Low Calorie Tuna Sandwiches

Welcome once again to this Health and Fitness blog. Here is another fascinating snippet of health related news for you to read all about:

Tuna fish makes a great low calorie sandwich as long as you don’t overdo it. A little tuna once or twice a week can add important nutrients to your diet for very few calories. If you’re bored of the same old same old tuna fish sandwich why not jazz it up a bit, add more flavor, and still keep the calorie count down?

Tuna is an excellent source of high quality protein plus other important nutrients including selenium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins B6 and thiamin, and omega-3 essential fatty acids. However, tuna can also be an unwanted source of mercury and as such it is important to not eat too much tuna each week. How much is too much? Thankfully there is a tuna calculator provided by the FDA that will give you an idea of what might be an appropriate amount for you.

When you use the calculator you’ll get a result that assumes you will not be eating any other fish for the week. Use a bit of common sense and adjust the recommendation to fit your circumstances. Just be careful about how much you eat and the benefits are worthwhile. That said, tuna may not be the best choice for some. I would encourage you to take a look at an article on tuna and health at the World’s Healthiest Foods site to learn more about the potential drawbacks for those who are susceptible to gout, kidney stones, or suffer from fish allergies.

What kind of tuna should you purchase?

Should you buy Albacore Solid White Tuna or Chunk Light Tuna? Albacore Solid White Tuna is a mild flavored tuna with less “fishy” flavor than chunk light tuna. From that perspective it might be the better choice for making sandwiches if you will not be mixing it up with mayonnaise or other ingredients. On the other hand, it is more expensive and has a higher mercury level than the chunk light tuna.

The calorie count for both of these tunas packed in water is approximately the same, about 60 calories for 2 ounces. That’s enough to make a healthy low calorie sandwich.

The chunk light tuna comes from different kinds of tuna such as skipjack or yellowfin. These fish tend to have a stronger fish taste than albacore. Chunk light would be a good choice when making a casserole dish. But it may also fair well when mixed with a number of other ingredients (tuna salad)  as in the recipes I am sharing here.

Chunk light has significantly less mercury than the albacore and it costs less. If you don’t mind the flavor and you’d like to eat tuna fish more often than once or twice a week, by all means choose chunk light.

Tuna Melt Sandwiches
Makes enough for 3 low calorie sandwiches

Ingredients

1 (5-6 ounce) can of tuna packed in water, drained
~15 Kalamata, green, OR black olives, pitted and chopped
3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 slices whole wheat or other whole grain bread
1 medium tomato sliced
3 ounces provolone cheese

Directions

Preheat the broiler. The rack should be about 6 inches from the broiler.

Mix the tuna, olives, light mayonnaise, red onion, black pepper, and lemon juice. Stir until well mixed.

Spread each slice of bread with the tuna mixture. Top with 2 slices of tomato and then one slice of provolone cheese.

Broil each open-faced sandwich until the cheese melts and is golden, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition: About 308 calories per sandwich, 3.7 grams of dietary fiber, 22.8 grams of protein

(Adapted from a 2004 recipe by Emeril Lagasse)

Tuna Sandwiches with Nuts
Makes enough for 3 low calorie sandwiches

Ingredients

1 (5-6 ounce) can tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 green onion sliced
1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. raisins (optional)
2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3 whole wheat pita halves (about 50-70 calories each)
3/4 cup mixed salad greens

Directions

Mix the tuna, hard-boiled egg, green onion, peanuts, ranch dressing, lemon juice, seasoned salt, and onion powder. Fill each pita pocket with 1/3 of the salad greens. Top with the tuna mix. Enjoy!

Nutrition: About 250 calories per sandwich, 2.5 grams of dietary fiber, 20.3 grams of protein

The calorie count per sandwich is low so you might want to round out your meal a bit. For example, you might pair this sandwich with a small wedge of low fat cheese (such as Laughing Cow wedges or Babybel Light) for some calcium and a small piece of fruit for some additional dietary fiber.

So there you have it two ways to fix tuna and enjoy it more. Let me know what kind of healthy low calorie tuna fish sandwiches you make. The more ideas we have the better!

 

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