You know, if I never tried anything again after not liking it the first time, I wouldn't be eating tofu today. So despite our horrid experience with Tuno, here we are giving it another shot! Shmoo continued to ask about Tuno each time we went to the store, and although tofu and chickpea salad sandwiches are nice, they just didn't seem fishy enough to make him happy. I think seeing one of his close friends eating the real thing in class each week has kept it in his mind (speaking not as a vegan but as a mother, I am shocked to see so that so many parents still feed their kids tuna; I worry about mercury contamination, but perhaps news of the risk is just not getting out there to most parents?). So we gave Tuno another go, trying it here at home over spring break before putting it in the lunch box. I heeded the advice of a trusted friend and Tuno enthusiast, and rinsed the Tuno extremely well under cold running water and let it drain (this is so key). Then I mixed it with just a small dab of Vegenaise and nothing else. Many of you recommended pickle, but shmoo is strongly anti-pickle. I spread the Tuno salad on half a wheat roll and packed with lightly blanched fresh green beans, organic tater tots, and an organic raspberry fruit leather.
Verdict: Tuno, you have indeed redeemed yourself and I'm sorry for all the bad things I said about you. After rinsing and draining it, it really does taste and look like tunafish! Shmoo was happy to finally have a sandwich just like his friend's, and ate every last bite of his lunch. 5 stars.
39 comments:
Yeah for Tuno! It's funny how how a minor detail like rinsing can make such a huge difference!
The mercury contamination is a myth.
I've been eating tuna since I was schmoo's age and I suffer from no ill effects.
Glad you like it. I, uh umm, can't get past the smell. The taste is fine, but the smell, ugh.
Have you seen the frozen stuff?
I have also enjoyed tuno with avocado as a great filling for sushi - my kids love it- Randy
i may have to give tuno another try, too...
i have to disagree about mercury contamination being a myth, although it is much safer to eat canned light tuna rather than canned albacore (sorry, this may seem completely inappropriate on a vegan site, but good to know for those of us whose families eat fish!).
Hmm... well, since the smell of tuna already makes me nauseous (sp), I think I'll pass this Tuno up :) Even if it is a better version ;)
Anyone else (in pre-veg days) never really like fish to start with??
I eat my tuna/o with green olives. Something worth a try if Shmoo likes olives. :)
Just wanted to add... Like sue said above... I'm glad this alternative is available for those who like tuna :)
Didn't mean to rain on the parade of fishiness :)
I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but I've heard that frozen Tuno is much, much better than the canned Tuno. I can't vouch for that personally because I've never tried it - never was a fan of fishy things. Blech.
I don't like Tuno. Not even a little. It's pretty much the only vegan food that I have tried that I don't like -- at all. I make my own "tu-NOT" salad with very, very ground-up cooked garbanzo beans, dulse (sea vegetable), celery, onion, sweet pickle relish, and Vegenaise. I always have to make a double batch because it tastes very, very similar to the real thing. It's incredible stuffed in tomatoes and without the Vegenaise I use it in "Tu-NOT" noodle casserole with noodles, frozen peas and portbello mushroom soup.
Yeah Shmoo, pickles are icky! I am very open to and enjoy a lot of things, and sometimes like your experience with Tuno I will try something I hated the first time if it’s been prepared differently, but I’ve tried enough pickles in my day to know that I absolutely hate them all. Ok, sorry about the pickle rant, as you can see I’m quite passionate about my anti-pickle stance…LoL!
And uh, mistrmind, has it occurred to you that (depending on your age) it is very possible that we have poisoned our environment sufficiently since you were a child that the effects and consequences of eating certain sea foods may have changed quite a bit since your day? Just a thought. And also, basing beliefs on one piece of anecdotal evidence? Notoriously erroneous.
To reply to muse's question about liking fish before going veg - I never liked it either. I did like tuna but that was the only fish I would touch.
