Quick answer: This tuna bowl has about 36 grams of protein and 500 calories per serving, and takes about 20 minutes. Unlike the 🍚 Tuna Rice Bowls collection, there’s no rice here at all — quinoa, chickpeas, feta and greens make up a Mediterranean-leaning buddha bowl instead. Serves 4. Sodium runs moderate, about 570 mg per serving.
If you’re picturing a rice bowl, this isn’t quite that — it’s built on quinoa and greens, closer to a grain bowl than a rice bowl, with the protein spread across four ingredients rather than concentrated in tuna and rice alone.
Why This Recipe Has About 36 Grams of Protein
| Source | Per serving |
| Canned tuna, drained (110 g) | 21.3 g |
| Quinoa, dry (46 g) | 6.5 g |
| Chickpeas, rinsed (60 g) | 4.8 g |
| Feta (20 g) | 2.8 g |
| Everything else | 0.9 g |
| Total | 36.3 g |
Four sources instead of the usual two — quinoa alone is a complete protein and, measured dry rather than cooked, contributes more than it might look like — plus chickpeas and feta each add a further boost.
A Note on Sodium
About 570 mg per serving, roughly 25% of the WHO’s 2,300 mg daily limit.
- Feta: ~223 mg
- Canned tuna: ~275 mg
- Chickpeas (rinsed): ~66 mg
- Everything else: ~6 mg
What helps: using less feta, or a lower-sodium cheese alternative, is the clearest lever after the tuna itself.
What You Need
Makes 4 servings
- 4 cans (5 oz / 142 g each) light tuna in water, drained (about 440 g drained total)
- 1 cup (185 g) quinoa, dry
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 240 g)
- 80 g feta, crumbled
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
How to Make It
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions, then cool slightly.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Drain the tuna and flake it.
- Assemble bowls: quinoa on the bottom, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, tuna and feta arranged on top.
- Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
Tips
Rinse the quinoa before cooking, even the pre-rinsed bags. It removes any remaining bitterness from the outer coating.
Warm quinoa, cold toppings is the best contrast — don’t let everything come to the same temperature.
Substitutions
Quinoa: farro or brown rice work, though the protein contribution shifts slightly. Feta: goat cheese, similar saltiness.
Storage
Components keep 3 days refrigerated, stored separately. Assemble fresh for the best texture.
High Protein Tuna Bowl
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the quinoa and cool slightly.
- Rinse the chickpeas.
- Drain and flake the tuna.
- Assemble bowls with quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, tuna and feta.
- Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
Notes
- Less feta lowers the sodium without much loss of flavor.
- Store components separately; assemble fresh.
Nutrition
Per serving (recipe makes 4):
| Calories | 500 |
| Protein | 36 g |
| Sodium | 570 mg |
Verified against the Tuna nutrition workbook, with a hand-correction to the quinoa figure — see Implementation notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as the rice bowls on the site?
No — this uses quinoa and has a Mediterranean flavor profile, distinct from the Japanese and Korean-inspired rice bowls elsewhere in the Tuna collection.
Can I use a different grain?
Yes, farro or brown rice both work, with a slightly different protein and texture profile.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes — keep the components separate and assemble just before eating for the best texture.
Is this vegetarian-adaptable?
Leaving out the tuna and adding an extra scoop of chickpeas keeps it plant-based, though the protein total drops.
More High Protein Tuna Recipes
Alongside High Protein Tuna Wrap and High Protein Tuna Salad.
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