I have been working toward using up items that have been on the pantry shelf for a while all year and have been sharing a little about that journey. It has been saving money at the grocery store, but I am super worried about what it’s going to cost to have to get all my groceries every week plus do another stock-up. However, I am developing a plan so that I will always know what I have on hand and be able to work through my stocks all the time while buying to keep stocked for the future. I will share this with you when it is set.
I’ve learned a lot about what I am really eating, and what I want to keep stocks of. I’m also looking for ways to purchase items more affordably, when possible, and in bulk on items I use a lot of when doing so will help me to save.
Part of my pantry use-up strategy was working through the tuna. I had a couple of old cans, one that expired in 2022 and one in 2024. Because I had researched expiration, best-by, and use-by dates, I was confident the food in them was fine to eat. I was right. I used one can to make the easy apple tuna salad I usually make, so I would have a filling lunch for the trip to the beach I was taking with the bestest last weekend. I used the other can and three pouches to make the tuna salad for my work meals this week but also had peas to use up. The recipe below is what I came up with.
I note I made on my planning page will remind me that I actually don’t like to eat tuna very often, so I think stocking six cans at a time will be fine.
Ingredients
1 can + 3 pouches of tuna
6 heaping tbsp plain unsweetened So Delicious coconut yogurt
1 apple, with peel, cored and diced
1 celery rib, diced (reserved the leafy part for a smoothie later in the week)
1/2 c frozen peas
- Drain the liquid from the can of tuna.
- Empty all the tuna into a small mixing bowl.
- Add the diced apple and celery.
- Add the peas.
- Add the yogurt and mix everything together well.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to change up the fruit in this dish. Maybe you have a pear needing to be used up. Perfect!
- You could also change the vegetables. Maybe cucumber is what you have on hand rather than celery.
- Don’t like tuna? You could use pouches of salmon instead.
Serving Suggestions
- When I was making up my work meals for the week, I added two hard-boiled eggs to each container. I wanted protein packed meals. I knew I was going to have two very busy nights at work and wanted to be prepared with filling meals to keep me going. It worked perfectly for the first busy night. I am sure it will also work well for the second.
- You could serve the salad over a bed of greens and serve with cucumber slices for more veggies.
What do you think? Do you have a different version of tuna salad? Please share!
~ Shannon
