Canned Tuna

[Weedygarden]

I think that many preppers stock up on canned tuna. I'd like to know what the current situations is with mercury in tuna. I know in the past we have been advised not to eat it everyday, but is that still true? It probably is.

I saw a discussion about what you can do with canned tuna, besides tuna sandwiches. There are many things to make besides tuna sandwiches. When I was growing up tuna and noodle casserole was in our meal rotation. I've made it a few times, but I avoid a lot of carbs, so I don't think to make it often.

Any ideas for what you make with tuna besides tuna salad and tuna and noodle casserole? I'll share a few recipes that I found in a budget food thread on Reddit. Variety will be key if and when we are living off of our food storage.

 

[Weedygarden]

Tuna croquettes

Two cans or packets of drained tuna
One egg
Some onion flakes or finely diced onion
Salt and pepper
Saltine crackers

Mix then add enough cracker crumbs to be able to form a patty. Usually 1/2 to 1 whole sleeve of crackers, crushed. Form patties about the size of the palm of your hand. Makes about 3-4. Then…

Once formed, heat oil in a skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or lemon.

I haven’t tried these in an air fryer but would probably work.

These patties as leftovers make a fantastic filet o’ fish sandwich. Reheat the patty then serve on a toasted hamburger bun with mayo or tartar sauce, pickles, lettuce, and onion. Can add a slice of cheese too.

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm not a big tuna person, but I store alot of it. Husband likes an occasional sandwich, but when he's watching carbs, he just likes it on top of a green salad. We have lots of cats, so if some expiration dates get away from me, it becomes cat food and I get more.

 

[Hardcalibres]

I eat tuna (in oil) in omelettes....with onion and cheese.....I use the can oil to fry off the onions and to ensure the egg doesn't stick to the pan.

I also just dump tuna in oil onto hot fresh pasta.

I also add it to pasta bakes and Mac & Cheese.

For lunches, I like to add tuna to coleslaw in tortilla wraps.

 

[d_marsh]

According to the internet:

A 2024 study published in The New York Times found that mercury levels in tuna samples from 1971 to 2022 remained virtually unchanged, despite decreased pollution.

I stock some tuna but don't like it. I ate way to many tuna salad sandwiches as a kid, not by choice, and the idea of having more of it makes me ill. I will only eat it again in a life or death situation.

 

[Weedygarden]

According to the internet:

A 2024 study published in The New York Times found that mercury levels in tuna samples from 1971 to 2022 remained virtually unchanged, despite decreased pollution.

I stock some tuna but don't like it. I ate way to many tuna salad sandwiches as a kid, not by choice, and the idea of having more of it makes me ill. I will only eat it again in a life or death situation.

I know that some people do not care for it, just like things from my childhood, stuff that we got in commodities, I am not a big fan of. I couldn't eat peanut butter for years while other people I know who got commodities say the same thing. For me, I have never really liked coconut, another commodity food item. But I loved the cheese and the butter!

 

[sonya123]

try sardines, they have less mercury in them because they are small. Mercury builds up more in larger fish, so the smaller the fish, the less mercury ( and any other pollutants)
I do like tuna salad sandwiches but only eat them maybe once a month, no risk of mercury built up from that

 

[Bacpacker]

A guy I work with eats tuna for lunch every day. We ride him hard about it.

 

[sonya123]

A guy I work with eats tuna for lunch every day. We ride him hard about it.

I would get tired of that really fast
I don't want to eat the same of anything every day

 

[Hardcalibres]

There are really two food trends that constitute 99% of food related risks to Americans:

1. Consumption of too much sugar
2. Consumption of excessive quantities of food of any/all types in general - resulting in morbid obesity

If you can avoid those two threats.....and maintain healthy weight and some fitness, then all other food threats are mild in comparison.

Too many people worry about mercury and other trace contaminants in their food when they should be concerned about weighing a few hundred pounds......and not being able to make it up a couple of flights of stairs.

 

[sonya123]

There are really two food trends that constitute 99% of food related risks to Americans:

1. Consumption of too much sugar
2. Consumption of excessive quantities of food of any/all types in general - resulting in morbid obesity

If you can avoid those two threats.....and maintain healthy weight and some fitness, then all other food threats are mild in comparison.

Too many people worry about mercury and other trace contaminants in their food when they should be concerned about weighing a few hundred pounds......and not being able to make it up a couple of flights of stairs.

that's true but there are pollutants and chemicals in food, so I kind of figure if you eat a large variety of stuff , you limit your exposure to those

 

[Hardcalibres]

that's true but there are pollutants and chemicals in food, so I kind of figure if you eat a large variety of stuff , you limit your exposure to those

Indeed.....and menu fatigue is a real threat if you have to live off LTS foods.

Prep food should be very diverse to avoid menu fatigue.

That is also why I hate threads like "What three prepper foods should I buy?"


Edit to add:

For every one American killed by mercury poisoning, there would be about a million (or perhaps more) killed by obesity, heart disease and/or diabetes.

 

[Weedygarden]

Prep food should be very diverse to avoid menu fatigue.

When I started prepping, I kept reading about beans and rice. Beans and rice and what else? I asked that question and some people thought that as long as they had those two items, they wouldn't starve.

Beans and rice are good for food storage, but without spices and varieties of beans, etc., many people are going to suffer from food fatigue. I mentioned a while ago about someone in another group cooking beans and rice and how horrible they were. When I asked him what he added to them, "Nothing." Imagine how many people are in the same boat. No canned hams, no spices, no salt, nothing else. And then never try to cook and eat them? There are going to be people with all kinds of food that they can't stand. I also think of the people I know who do not like beans. Oh my!

"Store what you eat and eat what you store"

 

[sonya123]

here is a great beans meal , pinto beans cooked with a chopped onion, garlic a ham bone or some bacon, salt , pepper. With cornbread and some sort of greens like collards. THIS I could eat at least once a week

 

[d_marsh]

I know that some people do not care for it, just like things from my childhood, stuff that we got in commodities, I am not a big fan of. I couldn't eat peanut butter for years while other people I know who got commodities say the same thing. For me, I have never really liked coconut, another commodity food item. But I loved the cheese and the butter!

That's my experience too. I can still hear pops telling me "It's $0.40 a can, that's cheap for protein."

 

[d_marsh]

There are really two food trends that constitute 99% of food related risks to Americans:

1. Consumption of too much sugar
2. Consumption of excessive quantities of food of any/all types in general - resulting in morbid obesity

If you can avoid those two threats.....and maintain healthy weight and some fitness, then all other food threats are mild in comparison.

Too many people worry about mercury and other trace contaminants in their food when they should be concerned about weighing a few hundred pounds......and not being able to make it up a couple of flights of stairs.

3. Synthetic, chemical filled, fake, over processed foods masquerading as actual food.

According to my former Doc, that is the #1 cause of cancer.