How to Make a Healthy Tuna Melt

Whole-Grain Bread and a Light Spread Add Taste without Fat

Jul 26, 2009 Sapna Nayyar-Pellicane

Tuna melt is a comfort food, and comfort food is often fattening. But this particular tuna melt is less fattening, as the bread and spread are of the lighter variety.

Tuna is a good source of protein, and cheese is a good source of calcium as well as protein. According to 2008 information from Atuna, a source of tuna market news and information, “the omega-3 in tuna may cut the risk of heart attack in half” and people who consume large amounts of tuna and other fish rich in omega-3, have lower rates of depression. Atuna adds that strokes are less common among people who eat tuna and other oil-rich fish, compared to those who do not eat fish at all. A tuna melt sandwich has 350 calories, according to 2008 information from fatsecret.com. “Tuna melts are some of the best comfort food around,” says Melissa Camero Ainslie, a Miami-based food writer and self-described food lover in her May 2009 blog. “I think melted cheese is the pinnacle of all things comfort food.”

However, comfort food can get a little too comfortable for the waistline. This recipe therefore makes use of more nutritious whole-wheat, other whole-grain, or oat nut bread instead of the typical white bread, water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed, low-fat cheese (any kind), light mayonnaise, and light blue cheese salad dressing. It also advises the use of a slice of a tomato in order to enhance the nutritional value.

Ingredients & Preparation Tips

  • Whole-wheat, other whole-grain, or oat nut bread instead of white bread should be used. Either kind of bread can be obtained from any good grocery or convenience store.
  • Water-packed tuna should be used instead of the oil-based variety
  • Light mayonnaise and light blue cheese dressing should be used in order to make a delicious but relatively healthy spread.
  • Light cheddar or light Swiss, light American, or provolone cheese should be used, and only one slice of cheese should be added to the bread.
  • A slice of a ripe red tomato can be used as a bread topping in addition to the cheese. The rest of the tomato can be eaten on its own or as part of a healthy green salad.
  • These open-faced sandwiches should be broiled until the cheese starts to melt.

Healthy Tuna Melt

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices whole-wheat, other whole-grain, or oat nut bread
  • 1 can water-packed tuna, drained, and with the tuna mashed
  • 1 cup light mayonnaise (Hellman’s Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Salad Dressing)
  • ½ cup light blue cheese salad dressing
  • 4 slices light cheddar, light Swiss, light American, or light provolone cheese
  • 1 tomato, sliced into four
  • 1 can of non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Mix the mayonnaise and salad dressing until blended.
  2. Mash the tuna and add it to the mayonnaise and salad dressing mixture.
  3. Spread each slice of bread with the mayonnaise, salad dressing, and tuna mixture.
  4. Top it with a tomato slice.
  5. Finish with a cheese slice.
  6. Grease a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and carefully place bread slices in the pan.
  7. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown slightly.
  8. Serve immediately.

This healthy version of a much-loved comfort food serves 2.

The copyright of the article How to Make a Healthy Tuna Melt in Healthy Cooking is owned by Sapna Nayyar-Pellicane. Permission to republish How to Make a Healthy Tuna Melt in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Light tuna melt is comforting and healthy, Jon Sullivan Light tuna melt is comforting and healthy
   
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