The tuna sandwich has hit a snag.
Pura Vida Miami, the celebrated “premier wellness and lifestyle brand” that has captivated New Yorkers with its offerings, has discreetly removed its iconic tuna sprout sandwich from menus across all locations, including those in New York and Florida.
This decision follows a December report by The Post, which uncovered that the sandwich contained an eye-popping 145 grams of fat and nearly 3,000 mg of sodium. The revelation left loyal customers in disbelief.
“Good riddance to bad fat,” proclaimed Racine Levy, a devoted Pura Vida fan who has since sworn off her once-beloved sandwich upon learning about its shocking nutritional content.
“When my friends and I found out how unhealthy it was, everyone was in a panic. It was like a tuna meltdown,” she added, emphasizing that such a dish should never be considered even on a “cheat day.”
“No one should have tuna on their ‘cheat days.’”
Nutritionists agree that yanking the problematic sandwich was a better health alternative than a fate of sleeping with the fishes.
“There was a clear disconnect between the ‘healthy’ perception and the actual nutritional profile,” said functional nutritionist Danielle Pashko. “If they’re stepping back to improve the ingredients, that’s a move in the right direction. I hope for more transparency going forward. As a nutritionist who eats there, it’s on my mind too.”
Pura Vida regular and food influencer Carly Spears told The Post “it’s super smart they pulled it after the backlash,” despite ordering the tuna sandwich “90 percent of the time – it was my favorite thing to get there.”
The chain’s knockoff – a “lackluster” $19 tuna avocado sandwich, rolled out in all locations in February – falls short for Spears.
“The tuna was drier, the wrap definitely has less taste than it used to,” she said of the poor-man’s substitute which boasts 1140 mg of sodium and just 52 grams of fat.
A worker at a Miami location doesn’t “know why” the original sandwich was pulled, adding, “it was really popular. I liked it.”
The “menu evolution” was based on several factors, including “seasonality, ingredient availability and ongoing product development,” a company spokesman said of the “discontinued” favorite.
Yanking the sandwich was simply “standard process,” the spokesman added.
The boho chic “all day cafe” is committed to “transparency and accuracy,” according to the spox, and complies with FDA guidelines require chains with 20 or more locations to disclose nutritional values.
“We conducted a comprehensive third-party review of our menu’s nutrition information. That process is complete and the updated values are on our website.”
