Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (2024)

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The Perfect Healthy Tuna Melt, satisfy those cravings with this delicious cheesy topped lunchtime favourite.

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (1)

Tuna Melt Sandwich

If you have ever been to Ireland or visited an Irish themed pub where you live, one item you are very likely to see on the menu is a Tuna Melt Sandwich. Usually this is served on delicious Irish Soda Bread with Irish mature cheddar - yum!!

Recently I had to make a trip to Ireland and when I returned I had serious cravings for this popular sandwich.It's funny how a trip somewhere can spark cravings for certain foods, right? It's a sandwich that is a real comfort food for me.

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (2)

Classic Traditional Tuna Melt

If you are going the traditional route, this would usually be served on soda bread with lashings of butter and regular mayonnaise.

Keeping this on plan, I chose 100% Whole Wheat Bread instead and skipped the butter altogether, opting for a low-fat mayonnaise and wait for it, a little cottage cheese.

Do I have to use the Cottage Cheese?

Okay, I know you are saying right now - cottage cheese? No thank you. But trust me, it's a teeny amount and works much better than yoghurt or quark as it doesn't have that sour taste you tend to get. When combined with the little bit of mayo, it works perfectly. I am not a fan of cottage cheese as it is, but this is really delicious.

If you want to use quark instead, then by all means do, or you can just use mayonnaise.

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (3)

Pickles in a Tuna Melt

I also add one other ingredient that you don't tend to see in a traditional Tuna Melt and that is pickles, or gherkins, whatever you want to call them. They really take this tuna melt to a whole other level, by all means, omit if you hate them, but I love them on my tuna melt.

Open Sandwiches

Whenever I make a sandwich or melt, I tend to make it as open sandwich, that way it feels a bit more filling and you can add as much of that topping as you want.

Because we are not using butter, I like to crisp up the bread by baking it in the oven until golden and crisp.

If you have a bit more time to make this sandwich, you could even make this yummy Soda Bread Recipe.

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (4)

Sides for Healthy Tuna Melt

This delicious healthy Tuna Melt would be perfect served with a mixed salad or speed packed bowl of soup. Below are some of my favourites:

  • FRESH TOMATO AND BASIL SOUP
  • HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP
  • EASY ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP
  • CARROT AND BUTTER BEAN SOUP
  • ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP
  • CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

or head on over to theFULL RECIPE INDEXwhere you will find over 900 delicious Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers friendly recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, value and smart points etc

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (5)

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Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (6)

Healthy Tuna Melt

The Perfect Healthy Tuna Melt, satisfy those cravings with this delicious cheesy topped lunchtime favourite.

Ingredients

  • 140g (5oz) of tuna in water, drained
  • 1 spring onion, sliced
  • 2 slices of pickle (gherkins), finely diced
  • 1 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons of fat free cottage cheese
  • salt and black pepper to season
  • 2 slices (60g/2.2oz) of 100% Whole Wheat bread
  • 30g (1oz) of mature cheddar or Red Leicester, grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200c/fan 180c or 400f (gas mark 6)
  2. Add the tuna, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, spring onion, pickle and some salt and black pepper to a bowl and mix to combine, set aside.
  3. Line a baking tray with foil, Spray with some cooking oil spray and add the bread to the tray, spray over the top with more cooking oil spray.
  4. Place in the oven and bake until lightly golden (approx 5-8 mins)
  5. Remove from the oven and top each slice with the tuna mixture.
  6. Top with the grated cheddar.
  7. Place bake in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
  8. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes

Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:

  • Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
  • WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janet says

    Does the Tuna have to be in Water for a particular reason? or will brine be ok?

    Reply

    • Shevy (Slimming Eats) says

      Brine is fine - enjoy!!

      Reply

  2. Tina says

    This is delicious!! Probably my new favourite lunch! Thank you

    Reply

  3. Louise says

    This is delicious. Not a big tuna fan usually but I'm slightly addicted to this. Its fab.

    Reply

  4. Paula says

    Condolences to you. Not an easy trip I did that one a couple of years ago and it’s hard.
    I spent a few months after I got back to usa cooking/baking anything Irish
    Can’t wait to try this one.

    Reply

  5. Angie says

    What can I use instead of gherkins?

    Reply

    • Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says

      just omit if you don't like them, should be okay.

      Reply

  6. Alycia says

    Fab tasty and filling lunch. I used Greek yogurt as I didn't have any cottage cheese. I also highly recommend stirring 1 tbsp of the gherkin vinegar into the tuna mix. Delicious!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Healthy Tuna Melt | Slimming Eats Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tuna melt soggy? ›

The key to preventing a soggy tuna melt is to drain your canned tuna really well. To do this, empty the tuna into a fine-mesh strainer then press down on it to release any liquid.

How much nutrition is in homemade tuna melt? ›

Tuna melt sandwich (1 sandwich) contains 31.8g total carbs, 29.7g net carbs, 26.8g fat, 22.1g protein, and 456 calories.

