It is now picnic season in the UK and there is nothing more relaxing than gathering some of your favourite snacks to sit outside in the sun. Tuna filling is always a popular choice in sandwiches and salads, but they can often become a bit smelly and unappetising to eat if you make them with mayonnaise.

Tuna filling foods made with mayonnaise tend to have a creamier taste, but they contain eggs, which can spoil within an hour on a hot day and cause the food to develop a sulphur odour. Not only is this embarrassing if you are having a picnic with friends or family, but it will ruin your tuna sandwiches or salads so you end up wasting money and having nothing tasty to eat. However, Tori Avey, a Mediterranean cook, has shared that there is a simple way to make a tasty tuna filling without mayonnaise, as you simply need to use olive oil instead.

Toru explained: "Olive oil replaces heavy, and often processed, mayonnaise. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper, and you've got a fresh tuna salad with a twist. You won't miss the mayo!"

Using olive oil to make a tuna filling might sound bizarre if you have never tried it, but it tends to have a lighter and fresher taste than mayonnaise.

It is very common to use olive oil in Mediterranean cooking instead of mayonnaise since it works better in warm weather, as it does not contain eggs.

Mayonnaise can often give sandwiches a greasy texture and make salads really gloopy, so all the ingredients become really slimy.

Olive oil will simply hold up better on a hot day, and is looser, which makes food have a silkier and smoother texture.

It will taste a lot different from mayonnaise as it is cleaner, less processed and more fruity but can have a very rich flavour when paired with other Mediterranean ingredients like herbs and lemon juice.

If you want a tuna filling that still has a creamy taste without the heaviness of mayonnaise, then consider trying to make it with Greek yoghurt as an alternative.

You will need:

• One can of olive oil-packed tuna


• One tablespoon of basil


• Half a celery stalk


• One green scallion


• Two tablespoons of lemon juice


• One tablespoon of extra olive oil (optional)


• Salt and pepper

When buying tuna for your sandwiches or salads, look for tins that pack the fillets in olive oil instead of the brine solution it often comes in.

Method:

To begin, pour the tuna into a small mixing bowl and use a fork to break the chunks into smaller pieces.

Finely chop the celery, green scallion, and basil, then add them to the bowl. Pour the lemon juice into the bowl, then use a fork to stir until everything is combined.

Some people like to add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the tuna filling as it helps loosen up the mixture and make it saucier.

However, it is best not to add the extra olive oil to sandwiches or wraps, as it will make them soggy, but it will work really well with salads.

Season with salt and pepper, and your fresh tuna filling is ready to pack for a picnic or enjoy immediately.