Tuna Melt Toast
Canned tuna gets mixed with mayo, yogurt, mustard, diced pickle, and chopped jalapeño, then spread thick over toasted whole wheat bread. Tomato slices and shredded cheddar go on top. Five minutes in the oven and the cheese is bubbling.
The whole plate comes in at 535 kcal with 50 grams of protein — almost entirely from the tuna and cheese. The jalapeño rings on top are not decorative. And the pickle cubes stirred into the tuna salad are doing something you probably never thought about.
Canned tuna gets mixed with mayo, yogurt, mustard, diced pickle, and chopped jalapeño, then spread thick over toasted whole wheat bread. Tomato slices and shredded cheddar go on top. Five minutes in the oven and the cheese is bubbling.
The whole plate comes in at 535 kcal with 50 grams of protein — almost entirely from the tuna and cheese. The jalapeño rings on top are not decorative. And the pickle cubes stirred into the tuna salad are doing something you probably never thought about.
Ingredients
- tuna, in water 5 ounces
- scallion 1
- pickle 1
- jalapeño pepper 0.5
- tomato 1
- mayonnaise 1 tablespoon
- yogurt, nonfat 1 tablespoon
- yellow mustard 1 teaspoon
- bread, whole wheat 2 slices
- cheddar cheese, shredded 1 ounce
Method
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Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
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Drain the tuna in a colander.
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Cut the scallion into rings, the pickle into small cubes, half of the jalapeño into rings and the other half finely chopped. Slice the tomato and pat it dry with a paper towel.
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In a bowl, mix the tuna with mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, salt and pepper and stir well. Add the scallion, pickle and finely chopped jalapeño and mix thoroughly.
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Lightly toast the slices of bread until golden brown in a toaster or in a pan. Spread the tuna salad on the toast, lay the tomato slices on top and finally, sprinkle the cheese over the slices of bread along with the remaining jalapeño rings.
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Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put it in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve on a plate.
Keep the pickle in the tuna salad. Researchers at Lund University tested pickled cucumber eaten alongside bread and found the acetic acid from the pickling reduced the blood sugar response by 45%. This recipe puts those two ingredients together on the same plate.
Canned tuna contains a compound called selenoneine — a form of selenium unique to tuna muscle that acts as an antioxidant against methylmercury. The selenium-to-mercury ratio in tuna consistently exceeds 10:1, meaning the protective element far outweighs the one people worry about.
Östman et al. 2001 — Lund University · DOIBehind this recipe
Is canned tuna safe to eat regularly?
Canned tuna contains selenoneine, a selenium-based antioxidant unique to tuna muscle that directly reduces methylmercury toxicity. The selenium-to-mercury molar ratio in canned tuna ranges from 10:1 to 74:1, meaning the protective compound far outstrips the one that gets the headlines. A weekly serving of canned tuna falls well within safe consumption levels according to probabilistic risk assessments.
Why does the recipe use both mayonnaise and yogurt?
Half mayo, half nonfat yogurt gives you the richness of a classic tuna salad while cutting the fat nearly in half compared to all-mayo. The yogurt adds a slight tang that works with the mustard and pickle. The result is 22 grams of fat total for the entire plate — not just the dressing.
Can I skip the jalapeño?
You can, but it does more than add heat. Capsaicin — the compound that makes jalapeño spicy — has been shown to increase protein-induced thermogenesis when paired with a high-protein meal. With 50 grams of protein on this plate, the half jalapeño is pulling its weight beyond flavor.
