Healthy Tuna Salad Sandwich | Dairy Free & Low Fat
Healthy Tuna Salad Sandwich – Freezer Meal Ideas for Lunch!
Take tuna salad to the next level in a tasty GRILLED sandwich! To lighten things up, I’ve used hummus for creaminess instead of the traditional mayonnaise. And, this healthy tuna salad sandwich recipe is perfect for meal prep, because you can actually FREEZE it!
For my tuna melt, I used a Panini press to get those lovely grill marks. But, you can also heat it in the toaster oven or on the stove—or just eat it cold! Seriously, this healthy tuna salad sandwich is so scrumptious, I like it BETTER than the classic recipe. And, the tuna salad itself is also delicious all on its own! A great no cook meal prep lunch idea or on-the-go work lunch.
Dairy Free, Low Fat Tuna Salad
A healthy tuna salad sandwich seems unexpected when you consider the main ingredients for tuna salad: tuna and mayonnaise. And, while mayo can totally be health-ified, it’s still high in fat. Granted, fat is fuel and dietary fat is important. But, if you’re not on a high fat or keto diet, you likely want to limit your intake.
Ultimately, a balance of macros is what’s important, and eating bread means eating carbohydrates. Long story short, if you’re eating a diet high in carbs, you’ve got to watch fat intake. Similarly, if you’re eating a diet high in fat, you’ve got to watch your carb intake. One isn’t better than the other (necessarily)—what’s more important is what’s right for YOU.
So, since this post is all about healthy sandwich ideas, we’re keeping the carbs, and cutting the fat. (For now…)
Meal Prep Sandwiches – Healthy Sandwich Ideas!
Sandwiches can be tough to meal prep, but some work better than others. First of all, mayonnaise isn’t a condiment that survives a long time in a sandwich or freezer. But, hummus on the other hand can totally freeze! Freezer sandwiches—why not!?
In this healthy tuna salad sandwich, the hummus provides creaminess like mayo and keeps the recipe dairy free. And, adding other ingredients like relish and onion give an extra boost of flavor! Once prepped, you can store your healthy tuna salad sandwich in a plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze.
Then, when ready to eat, I like to press mine in a Panini press, or waffle maker! It makes it taste like a freshly-cooked meal with very little extra effort! But, if you do freeze your healthy tuna salad sandwich, be sure to thaw it out in the fridge the day before you want to enjoy.
Making this Healthy Tuna Salad Sandwich Low Carb
Now, what if you want a lower carb option? The simplest route is to simply enjoy this tuna salad on its own or on a bed of greens. But, you could also serve up a healthy tuna salad sandwich in a lettuce or coconut wrap!
Really, the carbs here are all from the bread, which is totally optional. Of course, making this healthy tuna salad sandwich low carb means you won’t be roasting it. But, it will still be a totally delicious and convenient meal prep lunch idea!
Healthy Tuna Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
Dairy Free Tuna Salad:
- 12 oz canned tuna, drained
- ⅓ cup relish
- ⅓ cup hummus
- 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Sandwich Assembly:
- 8 slices thin provolone cheese, two per sandwich, one on each side
- 8 slices whole wheat bread
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add dairy free tuna salad ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Lay out your slices of bread and place a slice of provolone cheese on each. (Be sure to cover each bread slice with cheese—the cheese will prevent the bread from getting soggy!)
- Dollop tuna salad onto cheese slices and assemble sandwiches.
- Place each sandwich in a freezer bag, label, and freeze!
- When ready to eat sandwich, thaw it out overnight in the fridge.
- Warm up in the toaster oven, toast on the stove top with some butter, grill on a panini press, or enjoy cold!
- Lasts 3 months in the freezer.
4 Comments on “Healthy Tuna Salad Sandwich | Dairy Free & Low Fat”
Have you tried to eat these without grilling them? Coukd you just defrost them likethe meat and cheese sandwiches and eat them as a cold tuna sandwich without itbeing soggy from defrosting?
Hi JB, we personally prefer to defrost and then grill or toast this healthy tuna salad sandwich before eating it, but you can absolutely just defrost the sandwich and eat it cold. It may be a bit soggy after defrosting, but if you place a slice of cheese onto each slice of bread first when you’re assembling, this can help limit the sogginess of your bread. I hope this helps! 🙂
I like the sandwhich and video.
What canned tuna you use in the video?
Glad you enjoyed! The canned tuna in this video was from Trader Joe’s, I believe 🙂