I'm afraid to try Tuno ... I use pre-made stuff (you can buy it at many health food stores) called "Stedda Tuna." It's really good.
mercury in fish... I have to say, I am not vegan or even veg but I love your blog! I do also love veggies. LOL We eat tuna in moderation. Only the chunk and not the albacore, and only 2-3 times a month. I was just listening to a really interesting debate about fish and mercury and children on NPR last week.
tuno SCARES me!! :D pickles, however, are my good friend. and not just cause i'm pg :)
glad shmoo liked it this time!! if i ever feel the need for tuno, i'll try it rinsed :)
I must be some kind of freak:
I LOVE TUNO.
There, I said it.
Tuno casserole! Yes. My whole family likes it.
I haven't been able to find it our usual markets for months now.
Although you're right that there's definitely mercury contamination in many fish, the problem occurs when you consume it as a main part of your diet (like some Inuit and Asian populations). As long as you moderate your large-fish (by size of the fish) consumption they've shown it you won't suffer any ill effects. In fact, it's more dangerous to sautee with olive oil than eat tuna, because at high temperatures olive oil develops very dangerous carcinogens.
My your lunches are always marvelous looking! I'm inspired to buy either a laptop lunchbox or a Mr. Bento lunch jar for work this summer.
I wonder if my cat would like that. He used to eat tuna with my husband on occaision when we were omnis. It was so rare and so long ago yet I can't open a can without him running in the kitchen, yelling his head off! One of my other cats loves soy bacon so I may have to give this a try...
Someone mentioned the olive oil as a potential carcinogen if used to saute...
We do saute with olive oil so I did a tad of research and found this:
http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/
2001/0719/bz11-1.html
Is this different than the study/research/etc. that you (all) know about?
I also agree that the canned tuna mercury issue, while serious, needs to be put into perspective. Canned "chunk light" tuna is skipjack tuna (a smaller tuna which has been found to contain lower levels of mercury). Obviously any large fish that eats other fish is a mercury concern, but eating canned tuna (as long as it's not albacore) 1-2x month is probably ok (if you are a tuna-eater).
this article is interesting:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/19/MN257163.DTL
Having said that, I wanted to add that I love your blog. You've inspired me to go vegan for a month and I am writing about it on Slashfood on Tuesday and Saturdays. Here is the first week's wrap-up:
http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/15/going-vegan-week-one-wrap-up/
I actually had high levels of mercury in me due to my fillings from waaaaay back when that really affected my thryoid - so I'm very careful now of tuna and whatever stuff out there that might increase my mercury level.
I think I'll give Tuno a try because I actually love tuna sandwiches, but have been afraid of the mercury.
do you really, honestly, and truly promise me that the tuno is good after rinsing? 'cause it 'bout killed me dead the first time (and last) that i ate it. its vileness is etched in my memory.
Love the tuna :)
R2K
In reference to the comment about whether your palate adjusts and forgets flesh meat tastes:
This weekend we took some omni friends to a vegan restaurant. My husband made a comment about the mock chicken tasting just like chicken and our friends looked at us like we were crazy. But it's been so long, I guess we don't remember, which I'm glad. But your palate really does adjust. I remember actually being scared to try seitan and now I love it. I think part of it has to do with the kinds of taste buds you use as an omni compared to being veggie. Foods seem to taste more vibrant to me now, where as when I ate the same foods as an omni I "needed" to doctor up the foods to make them taste good. I think your buds become more sensitive to the finer flavors.
Okay-so I just got excited to try this TUNO and now it might be discontinued??? Maybe I won't try it so then I can't miss it! Trader Joe's eggless salad is DELICIOUS btw. It has dill in it which was different for me at first but it isn't overpowering or anything. Very egg-like, try it.
Does little schmoo like curry? Or Old Bay seasoning? These can be great in mock tuna salads (I'm also fond of mustard in mine).
Tuna is so delicious!
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Vegetarian
Melissa, I'm afraid I'm ashamed to say that I can't provide reference sources for olive oil as a carcinogen (when cooked over extremely high heat). I know I've heard it from reputable sources such as the CBC, and on Food Network as well. Olive Oil shouldn't be used over high heat, like a wok, anyway because it breaks down, even if it isn't carcinogenic. You need an oil that can take higher heat like peanut or canola.
