High-Protein Tuna Salad

Name: High-Protein Tuna Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained well; 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt; 1/2 cup celery, finely diced; 2 tablespoons red onion, minced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Fresh dill, chopped, optional

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20g Protein

100 Calories

0g Fiber

Per serving (about 5 oz (1/3 of the batch))

How I calculate this → Protein calculator →

20g of protein per 100 calories, more than 6 of the other 6 lunch recipes here.

I swap Greek yogurt in for mayonnaise here, which cuts the calories without making the salad taste like a diet version of itself. Tuna is already lean, so the yogurt's tang actually works with it rather than needing to be masked. I drain the tuna well before mixing, pressing it against the side of the can, since extra liquid waters down the dressing instead of thickening it.

Why you'll love this

20g of protein per serving for about 100 calories
No-cook, ready in 10 minutes
Greek yogurt instead of mayo keeps it light without tasting diet

Recipe

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Prep 10 min

Total 10 min

Serves 3 servings (about 5 oz (1/3 of the batch))

Ingredients

2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained well
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh dill, chopped, optional

Instructions

Drain the tuna well, pressing it against the side of the can to remove as much liquid as possible.
In a mixing bowl, flake the tuna with a fork.
Add the Greek yogurt, celery, red onion, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Fold in fresh dill if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Notes

I press the tuna against the can before it goes in the bowl, not just tip it into a strainer. Canned tuna holds more liquid than it looks like, and that extra water thins the dressing if it's not pressed out first.
This keeps well in the fridge, so it's a reasonable make-ahead option for a few days of lunches.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories	100
Protein	20g
Carbs	3g
Fat	1g
Fiber	0g

Where these numbers come from

I calculate every figure above from USDA FoodData Central, ingredient by ingredient, then divide by the servings the recipe makes. Each FDC number links to the exact USDA entry I used. How I calculate nutrition

Canned tuna: FDC #173709 (Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids), 19.4g protein / 86 kcal / 0.96g fat per 100g. Drained weight per 5 oz can derived from FDC's own measure '1 can (12.5 oz), drained = 315g' (89% of net weight): 5 oz (142g) x 0.89 = 126g, x 2 cans = 252g. (2026-09-28: the earlier calculation used the no-salt entry FDC #171986 at 25.5g protein and FDC's generic '1 can = 165g', which overstated protein by about 60%.)
Greek yogurt (nonfat): FDC #170894 (Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat), 10.2g protein / 59 kcal / 0.39g fat / 3.6g carb per 100g. FDC has no cup measure; 1/2 cup = 113g from the Fage Total 0% label (3/4 cup = 170g).
Celery: FDC #169988 (Celery, raw), 1/2 cup diced = 50g (FDC: 1 cup chopped = 101g).
Red onion: FDC #170000 (Onions, raw), 2 tbsp = 20g (FDC: 1 tbsp chopped = 10g). No separate red-onion entry in FDC.
Lemon juice: FDC #167747 (Lemon juice, raw), 1 tbsp = 15g.
Dijon mustard: FDC #172234 (Mustard, prepared, yellow), 1 tsp = 5g; closest FDC entry.
Batch totals: 61g protein, 305 kcal, 3.2g fat, 8.7g carb, 1.4g fiber, about 455g of food; divided by 3 servings.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The texture holds up well since there’s no mayo to separate.

FAQ

Can I use mayo instead of Greek yogurt?

Yes, as a direct swap, though it raises the calories and fat and lowers the protein compared to using yogurt.

What can I serve this with?

Over greens, in lettuce wraps, on whole-grain toast, or scooped with cucumber slices all work well, depending on how many carbs you want alongside it.

Can I use canned salmon instead of tuna?

Yes, canned salmon works as a direct swap in the same amount and has a similar protein profile, just a different, richer flavor.

Looking for more no-cook lunches: the chickpea salad is a good plant-based option for the same time of day.

Canned tuna is one of the leanest proteins in Foods High in Protein, measured by protein per 100 calories.

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