The Crunchy Fruit Miranda Lambert Adds To Tuna Salad

Country music star Miranda Lambert is one of those ladies we would follow right off the edge of a cliff, so when she shared her favorite way to prepare tuna salad, we knew it had to be good. Like ramen noodles, tuna salad is a dish for which everyone and their mamas seem to have a secret recipe. Whether you make yours with mustard or mayo, straight up, or with add-ins, there are endless ways to enjoy this lunchbox classic.

Lambert's tuna salad recipe, featured in her new book "Y'all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin Kitchen," was handed down from her grandmother, who she calls Nonny. Nonny's tuna salad uses all the typical components: celery, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. However, it also includes a secret ingredient: chopped apple. This addition might seem like a wild card, but Nonny wasn't the first to toss this crispy and sweet fruit into the mixing bowl. 

Adding apples — and sometimes pecans — to tuna salad is common practice in the Southern part of the United States. But this isn't just a basic recipe: As Lambert told Eating Well, "My grandma had this way of putting it all together." 

If your typical tuna salad recipe has started feeling uninspired, spicing up a classic with new ingredients can bring new life to your lunch recipe rotation. Putting a southern spin on your tuna salad by adding diced apples brings a sweet, savory element and a great, crunchy texture to your dining experience. Plus, it makes your meal more nutritious.

According to WebMD, canned tuna already provides a wealth of nutrients, from protein and omega-3s to iron and vitamin B6, so even the most bare-bones tuna sandwich can become a nutritious meal. Healthline reports that apples are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K — but where they really shine is in the fiber department.

One apple contains 5 grams of fiber — about a fifth of what we should eat every day. What's more, it also contains pectin, a type of fiber that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria within our guts. Trust Miranda Lambert (and her Nonny), and add some apples to your next batch of tuna salad. It will make you and your gut happy!