For a quick high protein lunch that's baby led weaning friendly, whip up this simple tuna salad! With just a few ingredients like Greek yogurt and egg, this tuna salad is healthy and great for BLW, babies eating finger foods and toddlers.
I may be the odd one out, but I love tuna salad. I did as a kid, too. I was the weird kid whose mom packed the tuna salad kit in their lunch to mix up and scoop onto crackers. Even now as a dietitian, I love tuna salad as a quick fix lunch that has it all - high quality protein, healthy fat, and easy to whip up with a few staples. For this tuna salad, I've simplified things so that your baby led weaning babe can enjoy tuna salad, too!
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When Can Babies Have Tuna Salad?
As long as it is prepared in a safe (meaning no choking hazards!) manner, babies can have tuna salad as soon as they are developmentally ready for solids around 6 months of age. This is especially true if you're using a baby led weaning approach. If you're using the puree method, you'll have to wait until baby had progressed to chunky textures or finger foods.
Because tuna salad contains several common allergens (this one includes fish, dairy, and egg), make sure that you've successfully introduced each of those allergens on its own before offering this mixed dish.
Why You'll Love This Tuna Salad
This tuna salad is great because it is so simple! Just 5 easy ingredients (4 if you decide to leave out the pickles) and you've got a nourishing, high protein lunch that is texturally appropriate for the littlest of eaters. Of course, it's also great for older kiddos and adults, too. We don't like to make separate meals over here!
Tuna salad makes it easy to get more seafood into baby's diet, which is important at this stage for brain development. This version also includes other high protein ingredients, like egg and Greek yogurt - perfect for powering your little one's rapid growth.
What You'll Need
- Canned tuna - Choose water or oil-packed. 'Light' or Skipjack tuna are the safest, lowest mercury choices, followed by Albacore or 'white' tuna and Yellowfin tuna1. (See FAQ for more on this.)
- Hard boiled egg
- Plain Greek yogurt - I like whole milk yogurt, but any kind is fine.
- Dijon mustard - For a little tang that you'd normally get from mayo.
- Dill pickles - Totally optional if they make you nervous or you just don't like them!
Helpful equipment: A coarse grater (I LOVE my Microplane one).
How To Make It
Here is a quick rundown. For the full detailed recipe, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Grate the boiled egg and finely chop the pickles.
- Drain the tuna and add to a bowl. Mash it wish a fork to make sure there are no large chunks. Add the yogurt, Dijon mustard, egg and pickles.
- Mix everything well, adding more yogurt if the consistency is too dry. You want a soft, smushy texture free of big chunks.
Tip: To hard boil an egg easily, my favorite method is to add an egg to a saucepan and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat off, cover the pan, and set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drain the egg, rinse under cold water, and allow the egg to cool to the touch before peeling it.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is a basic starting point! Feel free to add and subtract to suit your taste. Some suggestions:
- Use mayo in place of yogurt for dairy-free tuna salad.
- For egg allergies, simply leave out the egg.
- If the pickles make you nervous (or you don't like them), leave them out.
- Add finely chopped herbs, such as dill, chives, or parsley.
- Try adding a squeeze of lemon or your favorite spices.
- Swap the canned tuna for canned salmon (without bones).
Storage
Store tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing it since yogurt does not freeze well.
How To Serve Tuna Salad for Baby Led Weaning
To serve tuna salad for baby led weaning, you have a couple of options. You can spread it into lightly toasted bread fingers. Or serve tuna salad either on a pre-loaded soft spoon that you leave on baby's tray, or in a rimmed plate or bowl and let baby scoop it up with his hands.
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FAQ
Because there can be concerns about mercury in fish, it is recommended to eat only 2 servings of fish per week for pregnant women and children, and to choose low mercury options. That said, the benefits of eating seafood for baby's development still outweigh the risks.
When buying canned tuna look for low mercury options, as well as BPA-free cans (or glass jars if possible). The lowest mercury options are canned 'light' and Skipjack tuna. Albacore, 'white' or Yellowfin tuna are a not quite as good, but still safe to eat as long as you're sticking to 2 servings per week. If your budget allows, look for wild caught tuna. My top pick is Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna, which you can get with no added salt.
Simple Tuna Salad for Baby Led Weaning
For a quick high protein lunch that's baby led weaning friendly, whip up this simple tuna salad! With just a few ingredients like Greek yogurt and egg, this tuna salad is healthy and great for BLW, babies eating finger foods and toddlers.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about 1 cup 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (5 oz.) can of tuna, drained
- 1 hard boiled egg, peeled (see notes)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped pickles (optional)
- 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Drain tuna and place in a bowl. Use a fork to break up the chunks of tuna.
- Use a coarse grater to grate the boiled egg. Finely chop the pickles, if using. Add to the bowl with the tuna.
- Add the yogurt and dijon mustard to the bowl. Stir to combine well, making sure there are no large chunks. Add more yogurt if the mixture seems dry.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container until you're ready to serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- To serve for baby led weaning: spread onto lightly toasted bread 'fingers', or serve on it's own, either on a preloaded soft spoon, or on a rimmed plate, allowing baby to scoop it up with fingers.
- To boil the egg: My favorite method for hard boiling eggs is to place them in a small pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let sit for exactly 10 minutes. Then drain, rinse with cool water and let cool to the touch before peeling.
- For egg-free, omit the egg.
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