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A Guy's Gotta Eat
The regular guy's guide to eating...

Smart Tuna
Tuna provides a good example of where health warnings drive people crazy.  Tuna good for us because it’s a quality protein with almost no fat.  But we’re also told it is bad for us because it contains mercury. 

Let’s set the record straight right now and get on with enjoying this perfect guy food in a fast, healthy meal.

The Facts
Tuna may be what your mother made for school day lunch, but it’s real man food.  One six-ounce can contains about 32 grams of protein and one to six grams of fat.  Because it doesn’t require cooking, it’s easy and way convenient, especially at the end of a long day or for lunch on the go.

Tuna (canned, and other forms) are a cold-water fish and as such contain Omega-3 fatty acids, of particular interest to men for prevention of strokes and heart attacks.

Not all tuna are the same, in looks, texture and levels of mercury.  Albacore tuna, the premium variety that is more solid, white in color and chunks up well on a bed of lettuce, is also about twice as expensive as the other varieties (“light”). The only variety on which the FDA urges caution is Albacore.

Does the mercury matter?  Government warnings on mercury content are all directed at pregnant women and children.  This generally has to do with developing nervous systems, of little concern to adult men.  But if it is bad for kids, doesn’t that suggest it is also bad for adults?  Officially, no.  But since Albacore is also twice as expensive, why not give other tuna a chance?

Hold back on the mayo: The saturated fats in mayonnaise considerably tip the balance of a tuna meal toward the unhealthy side.  Learn instead to flavor and texturize a tuna meal in other ways such as the following recipe.

Code Orange Tuna
I’m a believer in hedging my bets in all things.  Where it comes to food that means I buy both Albacore and “Light” variety canned tunas.  The challenge is, when you’re accustomed to firm, chunky Albacore, the other varieties look a lot like cat food.  That might also explain why light tuna is about half the price of Albacore.

One approach might be to think of the cheaper, feline-esque “light” variety as similar to protein powder in a smoothie drink.  You mix it in and primarily taste and feel the other ingredients.  The fish simply adds protein content to the meal.  This recipe is one of hundreds that you could try, incorporating textures, flavors and as much spice as you like. 

For more ideas on healthy meals made with long shelf-life foods in under 15 minutes, get “A Guy’s Gotta Eat, the regular guy’s guide to eating smart” (Marlowe & Co, March 2004).

“A Guy’s Gotta Eat” strives to return sanity to the simple act of eating, emphasizing the ease with which sound nutrition can be achieved in a busy workaday schedule through frozen, canned, dried and fresh produce; whole grain cereals, breads and pastas; leaner cuts of beef, chicken and pork; fish and other seafood; and lower-fat dairy products. The book features 15-minute recipes using long shelf-life products, ideal for grocery shopping-averse men and others who are thin on cooking skills – meals that can be faster, tastier, less expensive and far healthier than drive-by foods ubiquitous in our convenience food culture. It is available nationwide where books are sold.

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