This salad uses lentils and canned salmon for a quick and tasty weeknight meal
Recently, I wrote about my love of canned tuna. This week, I popped open another popular canned fish: salmon.
One of my goals in recent weeks has been to cut back on my grocery shopping to comply with social distancing directives. To that end, I’ve stocked up on more frozen fruits, vegetables, meats and fish, but I’ve also turned to more canned goods.
By necessity, I’ve become more flexible. Picking up this instead of that, expanding my repertoire as I reach for foods that are available even if I am less comfortable with them. Canned salmon was one of those foods.
I’ve long tried to work farmed and wild-caught salmon into my diet. I like the flavor, how quickly it cooks, and that it’s so good for us. The fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to lower blood pressure and triglycerides as well less inflammation.
Salmon has the omega-3 eicosatetraenoic acid, or EPA, which is good for the skin, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which supports brain function. A 3-1/2-ounce serving of salmon provides 20 grams of protein along with B vitamins, potassium, selenium and vitamins B12 and D, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
So rather than popping an omega-3 supplement, why not get the full benefits from a whole food?
The ideal way would be to eat fresh wild-caught salmon, but that can be pricey and sometimes difficult to find.
Having a few cans of salmon on hand makes it much easier to add fish to your diet a couple of times a week, as recommended by the American Heart Association. (The FDA recommends varying the kinds of fish one eats, because some fish can be high in mercury, but salmon is one it OKs eating two to three times a week.)
Successful experimentation with substitutions has been one of the kitchen experiences I’ve enjoyed in recent weeks.
Try this Quick Lentil Salmon Salad that delivers 37 grams of protein, if you’ve got salmon on hand. If you have tuna, it’s tasty with that fish, too. The flavorful vinaigrette is one to try on other cold dishes as well.