When you are trying to clean up your diet and eat healthy, you will often be looking for leaner sources of meat to consume. While almost everyone out there seems to love a big, juicy steak, often this is not going to be best for your waistline. You need to find protein sources that are comprised mostly of solely protein, without any additional fat or carbohydrate calories added in.

The best choices are usually going to be foods such as chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish - including canned tuna. Canned tuna is a very big choice among the fitness and bodybuilding crowd because it is very cost effective, extremely convenient and can be stored or brought with you almost where ever you go. This makes it a perfect option for lunches at work, to bring with you when you travel or for nights when you just don't have the energy to bake some fish or grill a chicken breast. At 120 calories and just under 30 grams of protein a can, you really can't go wrong.

Keep in mind however that this nutritional information is just for the actual can of tuna itself and that if you start adding high calorie sauces to it suddenly you are no better off than you were with your steak.

Let's face it though. Most people don't like tuna. They simply don't. Period. And who can really blame them? Unless you are one of the rare individuals who enjoys the taste of plain tuna or are just so oblivious to taste you really don't care, tuna is not that great. Luckily for you though, there are plenty of ways you can dress it up so as to make it much more appealing to your taste buds all while keeping the nutrition content high. This will make sticking to your diet incredibly easier in the long run.

Easy Mix-In's

Take one can of tuna and add one of the following ingredients.

Tuna Salad

2 tbsp low fat mayo and some chopped onion

Old El Paso Tuna

¼-1/3 cup salsa

Mustard-dill Tuna

Mustard to taste sprinkled with some dill

Oriental-Ginger Tuna

1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp chicken broth, ginger and garlic powder

Balsamic Vinegar

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Tuna Italiano

1-2 tbsp fat free Italian salad dressing sprinkled with oregano or Italian spice

Tuna Melt

Once tuna is on a plate, cover a low fat cheese slice and place under broiler. Add some ketchup if desired.

Tuna Parmesan

1-2 tbsp tomato sauce plus 1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Creamy Chive Tuna

1-2 tbsp low fat or fat free cream cheese sprinkled with chives

Tuna Chili

Mix 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin and a sprinkle of cayenne powder with tuna.

Add a slice of low fat cheese and melt it the microwave

Terryaki Tuna

Mix together 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar with 1-2 packets

sweetener and 1 tbsp dry onion soup mix. Add to tuna.

Those are some very easy options if you only want a dish that has one or two ingredients. Pair it along with a healthy source of carbohydrates such as a baked potato or some brown rice and some vegetables grilled in olive oil and you have a well balance complete meal.

The recipes below require slightly more preparation as it's not just adding a few ingredients to the tuna but are also relatively quick and easy. They are perfect for nights when you have a little more time but still want the quality nutrition that canned tuna has to offer.

Low Carb Tuna Patties

1 6oz can of tuna

½ cup low fat or fat free cottage cheese

1 whole egg

chopped green onions if desired

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form into small flat patties. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet and spray with cooking spray. Lay patty on the grill and cook over medium heat until browned on one side. Flip over and continue to cook the other side.

Serve with ketchup if preferred.

Tuna Muffins

1 can tuna

1/3 can uncooked oats

chopped celery

chopped parsley

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, making sure oats are evenly distributed throughout mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spoon muffin mixture into a sprayed muffin pan. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes. Serve with mustard if desired.

Tuna Quiche

3/4 cup dry brown rice

2 cups water

3 eggs

1 teaspoon dill

2 cans of tuna

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 cup skim milk

1/3 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

10 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Cook rice in water until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Mix with 1 beaten egg and dill. Press into 9-inch pie pan, forming crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes.

Mix tuna together with lemon juice, onion and parsley. Then add the remaining eggs along with the milk and Cheddar cheese.

Assemble the quiche by placing mushrooms on the bottom of the crust, then add the tuna mixture and finally sprinkle with chopped pepper. Pour egg mixture over to cover. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Afterwards, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 more minutes or until center is firm.

Quick Tuna Casserole

1 cup cooked barley

1 slice low fat cheese

1 can of tuna

Skim milk to suite preference

Salt and pepper

Combine barley, tuna and cheese and microwave until heated through. Add skim milk until desired consistency is reached and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Can be served with ketchup if desired.

Yogurt Tuna Salad

1 can of tuna

¼ cup celery

3 tbsp chopped onion

1 chopped dill pickle

2-3 tbsp plain lowfat yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the first four ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle over yogurt until mixture is well covered. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tuna Burgers

1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained

1 egg

½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/3 cup onion

¼ cup celery

2 Tbsp fat free mayo

2 Tbsp mustard

½ teaspoon dried dill weed

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Combine tuna, egg and bread crumbs. Once mixed add all other ingredients. Mix well. Shape into 4 patties (mixture will be very soft and delicate). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make the patties easier to handle.

Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; and fry patties for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. These can be quite fragile so be careful when flipping them over.

So next time you are looking for a way to make tuna seem more appealing, try one of these recipes out. You might even find that the strongest tuna hater will begin to change their opinion of this high protein food after a few of these meals. Remember as well to try and include canned salmon along with the tuna in your diet, as the salmon will provide you with the healthy omega fats that tuna will not.