10+ Healthy Tuna Lunch Ideas – Easy and Budget Friendly!

This collection of healthy tuna lunch ideas are budget-friendly, easy to make, absolutely delicious, and perfect for lunch at school or work. Let’s put a can of tuna to good use with these recipes utilizing the classic pantry staple!

Canned tuna is a pantry staple that everyone usually has on hand at any given time. It’s a great source of protein, is quick and easy to use, lasts a really long time in the pantry, and is very versatile. Plus, canned tuna is budget-friendly as well.

The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can make with a can of tuna, especially for lunch when you want a healthy, yet fast meal.

Canned tuna lends itself well to quick salads of all kinds, from creamy mayo-based salad (and also mayo-free creamy tuna salad), to leafy green salad, and even tuna pasta salad.

But tuna salad doesn’t stop there; you can eat it as as sandwich or wrap. Or enjoy it on crackers or stuffed into vegetables, such as avocado or bell pepper halves.

Canned tuna provides inspiration way beyond tuna salad though! Tuna burgers and tuna cakes (patties), tuna noodle casserole, and even tuna fried rice are all great options if you want an economical hot lunch that utilizes a can of tuna.

In this collection of healthy tuna lunches, you’ll find something for everyone. If you’re looking for the best recipes with canned tuna, bookmark this article so you can find it again easily!

Tuna Lunch Ideas

Tuna Lunches FAQs

How Do You Eat Tuna For Lunch?

Well, in its most basic form you can bring a can of tuna wherever you go, open it (don’t forget a can opener if your tuna needs it), and enjoy. It’s a great source of protein!

But really, any of these tuna recipes are a good option for lunch.

If you have a microwave, you can choose a hot lunch with tuna, such as tuna fried rice or tuna burgers.

No worries if you need a cold tuna lunch, there are plenty of options there as well, like tuna avocado and cucumber sushi or lentil salad with tuna.

And then there are some – pretty marvelous – tuna dishes that you can eat hot, cold, or at room temperature; I’m looking at you, tuna cakes!

Is Canned Tuna a Good Lunch?

Absolutely! Canned tuna is a lunchtime staple, and here’s why:

• Affordable – canned foods, including canned seafood and meat, is a budget-friendly pantry staple that packs a lot of bang for its buck
• Great source of protein – to help keep you full until dinnertime
• Quick and easy – many of these tuna lunch ideas are really fast because canned tuna is cooked and ready to use
• Versatile – yes, you can definitely just open a can of tuna and dive in; however, there are nearly endless possibilities if you feel like creating something a little more interesting
• Pantry staple – canned tuna will last a really long time in your pantry; and you probably already have a can (or two!) on hand

Is it OK to Eat 2 Cans of Tuna a Week?

Yes. According to the FDA, 2 to 3 servings of canned tuna per week is fine. Here’s what it says on their website:

I eat a lot of tuna, especially canned light tuna because it is particularly affordable. Is this okay? Canned light tuna is in the “Best Choices” category and it is fine to eat 2 to 3 servings per week. We recommend that you eat a variety of fish. You may wish to try other affordable fish in the “Best Choices” category such as canned salmon or sardines, frozen fish, or fresh fish that are at a reduced price.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration