Four words… 169 calories per ounce.

Do we have your attention now?? If you’re a keto backpacker, this tuna salad is not your average keto backpacking meal.

Sorry to nerd out there . . .

We know not everyone gets as excited about ultralight meals as we do. But this one has a lot going for it. Not only is it ULTRA ultralight, but it’s also very low volume and an excellent source of protein, with 20 grams per serving.

Looking for a keto-friendly backpacking meal?

With less than 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving, this recipe is a keto-friendly tuna salad option. If you’re a keto backpacker, you know exactly how hard it is to find tasty backpacking recipes that won’t blow your carb goal out of the water. Pile it onto parmesan crisps or your favorite low-carb wrap, and you have an easy-to-prepare no-cook lunch option.

This DIY backpacking meal is a perfect no-cook backpacking lunch that goes one step beyond your everyday tuna packet. Non-keto backpackers will want to pair it with crackers, pita bread, or tortillas.

Looking for more no-cook, cold-soak backpacking recipes?

Take a look at our 10 favorite no-cook backpacking recipes and our cold soaking guide for stoveless backpackers.

Interested in learning how to make tuna packets ultralight?

Did you know that tuna packets, on average, provide only 27 calories per ounce? That’s because of the significant amount of water in the packets. By dehydrating canned tuna or tuna packets, the caloric density increases to 125 calories per ounce! Check out our How to Safely Dehydrate Tuna for Backpacking Meals post for dehydration instructions and proper storage techniques.

Keto-Friendly Tuna Salad

Backcountry Foodie

This lightweight tuna salad packs 20 grams of protein with less than 1 gram of carbohydrate. Eat it as-is for a keto-friendly meal, or pair it with crackers, pita, or a wrap when you want something more substantial.

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Nutrition Info

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Home Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Field Prep Time 30 minutes mins

WT/SERVING 1.2 oz (34 g)

Servings 1 serving

MEAL PREPCold Soak, Dehydrator Not Required, No-Cook

Diet TYPESBariatric, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Sugar, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

EQUIPMENT

• zipper-top freezer bag
• spork

INGREDIENTS

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• ¼ cup (12 g) tuna, dehydrated
• 1 tsp (0.3 g) green onions, dehydrated
• ½ tsp (0.5 g) onions, dried chopped
• 1/16 tsp (0.1 g) black pepper
• 1 Tbsp (8 g) parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 packet (14 g) mayonnaise
• 2 oz (60 mL) water

Dietary substitutions available — see Substitutions below.

MEAL PREP MODEPrevents screen from going dark

INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)

HOME

• Put the dry ingredients in a bag or container to be used in the backcountry. See meal prep tips below.
• Pair with 1 packet (14 g) of mayonnaise to be added when the meal is rehydrated.

FIELD

• Add 2 oz (60 mL) of cold water and stir until well mixed. Add additional water only if needed.
• If using cold water, let the meal stand for 30-60 minutes to fully rehydrate.
• Drain any excess water, following Leave No Trace principles when disposing of wastewater.
• Add 1 packet (14 g) of mayonnaise and stir to mix well.
• Pair with your favorite crackers, wrap, or pita bread and enjoy!

NOTES

SUBSTITUTIONS

No Dehydrator: A shelf-stable tuna pouch can be used instead of dehydrated tuna. Since the tuna is already moist, skip the tuna rehydration step and add the mayonnaise and seasonings directly to the tuna.

Freeze-Dried Tuna: Replace the dehydrated tuna with 1/2 cup freeze-dried tuna. Freeze-dried tuna rehydrates considerably faster than dehydrated tuna.

Dairy-Free: Replace the parmesan cheese with 1 Tbsp grated cashew cheese.

 

MEAL PREP TIPS

Long-Term Storage: For longer-term storage, pack the parmesan cheese separately and add it shortly before your trip. Single-serving parmesan packets also work well; approximately 2 (3.5 g) packets = 1 Tbsp. Grated cashew cheese is shelf-stable at room temperature and can replace parmesan cheese.

Dehydrating Tuna & Green Onions: See our step-by-step guides for dehydrating tuna and dehydrating green onions.

Serving Size: This is a low-volume meal. Consider making two servings for a larger appetite.

 

RECIPE LABELS

Our downloadable recipe labels are designed to print on Avery #18163 (2″ x 4″) Shipping Labels.

View / Print Labels

NUTRITION (per serving)

cal/oz 169

cal/g 6.0

Calories 203 kcal

PROTEIN 20 g

CARBOHYDRATE 0.7 g

Total Fat 13 g

Fiber 0 g

Added Sugar 0 g

Saturated Fat 3 g

Cholesterol 45 mg

Sodium 428 mg

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