The 88-Cent Tuna That's Causing Walmart Shoppers To Ditch Name Brands

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With the price of groceries seemingly on the same steep trajectory it has been for quite some time now, there aren't a whole lot of items left at the grocery store for under a dollar — and this is especially true for proteins. Stop into a branch of the largest retailer in the world, however, and you'll find a wall of store-brand tuna pouches that sell for just $0.88 each, or in packs up up to 24, where the per-unit cost drops all the way down to $0.75. These packets of Great Value Chunk Light Tuna in Water may be on the smaller side, with just 2.6 ounces of fish per pouch, but 19 grams of protein for three quarters is the kind of deal that's hard to pass up in times like these. 

Notably, the quality of this Walmart-brand tuna isn't solely found in its low cost. According to customers, it's also quite tasty. "This is my go-to tuna," one happy shopper wrote in their product review. "And my kids actually like it better than the name brand. The tuna is tasty, flakes nicely and is easy to open." While that's a solid endorsement, other fans are less reserved in their reviews, stating things like, "I used to buy the name brand tuna all the time .... Then I tried these !! And I was blown out the water !!" Between the low price and testimonials like that, it seems like it'd be crazy not to buy this generic canned tuna over the brand name stuff — especially when you consider all of the different flavors, like Ginger Sesame, Lemon Pepper, and Spicy Thai Chili.

Once you've dropped that cool $18, and your pantry is stocked up with 24 pouches of Walmart's Great Value tuna, you'll probably be wondering how you're going to eat them all. Fortunately, that part is easy. There are a few minor differences between canned and pouched tuna, like water content and slightly different shelf lives, but for the most part they can be used pretty interchangeably. This means that these pouches will work just fine for all of your favorite canned tuna recipes, from salads and melts to that dilly tuna casserole that Mom used to make. But with a pantry this stocked — and such a cheap grocery run to refill it — it's also an invitation to get exploratory with your tuna recipes.

As it turns out, this shelf-stable protein is incredibly versatile. There are countless ways to transform canned tuna into a gourmet meal. One clever technique that has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, is the canned fish sushi bake, where you pack all the flavors of your favorite sushi roll into a warm, oven-baked dish. There are tons of other uses for a can of tuna too, and some might really surprise you. You can make meatballs with tuna, for example, or try using a can for a quick taquito hack. There are even a whole bunch of different dips that have tuna as a base ingredient. It seems that there is little limit to where creativity can take a simple can or pouch of tuna. And when they come as cheaply as this Great Value brand does, those creative depths are practically begging to be plumbed.