texture and flavor, but they’re a great source of healthy fats and protein. I think walnuts would be a great addition, and would go well with the apples and cranberries. Want to change the flavor up a bit? Try adding some curry powder. I love curry powder in my tuna salad!

How long will this tuna salad last in the fridge?

You can store this Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Is tuna salad healthy?

This Tuna Salad recipe contains a lot of good nutrients. The tuna is a great source of protein, and the apple and veggies have lots of vitamins and fiber. If you want to make this recipe even healthier, you could substitute greek yogurt for the mayo, but this tuna salad is definitely a healthy lunch option!

Looking for other lunch ideas? Try my Salmon Salad, Chickpea Salad Sandwich, or Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Chicken! You’ll probably love my Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe, too!

If you make this recipe or any of my other healthy recipes, please share it on Instagram  and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!

Apple Cranberry Tuna Salad

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Maryea Flaherty of Happy Healthy Mama
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Give your tuna salad a delicious fall twist by adding fresh, crunchy apples and dried cranberries.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries (unsweetened if you can find them!)*
• 2 (5 ounce) cans wild tuna
• 1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. In a small or medium bowl, add the diced apples and lemon juice and stir to combine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Serve on a bed of lettuce or with bread. Enjoy!

Notes

*Nutritional information reflects using sweetened dried cranberries. The sugar content will be lower if you can find unsweetened dried cranberries.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: lunch recipes
• Method: mixing
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 244
• Sugar: 11.1 grams
• Fat: 20.8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 15 grams
• Fiber: 2.1 grams
• Protein: 21 grams