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A quick and easy tuna cucumber tomato salad recipe plus simple ways to meet the recommended Omega-3 Fatty Acid intake goal.
Hover over the photo to shop Nature Made® Omega-3 supplements!
By now, I’m sure you all have heard that you should be eating a certain about of fish each week, but you may not know why. Being a registered dietitian, it’s a topic close to my heart! Research has shown that dietary consumption of more omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids tends to support overall health. However, most Americans consume at least 10 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. To take it a step further, they’ve found it’s actually the EPA & DHA Omega-3s from fish oil that matter. For those looking for supplementation of these essential nutrients (maybe a spouse who refuses to eat fish like mine?!) at Walmart, you can now find a selection of Nature Made® Omega-3 supplements that clearly call out the amount of EPA & DHA Omega-3s on the front of the label -> the active ingredients in fish that provide heart-healthy benefits.
For those of us who love seafood, I have a delicious tuna cucumber tomato salad that is simple to put together for lunch in no time at all.
It packs great in a lunch to take to work. Make a few bowls at a time and you can have lunch for the week! It’s a favorite of mine, along with my tuna sushi rolls!
You might be wondering –> what is the difference between fish oil and Omega-3s, and why are they important?
Fish oil comes from a variety of different marine life. This includes fish such as salmon, cod liver, tuna, herring, mackerel, and halibut. Fish oil is a source of Omega-3 fatty acids. There are two very important types of n-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. They are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA are sometimes called the marine Omega-3s because they mainly come from fish. The body cannot produce these types of fatty acids so we must get them from food sources or a supplement. There is a plant-derived version of Omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), mainly found in foods like flaxseed, walnuts and green leafy vegetables. However, only a small percentage of ALA is converted to EPA and DHA.
To review:
Fish oil is a great source of naturally occurring Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that should be included in most people’s diet. The two primary Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are EPA and DHA.
The Omega-3s naturally found in fish oil (EPA & DHA) have been studied extensively for their important roles in supporting heart health.1-2,†
Why is Fish Oil good for you?
Let’s take a look at a couple potential heart-healthy benefits of consuming fish oil. Cardiovascular Disease – Research suggests that eating fish can be protective against heart disease. People who already have heart disease might also lower their risk of death by eating fish or taking a fish oil supplement.
Inflammatory Conditions – Due to fish oils’ anti-inflammatory effects it can be used to help treat a variety of inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and inflammatory bowel disease and joint pain.
Because I want my husband (who won’t eat fish) to benefit from these nutrients, I have him take Nature Made® Omega-3 Full Strength Mini, 500mg EPA + DHA, Burpless supplements.
Nature Made®’s Burpless Omega-3s supplement formula is specially coated to help prevent a fishy odor and aftertaste – because he dislikes fish, this is very important!
Not only is Nature Made® the #1 Pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand*, it’s also purified to remove mercury ‡ . Nature Made® Omega-3s supply only comes from wild caught ocean fish, not farm raised fish and they are gluten-free. If you’ll be searching for fish oil at Walmart, you can find the new packaging of Nature Made® Omega-3 supplements that clearly call out the amount of EPA & DHA Omega-3s (the active ingredients in fish oil that provide heart-healthy benefits.†) on the front of the label, as you can see above. With this change in labels, Walmart is trying to make it easier for shoppers to navigate the “fish oil” segment and to ensure their shoppers are confident they found the right Omega-3 supplement.
This simple tuna cucumber tomato salad really doesn’t need a recipe. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. It’s the dressing that makes the salad!
CLICK TO CHECK OUT MORE GREAT LUNCH RECIPES!
If you enjoyed the recipe make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below! Then follow me on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. I love seeing what you come up with!
PrintTuna Cucumber Tomato Salad
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 10
Yield: 2
Category: Salad
Method: No Bake
Cuisine: American
Description
A simple, light tuna cucumber tomato salad with a lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 2 cup leaf lettuce
- 6 oz. canned tuna
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped radish
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- freshly squeezed lemon to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a jar with a lid, add the vinaigrette ingredients, shake to stir
- Place lettuce into 2 salad bowls
- Top evenly with vegetables and tuna
- Drizzle with vinaigrette to taste
Notes
Alternative Options
- Use canned salmon or leftover fish
- Try with whatever veggies you have on hand
- Use premade salad dressing
- Try drizzling with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Wrap into a lettuce leaf
Do you eat enough fish each week? Have you tried Nature Made® Omega-3 supplements?
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. *Based on a survey of pharmacists who recommend branded vitamins and supplements.
‡State-of-the-art purification processes to remove PCBs, dioxins and furans, and mercury to ensure purity levels below 0.09 ppm, 2 ppt WHO TEQs, and 0.1 ppm respectively. 1 Delgado-Lista J, et al. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review. British J of Nutr. 2012;107: S201-S203.
2 Mozaffarian D, Wu JHY. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58:2047-2067.
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Megan says
I love this combo and the dressing was delicious.
★★★★★