Low Sodium Tuna

Watching your sodium intake is key for maintaining overall health. Sodium, commonly found in salt, plays essential positive roles in the body, such as regulating fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. But, eating too much of it can lead to health issues, including hypertension (high blood pressure). High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

LOW SODIUM CANNED TUNA

Tuna has many health benefits and has a naturally low amount of sodium, but additional salt is often included during the canning process. A 5-ounce can typically has about 280mg of sodium which is 12% of the recommended daily intake. If you’re watching your sodium intake, check the label carefully and consider low-sodium or no sodium added options. These are especially good for Keto, Paleo, & Mediterranean diets because as you can see in the table below, the low-sodium option has 50% less than the regular and the no sodium added option has 75% less sodium!

HOW DO YOU REDUCE SODIUM IN TUNA?

First, look for packaging that says “low sodium” or “no sodium added”. You can also rinse off the tuna fish yourself at home to remove some of the sodium on the surface. Here’s how to reduce sodium in canned tuna: empty the tuna from the can into a strainer, hold the strainer under the faucet in your sink, and then simply run water over it. 

HOW TO MAKE TUNA LESS SALTY

After you’ve rinsed the tuna fish in a strainer, if it still tastes too salty, the next step is to add an acid or sweetener. Depending on your recipes, the acid can be lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar or even tomato sauce or tomato paste. The acid in these will help neutralize the saltiness. You can also try adding sweetness. For example, adding a bit of sugar or sweet relish to your tuna salad can be delicious.

Here’s a full list of these and more things you can do to make tuna less salty:

• Rinse the Tuna: Thoroughly rinse canned tuna in a strainer under cold water to remove excess salt.
• Neutralize with Acid: If rinsing isn’t enough, add an acidic ingredient to help balance the saltiness (lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or tomato sauce or paste)
• Balance with Sweetness: A touch of sweetness can also counteract saltiness. Try sugar or sweet relish.
• Soak in Milk or Water: After rinsing, soak the tuna in milk or fresh water for 10-15 minutes. This can draw out more of the remaining salt.
• Use Fresh Herbs: Incorporating fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or dill can mask the saltiness and add fresh flavor.
• Add Vegetables: Chopped vegetables, such as celery, cucumber, or bell peppers, can dilute the saltiness and add a refreshing crunch. These work well in most tuna salad recipes.
• Combine with Unsalted Ingredients: If making a tuna salad, use unsalted mayonnaise or yogurt and add unsalted vegetables to balance the flavor.
• Spice it up: add black pepper, or other spices. The distraction of other flavors can also help, especially in a casserole or pasta salad recipe.
• Use a potato: Adding a few slices of cooked potato to the tuna while it soaks, the potato will absorb some of the salt.
• Add a healthy fat: Adding an avocado, or olive oil, can help to balance the flavor.

LOW SODIUM TUNA NUTRITION FACTS

Here we compare the nutritional facts for Solid White Albacore Tuna In Water in three varieties. You can see that for one 5oz can, the amount of sodium per serving is as follows: No Sodium Added (70mg), Low Sodium (140mg), and regular (280mg).

The serving size is one 5oz can drained (113g) for all three types.

In addition to these nutrition facts, all three tuna types are gluten free and contain essential nutrients like EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Learn more about how tuna is good for you.