How much sugar is in tuna melt? ›

Amount/Serving%DV*Amount/Serving
Sat. Fat 3.7g18%Dietary Fiber 3.1g
Trans Fat 0gSugars 5.8g
Cholesterol 47.2mg16%Protein 20.9g
Sodium 802.3mg53%
2 more rows

What goes well with tuna sandwich healthy? ›

These include extra veggies, which add fiber, color and flavor. Even fruits are a good fit in a tuna sandwich: think apples, avocados and tomatoes.

What cheese goes best with tuna? ›

Things like American cheese, Monterey jack or Swiss cheese are all great, but we love the sharp bite of cheddar. — Variations. We packed this sandwich full of celery, pickles, and red onion, but just like our classic tuna salad, feel free to switch up the toppings.

How do you keep tuna moist when cooking? ›

Tuna dries out quite quickly and turns crumbly, so it should be cooked very briefly over a high heat in a frying pan, on a griddle or over a barbecue; or cooked under oil (confit), sous vide or simmered in a sauce.

What are the health benefits of tuna melt sandwich? ›

Firstly, the bread in the sandwich is rich in fiber and protein, which helps you feel fuller for longer and reduces the chance of overeating at other meals. Cheese provides calcium, which is important for strong bones and teeth. Tuna is a good source of protein to help you feel full throughout the day.

Is homemade tuna sandwich good for you? ›

Tuna is also plentiful in omega-3 fat, which is important for heart health, growth and brain function. For the sandwich, using whole grain bread can up your daily dose of fiber as can piling up on the veggies. Cons: The FDA suggests limiting fish consumption to twice a week to moderate the amount of mercury we take in.

Is there much salt in canned tuna? ›

But you need to choose your seafood wisely, since options like shellfish and canned tuna fish are high in salt. Five oz of canned tuna has more than 300 mg of sodium, and 3 oz of frozen shrimp can have more than 400 mg. Better seafood choices include fresh tuna, salmon, halibut, and haddock.

Does tuna raise blood sugar? ›

Additionally, tuna provides small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help manage diabetes due to their potential to lower inflammation and improve blood sugar control. You can make tuna salad even healthier and higher in protein by mixing it with cottage cheese or yogurt, rather than mayonnaise.

What is in a Starbucks tuna melt? ›

Tuna, medium Cheddar & mozzarella full fat soft cheese with sweetcorn & spring onion in a rustic ciabatta roll. Order now on Starbucks® Delivers to get it delivered straight to your door or on the Starbucks® UK app to order ahead.

Is tuna melt bad for cholesterol? ›

Tuna is a lean protein source that is low in saturated fat, which can help to lower cholesterol levels. Some types of tuna, such as canned light tuna, are also low in total fat and calories.

Is it OK to eat tuna sandwich everyday? ›

Canned tuna typically contains either albacore or skipjack tuna, and cans are usually marked as either “albacore” or “chunk light.” Albacore tuna typically has higher concentrations of mercury than chunk light tuna and should be eaten only once or twice a week. Chunk light tuna is safe to eat two or three times a week.

What can I use instead of mayo in tuna? ›

12 Delicious Substitutes For Mayo In Your Tuna Salad
  1. Greek yogurt. Maslova Valentina/Shutterstock. ...
  2. Avocado. Irina Rostokina/Shutterstock. ...
  3. Hummus. Tempura/Getty Images. ...
  4. Olive oil. Maryia_K/Shutterstock. ...
  5. Dijon mustard. Stepanek Photography/Shutterstock. ...
  6. Ranch dressing. RebeccaDLev/Shutterstock. ...
  7. Sour cream. ...
  8. Cottage cheese.
Jan 24, 2024

Is tuna with mayo still healthy? ›

A lot people who are on a weight loss diet will turn to tuna because of its high level of protein – 3 oz of albacore tuna has 20g of protein but only about 100 calories. However, if you're eating tuna as a traditional tuna salad with mayonnaise, you may be consuming unnecessary calories and fat.

How do you fix soggy tuna salad? ›

Additional Fixes For Watery Tuna Salad

If you don't want to end up with more tuna salad than you can eat before it goes bad, ground nuts and bread crumbs are both options for soaking up the sog. Typically, ground nuts are considered superior because they don't get soggy the way breadcrumbs can.

Do tuna sandwiches go soggy? ›

If you're meal prepping tuna salads for lunch, here's how to prevent the bread from getting soggy. Choose a sturdy bread like wheat, white or sourdough that's about 1/2 inch thick. Build your sandwich so that the lettuce. is on the bottom, catching any of the liquid. Also layer any tomatoes or avocado on the bottom.

Should tuna be mushy? ›

Color: The flesh of fresh tuna should be a deep, dark red color. If it's brown or gray, it's not fresh. Firmness: Fresh tuna should be firm to the touch, not mushy or slimy.

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