Healthy fast meals: The 90-Second Tuna-Cranberry Sandwich

Who knew that a sandwich could offer the following benefits? Aging, dental cavities, heart and ulcer concerns can be addressed with North America’s own native little red fruit, the cranberry.** But since Thanksgiving relish and (one hopes) sugar-packed muffins aren’t regular sources, you’d be wise to think creatively about other ways to eat cranberries.

During fresh cranberry season (September-December*) it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to find these great little astringent bombs of nutrients. Packed with fiber, Vitamin C, among many other micronutrients, they can add a unique tartness in the most unexpected places.

For example, try a tuna sandwich combined with the exotic taste of cranberries. Toss in some avocado – with calorie-dense fat, sure, but those are the good fats-without-feet you need to function physically and mentally – and it’s a tasty surprise you can whip up in less than two minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce can solid white albacore
• 1 handful (1/2 cup) or more of fresh cranberries (microwave to softness)
• 3 heaping Tablespoons of avocado/guacamole
• 1/2 cup chopped red onions
• Toasted whole grain pita bread (any whole grain bread can be substituted)
• Salt to taste
• Option: add prepared mustard to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl and serve stuffed into pita pockets.

Yield: 2 sandwiches

*Buy them in-season, wash and freeze them. It’s an easy way to extend the crunchy version of cranberries (juices and jellies contain some of the nutrient benefits, but neither go so well in a sandwich).

**The health profile for these sandwiches cannot be overstated: it contains high-quality, low-fat tuna protein, valuable antioxidants in the cranberries, onions and avocado, and whole-grain vitamins and fiber from the pita. It’s enough to constitute a meal, and because it’s so quick and easy to make it can divert you from less-nutritious convenience (most often, junk) foods.

According to the industry trade group, the Cranberry Institute, cranberries offer very interesting promise in combating several human ills. The following nutritional properties and benefits of cranberries are posted on their website (http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/emerging.htm).

Anti-cancer – In 1996 laboratory studies conducted by University of Illinois scientists and published in Planta Medica demonstrated the potential anticarcinogenic properties of cranberries. More recently researchers at the University of Western Ontario demonstrated, using an animal model, that human breast cancer cells showed significantly lower incidence of tumor development when the experimental group's diet was supplemented with cranberries. Although these results are very preliminary, compounds in cranberries may prove to be a potent cancer fighter.

Anti-aging – Using an animal model James Joseph, Ph.D. and Barbara Shukitt-Hale Ph.D. have been experimenting with cranberries and their ability to protect brain cells from free radical damage and subsequent motor and cognitive function losses. Rats feed diets supplemented with cranberries are put through a series of tests to evaluate their neural function compared to a control group. Preliminary results indicate that there will be compelling evidence that cranberry can help protect the brain from neurological damage (unpublished results).

Dental

benefits – Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2002) reported on a preliminary clinical trial using a mouthwash containing cranberry NDM. Saliva samples of the experimental group showed a two order of magnitude reduction in Streptococcus mutans colony forming units compared with the placebo group (unpublished data). A large percentage of dental caries (cavities) can be attributed to S. mutans.

Heart

health – Flavonoids have been shown to function as potent antioxidants both in vitro and in vivo and may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Cranberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds that have been demonstrated to inhibit low density lipoprotein oxidation. Ongoing research continues to suggest that cranberries may offer a natural defense against atherosclerosis.

Ulcer abatement - Peptic ulcers are increasingly being attributed to infection by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, as opposed to stress and/or stomach acidity. A high-molecular-weight nondialysable constituent of cranberry juice has been shown to inhibit the adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric mucus in vitro. These preliminary results suggest that cranberry may be beneficial in the prevention of peptic ulcers through the inhibition of H. pylori adhesion to gastric mucus and stomach epithelium.

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Russ Klettke and Deanna Conte, M.S., R.D., L.D., are authors of “A Guy’s Gotta Eat, the regular guy’s guide to eating smart” (Marlowe & Co., 2004). The book strives to restore sanity to nutritious living, reconciling the practical realities of modern life with the basic needs of human physiology. It is available where books are sold, and in more than 70 public library systems in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Klettke is also a certified personal trainer (ACE), speaker and business writer.