And as daughter to a well-respected dentist, I cringe at the mercury-filling debate. Properly created mercury fillings will NEVER leach mercury during a person's lifetime. NEVER. The amalgalm can't be broken down in the conditions in a persons mouth.
I've been lurking for a long time...thank you so much for this blog. I am not a veg or vegan, but I do try to feed my family well. With my 5 yr old in school this year, lunches have been suffering. She goes back-n-forth between school lunch and cold lunch. And lately it's been more cold lunch from home. Where lunch for her used to be sandwiches and stuff- she is now enjoying things like tacos and spaghetti and she loves it so much. Thank you so much for your lunchbox blog. It is such an inspiration for anyone who wants to feed their children well.
Love this blog!
Just wanted to point out that the website you linked to is a lobbyist organization (natural resources defense council). Try this link to see what the current US FDA guidelines are about fish and mercury, and to separate fact from fiction: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html
Like other posters have said it is all about moderation of intake (for those of us who are non-vegan). The fish to really worry about are older/larger fish (longer time to absorb mercury) like shark and mackeral. Although according to the FDA albacore tuna also has a high level of mercury too.
I love TUNO! I had some last week, made into sandwich spread with Veganaise, pickle, and a few chopped scallions. It was good, but not as good as it used to be when I was a kid. The recipe the company is using has changed and it is more bland now than it used to be. I miss the oily, fishy-ness of the old Tuno, but that's okay. . .this actually fits the palattes of most much better. Thanks for the memories. . .
Hey Shan, I've been eating tuna fish all my life, from when I was a child during the 60's-70's to present day. No ill effects and I have the mind of a steel trap.
Sure pollution is abundant today as it was over 30 years ago, but who's to say there isn't poison in the veggies you eat? Even the FDA states there are acceptable limits on the number of rodent droppings and insect parts that can be in a head of lettuce to be deemed safe to eat. So, how do you like your rat droppings? Sauted or baked?
Wow, I've avoided Tuno for ever, I may actually have to try it!
vegcooking.com has a DELICIOUS suna recipe. in fact, i'm eating it right now!
yeah, the mercury thing... I am a vegetarian and don't eat fish, but I do teach a prenatal class so have to know about all the fish-risks.
Large marine fish can potentially collect high levels of mercury in their edible tissue-- albacore tuna and tuna steaks are considered a risk and are not to be eaten more than once per month by growing kids and pregnant women. Other risky fish are sea bass, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.
Light white tuna should be OK... but I'm sure I'd prefer Tuno!!!
Echo: Wow, you let your husband put meat on half the pizza?! You’re too nice, my omni other doesn’t even get to have meat in the house (unless it’s lunch meat and he has to keep that in his special drawer in the fridge). I’ve been “accidentally” served chicken burritos a couple times and I was spitting out that first bite before I even realized what happened. Barf, gross!
I am glad to see you gave it another chance. I, too, quickly learned that rinsing it is key. I am sad to learn that it may not be around. One thing we do to increase the "tuna fish" flavor of it that we learned of from some transitional cookbook years ago was to sprinkle it with seaweed flakes. Great blog and good to see so many simple and tasty options for lunches.
Maybe too late to comment but...
the tuna free salad recipe from Vegan Planet is fabulous. I posted the recipe on my blog because I love it so much. I use kelp powder/granules instead of dulse to give it that sea flavour. I just found kelp easier to find.
I've never seen Tuno in these parts, but I'll watch out for it.
Thanks.
I'm so glad you posted this. I've been looking for a way to transition out of eating tinned tuna--the last, occasional meat that I will eat. Thanks!
I'm also going to put a link up on my blog to your blog; I love it!
I see that this blog is from 2006. After Kellogg’s discontinued the frozen Tuno, I have been searching for an alternative to no avail. Currently I am trying to perfect a mix of the same items you put in adding shredded red cabbage and chopped tomatoes. I like the mix for a sandwich.
I am going to try adding some sea vegetable to this and try the tempeh flavored suggestion from the blog as well. I wasn't very fond of the chickpea mix either.
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