Tuna Salad

This low-FODMAP tuna salad swaps onion and garlic for chives and the green tops of scallions, so you get a savory bite without the fructans.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 3

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 2 cans (about 145g / 5 oz each) tuna in springwater or olive oil, well drained
• 1/3 cup (about 75g) plain mayonnaise (read the label so it contains no onion or garlic)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallion (spring onion) GREEN tops only
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 medium celery stalk (about 20g total), finely diced (see the portion cap below)
• 2 tablespoons (about 20g) finely diced red bell pepper (capsicum), optional
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dill, optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the tuna and vegetables

1. Open the cans of tuna and drain thoroughly, pressing the fish against the lid with a fork to squeeze out extra liquid. A drier tuna holds the dressing better.
2. Flake the tuna into a medium bowl.
3. Finely dice the celery and optional bell pepper, and chop the chives, scallion green tops, and optional herbs.

Make the dressing

1. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard until smooth.
2. Season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.

Combine and chill

1. Spoon the dressing over the flaked tuna and fold gently until the fish is evenly coated.
2. Fold in the celery, bell pepper, chives, scallion greens, and herbs.
3. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon. Chill for 15 minutes before serving if you have time, which firms up the texture.

Tips & Substitutions

• Watch the celery portion. Monash lists celery as low FODMAP at about 1/4 medium stalk (10g) per serving, then it rises in mannitol. Splitting 20g across three servings keeps each portion under the cap. Check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes.
• Swap the crunch. If you prefer to skip celery, use grated carrot, diced cucumber (seeds scooped out), or thinly sliced radish, all of which are low-FODMAP in normal serving amounts.
• Add garlic flavor safely. A small drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil gives a garlic note, since fructans are not oil soluble. Stir in half a teaspoon at a time.
• Keep the mayo compliant. Many commercial mayonnaises list garlic or onion powder. Choose a plain whole-egg mayo, or whisk your own from egg yolk, oil, lemon, and mustard.
• Serve it without the wheat. Spoon it into lettuce cups, over cucumber rounds, onto gluten-free bread, or with rice cakes for an onion-free, garlic-free lunch.
• Lighten it up. Replace half the mayonnaise with lactose-free plain yogurt for a tangier, lower-fat dressing that stays gut-friendly.

Why This Works

• Chives and scallion greens replace onion. The green tops of scallions and fresh chives carry the fructans in their bulb and white base, so using only the green parts gives you the oniony flavor without the FODMAP load.
• Garlic flavor comes from infused oil, not the bulb. Garlic's fructans do not dissolve into oil, so an infused oil delivers taste while leaving the fructans behind in the discarded solids.
• Tuna, egg, and oil are naturally low-FODMAP. Plain canned tuna and a straightforward mayonnaise of egg, oil, and lemon contain no fermentable carbohydrates, which makes them a reliable base.
• Portion caps keep the extras in range. Celery and bell pepper are low FODMAP in small amounts, so measuring them (rather than eyeballing) protects the serving from tipping into a moderate mannitol range.

Storage

Store the tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep it cold, since it contains egg-based mayonnaise, and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is not suitable for freezing, because the mayonnaise separates and the texture turns watery on thawing. Give it a quick stir before serving leftovers.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.