Wheat-free Pasta With Salmon, Pesto And Avocado Salad

fitness
(Image credit: unknown)

Using canned salmon is a cheap and convenient way to add more oily fish to your diet. As well as being one of the top high-protein foods, salmon provides those all-important omega-3 fatty acids. They’re crucial for brain health, as nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert explains in an interview about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and where to find them.

Seeds are full of healthy unsaturated fats and minerals (here’s more on why we need to eat healthy seeds) and both pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are an excellent source of omega-6. They’re also calorie dense and will keep you feeling full for longer.

Wheat-free Pasta With Salmon, Pesto And Avocado Salad Recipe

763 calories

Ingredients (Serves One)

  • 125g wheat-free pasta
  • 125g bag mixed leaves or watercress 
  • ½ an avocado, chopped
  • 15g sunflower seeds
  • 15g pumpkin seeds
  • 1tbsp pesto
  • 85g can red salmon in brine

Method

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. While it’s cooking, put the salad leaves into a bowl, add the avocado and sprinkle on the seeds. Serve plain or add a dressing of your choice (not included in the calorie count).

When the pasta is ready, drain and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Add the pesto and mix with the pasta. Open the tin of fish, drain, remove any large bones and flake with a fork. Add to the dish and mix.

Nutrition

We turned to Myfitnesspal, one of the best weight-loss apps for calorie counting, to give us an idea of the nutritional values of this recipe. Each serving contains approximately 763 calories, 64g carbohydrate, 43g fat, 35g protein and 12g of fibre.

Recipe by nutritional therapist Amanda Geary of The Food and Mood Project.


More About Nutrition 

Lucy Miller
Former editor

Lucy Miller is an experienced journalist who has worked across a range of health and fitness titles. She was the fitness and nutrition editor at Men’s Fitness UK, and has also been fitness editor of both Health & Fitness UK and Women’s Fitness UK. Lucy qualified as a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutritionist in 2008.

With contributions from