You’re probably used to eating canned tuna — on sandwiches, melts, salads, and in your mom’s casseroles.  But canned salmon?  Maybe not. It’s time to start!

Why Canned Salmon Rules

• It’s the freshest fish you can get, since it’s caught and canned immediately on site
• It’s cheap, at about $2 per 6oz can (that’s less than $6/lb) for wild Alaskan salmon
• It’s high in protein, calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids
• It’s low in mercury (significantly lower than canned tuna)
• It’s versatile, so you can turn it into all sorts of healthy meals, like these…

What to Do with Canned Salmon

• Salmon Salad: Mix 2 cans with 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 Tbsp Light mayo, juice of half a lemon, handful of chopped fresh parsley and/or dill, 1 Tbsp capers, chopped green onions or chives, salt, pepper, and celery, cucumbers, or pickles.  Serve over a bed of greens with tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing, like one of these.
• Salmon Sandwiches: Follow instructions above for making salmon salad, but serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato, or make a salmon melt like you would a tuna melt.
• Salmon Burgers: Mix 2 cans with 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, 1/2 cup chopped scallions, juice of half a lemon, 1/4 cup Light mayo, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 raw egg, handful of chopped fresh parsley, and a generous sprinkle of salt & pepper.  Form into patties and cook in a saute pan with 1 Tbsp canola oil per batch.  Serve with tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a bun.
• Salmon Pasta: Add 2 cans canned salmon to a creamy pasta sauce along with peas, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and fresh parsley and dill.  Toss with your favorite noodles.

Tips for Buying Canned Salmon

• Buy Wild Alaskan salmon. It’s widely available and inexpensive, and wild is much healthier (for you and the earth) than farmed.
• Look for boneless & skinless salmon, otherwise you have to pick through the meat and fish out the bones and skin (or eat then, which is nutritious but not necessarily delicious).
• Trader Joe’s and Costco are my favorite places to find good quality, cheap canned salmon.

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