As a busy caregiver to an older adult, you might find it difficult to eat a healthy and balanced diet during the day—and you’re not alone. An estimated 63% of caregivers report having poor eating habits compared to noncaregivers, according to a recent study. Additionally, more than half of caregivers in the U.S. say a decline in their health compromises their ability to care for an older adult.
Whether you’re balancing a job while looking after an older adult or provide full-time care, being a caregiver requires many things—one of which is prioritizing your own health and wellness while you’re on-the-go, starting with what you put in your body.
I went on the hunt for healthy meals that work with a caregiver’s hectic schedule, and along the way I found seafood company Wild Planet.
Founded in 2004, Wild Planet was built on the principles of sustainable fishing, sustainable seafood and producing great tasting, healthy food. With strict standards like only using pole-and-line fishing methods from local fisherman and only cooking the fish once to preserve natural juices and flavor, Wild Planet offers on-the-go meals that include, “sustainably caught seafood that is as delicious as it is better for the planet.” Simply put, it’s tuna you can feel good about eating—and that also makes you feel good.
Wild Planet’s robust lineup of products is offered in five-ounce cans, single-serve pouches or boxes, and each item is ready to eat out of the package or can be added to recipes or other dishes. I’ve kept my pantry stocked with Wild Planet products since discovering the company earlier this year. My go-tos for quick, healthy, no-prep meals are the tuna salad bowls, specifically the Pasta Salad, White Bean Salad and the Bean and Corn Salad. They’ve come in handy more times than I can count on days I don’t have the time to prepare food or even have access to a microwave.
High-quality ingredients for quick nutrition
The ingredients in Wild Planet products are not only fresh-tasting and sustainably caught but are also mostly organic. Each of the meals I regularly enjoy include skipjack tuna, which is rich in protein, potassium, manganese, vitamins B1 and B6, and essential fatty acids—and has also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Meals also include organic sunflower oil (as opposed to water, butter or other heavy oils), which can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, in addition to organic vegetables, herbs and spices.
After testing many of the Wild Planet offerings, I’ve included my thoughts on several of the most popular.
This canned meal packs a ton of flavor into its 5.6 ounces. The mix of red peppers with red beans, sweet corn and chili flavor brings the tuna to life while keeping the dish light. And the sunflower oil provides enough moisture without robbing the tuna of its natural flavor.
Main ingredients:
- Skipjack tuna
- Chili flavor and ground black pepper
- Organic sunflower oil
- Organic red beans
- Organic sweet corn
- Organic red peppers
- Organic carrots
I’m personally not a fan of cooked carrots (and there are a lot in each can), so I remove most of them from this meal. I’d also recommend adding a little more salt before eating.
I prefer white beans to red and love green olives, so this is my favorite of the bean dishes from Wild Planet. The mix of red peppers and green olives give this meal a salty little bite, which I enjoy with tuna. And the addition of chickpeas is delicious and offers a nice way to get more plant protein, magnesium and potassium in my diet, among other benefits.
Main ingredients:
- Skipjack tuna
- Organic sunflower oil
- Organic white beans
- Organic chickpeas
- Organic carrots
- Organic red peppers
- Organic green olives
Just like the red bean dish, I like to take out some of the cooked carrots from this dish and add a few more green olives on the days when I open a can at home.
My favorite of the three pre-packed meals, this pasta salad is reminiscent of the dishes my mom would make for me as a child with canned tuna. I personally prefer pasta over beans in a tuna mix, and the combination of red peppers, tomatoes, green olives and capers give the meal a slightly salty, fresh and well-rounded flavor profile.
Main ingredients:
- Skipjack tuna
- Fusilli pasta
- Organic sunflower oil
- Oregano
- Organic red peppers
- Organic tomatoes
- Organic green olives
- Organic capers
This meal is delicious just as it is!
From catch to can
Wild Planet claims you’ll find more flavor and nutrition in their products than other canned seafood manufacturers due the “catch-to-can” philosophy, which requires:
- Partnering with small-scale fishermen who use 100% sustainable fishing methods
- The mindful and respectful handling of fish to minimize harvest trauma
- Dockside assessments to ensure Wild Planet’s rigorous quality standards are met
- Minimal processing to ensure flavor and retention of essential nutrients
Plus, through a special partnership with Trace Register, you can track your fish from catch to can to your local store.
