One of the things I work on with my clients is giving their meals a “makeover” so they can fit into their weight loss plan. I really believe you can enjoy your favorite foods with a few simple swap outs. One of the healthy foods that can sabotage you is tuna salad. All that mayo can turn your lunch from a dieter’s dream to a dieter’s don’t! For example, a tuna salad sandwich from Culver’s has almost half the fat for the day at 27 grams!
Not my tuna salad! I was able to make five servings with only a half tablespoon light mayo in the entire batch! I used a secret ingredient, which is identified below.
This makes an excellent low-calorie lunch or dinner. Here are some ideas:
- Try it with a high fiber tortilla shell, pita or flat bread. Add your favorite vegetables (lettuce, tomato, alfalfa sprouts would all be good low-calorie options). Wrap it up and enjoy with a small piece of fresh fruit or a half cup of cottage cheese.
- Try making a tuna melt. Use whole grain bread, tuna salad, tomato, and sharp cheddar cheese. (With sharp cheddar, a little goes a long way.) You could shred a half ounce over the tuna and you won’t sacrifice any flavor, but you will save 60 calories and 5 grams of fat. (One ounce is the size of your thumb as an estimate.)
Ingredient List
– 2 cans 6 oz. chunk light tuna
– 1/2 cup “secret ingredient” plain fat-free or 2% fat Greek yogurt
– 2 tablespoons pickle relish
– 1/2 tablespoon mayo (I used light, but you are using such a small amount you can also use full fat.)
– 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
Drain tuna. Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Measure out five, one-quarter cup servings in a storage container. Lunch for the work week is served!
Nutrition Information (per serving – 1/4 cup)
Calories – 104
Fat – 1.4 g
Carbohydrate – 4 g
Sugar – 3 g
Protein – 18.1 g
Fiber – 0 g (this is why you need the whole grain bread product)