Make Easy, Cheesy Fish Sticks With A Few Simple Ingredients You Already Have

When it comes to building a high-protein meal, you definitely don't always have to stick to eating a plain piece of grilled chicken. From the cottage cheese obsession to even building a pizza crust out of chicken, there are plenty of surprising ways to sneak in a little protein. But one high-protein, low-cost food that's sometimes overlooked is canned tuna. With its flaky texture and salty flavor, canned tuna is a great way to get more protein in your diet — and you can even get creative by turning it into fish sticks.

Fish sticks are commonly made from minced whitefish, but it's more about texture than the type of fish you use. Since minced whitefish isn't as easy to find in the store, swap in canned tuna instead. Then, just mix it with a few basic ingredients, like cheese and an egg, to build flavor and help the ingredients stick together. The end result is an easy, cheesy fish stick that mimics the flavors of a classic tuna melt.

While the canned tuna you buy could impact flavor, you can also certainly add other elements in there to build even more taste and texture. Bread crumbs are an easy way to add a little crunch, plus they'll help the mixture hold together even better. And if you have young kids or picky eaters, you can even sneak in a few greens. Finely chop some spinach or broccoli, then fold it into the tuna mixture to add veggies into the mix. Finally, add in any seasonings you want. Canned tuna tends to be salty, so be careful about oversalting, but black pepper, garlic powder, or even a little onion powder are great options.

Keep the fish sticks healthier by baking them in the oven, but make sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper so the cheese doesn't stick. For extra crispness, you could fry them in a pan with a little oil or just brush some oil over the top of the sticks before cooking them to help them get a crispy exterior.