Category — Sandwiches

A while ago I wrote about making Tuna Fish Sandwiches with White Beans. That recipe was a switch from the standard tuna fish sandwich. The recipe I am sharing today begins with the more common tuna fish plus mayonnaise mixture but includes an ingredient you might not have considered using plus toppings to create a whole new experience.

Get creative to avoid having the same old same tuna!

Start out by making tuna fish salad with a twist. The secret ingredient is curry powder. This spice adds lots of good flavor and that in turn allows you to save calories by cutting back on the mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

1 can Albacore Tuna (white meat) ~130 calories

1Tbsp. Low Fat Mayonnaise ~15 calories

1/2 tsp. curry powder ~ 3 calories

Break up the tuna into small pieces with a fork. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.

This mixture will make enough tuna for 2 sandwiches. (~74 calories per serving without the bread)

Now if you’d like to jazz up the tuna fish mixture a bit and make a more interesting sandwich, I recommend you add a couple of toppings. First start out with a low calorie sandwich thin (whole wheat by Arnold, Pepperidge Farm, and other companies) if you’d like to minimize your calorie intake. Otherwise look for a freshly made whole grain bread for extra flavor.

Spread tuna fish on each piece of bread. Sprinkle with a little Reduced Fat Shredded Mexican 4 Cheese Blend or other reduced fat cheese (2 Tbsp. total or one tbsp. for each slice). Now bake or broil in a toaster oven for just a little while till the cheese begins to melt. Top each sandwich half with some avocado slices (~1/4 small to medium avocado, which would be about 70 calories depending on the size of the avocado).

If you follow the ingredient amounts and use a low calorie sandwich thin, then the total calorie count for this meal (two slices of bread, each slice topped with tuna fish, cheese, and avocado) comes to approximately 300-350 calories or so.

I like this sandwich. It’s easy to make and tasty. Plus it has lots of protein, dietary fiber, and some healthy fat. Hope you like it too!

Tired of the same old same old tuna fish sandwiches? If so, you’ve got to give this recipe for Tuna with White Beans a try! You can dispense with the mayonnaise and boost the fiber and nutrients with white beans. Add some garlic, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs, and olives to make a new-fashioned tuna fish sandwich you’ll want to enjoy time and time again!

The original recipe evidently was published in Gourmet Magazine. I found a version of the original recipe on the The Calgary Herald website: New-School Tuna Sandwich.  I’ve made a few changes to reduce the calorie count and adjust the taste to suit me better.

When buying canned tuna, I recommend you look for chunk light tuna canned in water. If you prefer white tuna you will also want to select Albacore tuna.

I like including olives, especially Kalamata olives in the mix. But I would think any olives would be good. If you are not a fan of olives you could omit them altogether.

The tuna and white beans sandwich mix makes enough for 4 sandwiches with a little more than 1/4 cup per sandwich. To give each sandwich a little extra flavor and added fullness without adding many calories I top the mix with 2 tbsp. of freshly grated parmesan cheese and leafy greens.

Serve the sandwich in a whole wheat pita pocket (1/2 whole pita) or on chewy, flavorful, sliced whole grain bread. Simple, delicious, and nutritious!

Tuna and White Beans Sandwich

(makes four 1/4 cup+ servings)

Ingredients

1/2 cup+ canned white beans, rinsed and drained (about 1/2 of a 16 oz. can)
5 oz canned Chunk Light Tuna, drained
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 stalk of celery, diced
10 Olives (Kalamata or other), sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh Basil (or parsley), minced
.1 tsp salt
.1 tsp black pepper

1. In a medium-sized bowl, roughly mash the beans, garlic, 1 tsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. lemon juice with a fork.

2. Flake in the tuna, then stir in the celery, olives, basil or parsley, salt and pepper. Taste. If needed add the remaining olive oil and lemon juice and season to taste.

3. Serve sandwich in a pita pocket or on whole grain bread. Top mix with 2 tbsp. of freshly grated parmesan cheese plus leafy greens of your choice for added flavor, crunch, and nutrients!

Depending on the bread you use, the entire sandwich will have about 200 calories for a pita pocket or 300 calories with two slices of whole grain bread.

Hope you like the tuna and white bean sandwich. Enjoy!