I know this is not your typical Valentine’s Day recipe, but good quality salmon is good for your heart!

The best salmon to use is wild caught. Sockeye wild caught is even better. You definitely want to stay away from farm raised so be sure to read your labels and really know your source. In my opinion, farm raised salmon actually hurts your health since the fish are fed genetically modified (or GMO) grains instead of their native sea foods, are given antibiotics due to the overcrowding and sickness, and are often dyed to make them look more pink like wild salmon.

Instead, use wild-caught salmon. We are fortunate to have a Trader Joe’s in town and I get their Sockeye Wild Caught Salmon in the frozen section. Another option is canned Sockeye salmon. It is best to look for a label that says wild caught, packed in water, with no other ingredients. I have read that all canned salmon is wild-caught because the farm-raised salmon turns to mush in the can.

I typically use leftovers from cooked salmon the night before or canned salmon which still has its bones so you get the bone nutrients too. Once in a while we substitute the salmon with tuna. (Tuna is known for having more mercury, so it is best not to eat it more than once a month.)

Be sure to use a good quality mayonnaise too. Typical mayonnaise brands contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients such as white vinegar (which is usually derived from corn), canola oil, soybean oil, and/or other “natural” flavors. Our two favorite brands are Primal Kitchen Mayo and Sir Kensington’s Mayonnaise. If you can’t easily get these, you can use mashed avocado as your base and add your own oil and vinegar. (You can also make your own mayonnaise with raw egg and olive oil, but it does not last very long in the refrigerator so it depends on how much you use it.)

Salmon Salad

• 8 oz. wild caught Sockeye salmon (fresh or canned)
• 1 stalk organic celery, chopped into small pieces*
• 2 – 3 tbsp. chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp. dried (or 2 tbsp. fresh) parsley
• 1 tsp. mayonnaise (find our favorite here)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• avocado oil or olive oil
• salt

Remove any bones from the salmon and use a fork to flake it into small pieces. Add the chopped onion, chopped celery,* parsley, mayonnaise (or mayonnaise alternative) and apple cider vinegar. Mix together well. Add enough avocado oil or olive oil to give it a good consistency for spreading. Add salt to taste and enjoy. We like to eat it on rice cakes.

* eliminate celery if oxalates are a problem

This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. She has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website.