By Carol M. Bareuther, RD

Combine a can of tuna with string beans, potatoes, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and a few other ingredients, and you create a meal with the fancy name of Tuna Nicoise. A few simple changes to the traditional recipe can trim this dish of excess salt, making it heart healthy, yet maintaining the satisfying good taste.

Sodium Recommendations
The USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. That’s the amount of sodium found in a single teaspoon of salt. However, the guidelines more specifically advise that certain segments of the population, including older adults, consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, or about one half the amount elders aged 60 and older currently consume.

At the same time, the guidelines recommend that older adults consume 4,700 mg of potassium per day via ample amounts of fruits and vegetables. Sodium and potassium work in concert to keep blood pressure under control. Environmental factors such as diet, stress, and inactivity are thought to be among the causes for blood pressure increasing with age. The key nonmedication blood pressure controls include reducing sodium and calorie intake and increasing aerobic exercise such as walking.

The Recipe
Tuna Nicoise is a light yet filling entrée salad that originated in Nice, France, on the French Riviera. The popularity of this dish is evident in a number of variations. The essence of the dish is tuna with string beans, potatoes, and tomatoes along with a vinaigrette-style dressing.

Cooking Tips

1. Choose lower salt ingredients. According to the Mayo Clinic, Americans get about 77% of their daily sodium from packaged and processed foods. This includes foods such as preserved meats, pickled items, canned soups and stews, snack chips and nuts, and commercial baked goods. Only 5% of sodium intake is added during cooking, 6% while eating, and 12% occurs naturally in foods. In the recipe below, using frozen green beans vs. canned saves more than 200 mg of sodium per ½-cup serving. Also, the traditional recipe calls for anchovies and olives. These are both high-sodium ingredients. Instead, substitute lower sodium parsley and lemon wedges for added flavor.

2. Drain and rinse canned foods. Drain and rinse canned tuna to reduce its sodium content. This is a long-known fact that dates back to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 1983. Researchers evaluated the sodium content of canned tuna after it was drained and rinsed in fresh water for 3 minutes. Results indicated the tuna’s sodium content was reduced by 80%.

3. Look for low-sodium counterparts. For example, the difference between canned tuna and canned low-salt tuna is 320 mg vs. 42 mg, an eight-fold difference. Canned low-salt tuna has a sodium content equivalent to fresh tuna, and a fresh grilled tuna steak can be substituted for canned tuna in this recipe for those who want to create an upscale dish.

4. Use lemon and herbs in place of salt. Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, author of the American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, recommends lemon or lime juice and herb-spice blends to season foods in place of salt. The acidity in lemon or lime provides the kick or bite that salt does. Plus, a tablespoon of lemon juice provides about 20 mg of potassium. Although it’s not much, it helps. Fresh herbs are flavorful. However, dried herbs can easily be substituted for fresh. Just use one third of the herb in a dried form. For example, 1 teaspoon dried parsley equals 1 tablespoon fresh parsley. Dill, marjoram, and thyme also enhance tuna flavor.

5. Beware of salt substitutes. Salt substitutes are made of potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride. Using a salt substitute can be a good way to get potassium in the diet. However, a condition called hyperkalemia, or high blood potassium, can result if an elder uses a salt substitute and suffers from kidney failure or diabetes, is taking a potassium-sparing diuretic such as Aldactone for hypertension, or is regularly taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen for osteoarthritis.

6. Get extra potassium from fruits and vegetables. Although this recipe uses romaine lettuce and tomatoes, spinach, which is rich in potassium, can be substituted for the lettuce. The potatoes are also a good source of potassium as long as they are boiled in their skins so the potassium doesn’t leach into the surrounding cooking water. 

— Carol M. Bareuther, RD, is a St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands-based writer who contributes to a variety of regional, national, and international publications.

Tuna Nicoise Salad

Recipe by Carol M. Bareuther, RD

⅓ cup all-purpose flour
8 small red-skinned potatoes
1 16-ounce bag frozen whole green beans (not cut)
1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 6-ounce cans solid white tuna fish, drained and flaked
4 hard boiled eggs, shelled and cut in quarters
16 to 20 grape tomatoes
Juice of 2 fresh lemons (about 5 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Parsley sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish

Boil potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes until fork tender but not mushy. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Peel, slice in half, and set aside.

Boil beans until crisp-tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Line four large salad plates with lettuce. Spoon the flaked tuna evenly into the center of each plate. Arrange the green beans, sliced potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and grape tomatoes evenly around the edge of the plate.

Place lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and cracked black pepper (to taste) in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. Immediately pour over salads.

Garnish salads with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Nutrition per serving: 565 calories, 69 g protein, 19 g fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 202 mg sodium, 1,270 mg potassium