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When I want a lunch that is fresh, light, and full of texture, this Crunchy Tuna Salad always does the trick. I love classic tuna salad, but sometimes I am in the mood for something with a lot more crunch. This version uses finely chopped cabbage as the base, along with sweet dried cranberries and a little Dijon for brightness. It is refreshing, satisfying, and perfect for days when I do not want to cook.
I first came across the idea of adding cabbage to tuna salad from a recipe adapted from The Kitchn. After trying it once, I was hooked. It tastes crisp and clean, keeps well in the fridge, and feels a little different from the usual tuna-and-mayo mix.

Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Fresh and crunchy. Cabbage adds great volume without many calories.
Simple ingredients. Everything mixes together in minutes.
Light and WW friendly. A balanced lunch with only 2 Points per serving.
Make ahead friendly. Stays crisp and tasty for up to two days.
Easy to customize. Swap the dried fruit, greens, or dressing to match what I have on hand.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tuna – Use canned tuna packed in water, well drained. You can also use canned salmon or leftover cooked chicken or turkey.
- Cabbage – Finely chopped green or red cabbage works well. I often take a bagged coleslaw mix and chop it more finely with a knife for convenience.
- Chives or green onion – Adds mild onion flavor. Red onion, parsley, or fresh dill also work nicely.
- Reduced sugar dried cranberries – Provide color and a hint of sweetness. Use raisins, chopped apple, or diced grapes as alternatives.
- Light mayonnaise – A small amount goes a long way. You can use full-fat or avocado mayo if preferred.
- Plain nonfat Greek yogurt – Keeps the salad creamy while cutting calories. Use low-fat if you prefer a milder tang.
- Dijon mustard – Adds a touch of sharpness. A squeeze of lemon juice is another good option.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Easy Crunchy Tuna Salad?
According to my calculations, each 1-cup serving has:
- Calories: 160
- WW Points: 2
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) - Old WW Points: 4 PointsPlus
How to Make Easy Crunchy Tuna Salad Step by Step
Step 1: Gather and prep
- Gather and prep all your ingredients.
Step 2: Mix
- In a medium mixing bowl, break up the tuna with a fork and mix thoroughly with the cabbage. Stir in the chives, cranberries, mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Serve or store
- Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.
Recipe Notes
- This salad is more cabbage than tuna, which makes it perfect when I want something light but satisfying.
- A small squeeze of lemon juice brightens the flavor even more.
- Serve it on whole grain toast, tucked into a pita, rolled into a wrap, spooned over mixed greens, or paired with whole grain crackers.
- For a fun appetizer, scoop it into mini phyllo shells.
- Leftover cooked chicken or turkey works well as a substitute for tuna.

If you enjoy this skinny cabbage crunch tuna salad, be sure to check out some of my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries, Chicken Salad with Chutney and Curry, Easy Asian Chicken Salad, WW Easy Egg Salad, Healthy Broccoli Slaw with Cranberries and No-Cook Spicy Shrimp Rolls
If you’ve made this Crunchy Low Fat Tuna Salad, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Crunchy Tuna Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can (5 ounces) water packed tuna, drained
- 2 cups finely chopped green or red cabbage (I ran my knife through bagged cole slaw mix to chop it up more finely)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or green onion
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sugar dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, break up the tuna with a fork and mix thoroughly with the cabbage.
- Stir in the chives, cranberries, mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard.
- Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) Serve atop whole grain toast, stuffed into a pita, rolled into a wrap, spread on Triscuits, or spooned into little phyllo shells. I think this would work well with leftover cooked chicken or turkey too.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: The Kitchn
More WW-Friendly Easy and Healthy Tuna Recipes
If you enjoyed this easy healthy crunchy tuna salad you’re sure to love:
- Easy Greek Tuna Stuffed Pita
A bright and flavorful tuna pita made with tzatziki, olives, spinach, and tomatoes for a fresh Mediterranean-inspired lunch. - Italian Tuna Stuffed Tomato
Juicy tomatoes filled with a simple Italian-style tuna mixture for a light and refreshing meal. - Lightened Up Easy Cheesy Tuna Mac
A warm and comforting tuna macaroni dish made healthier while still delivering plenty of cheesy flavor. - One Pot Mediterranean Tuna with Tomatoes
A quick stovetop meal with tuna, tomatoes, herbs, and olives for a fast and satisfying dinner.
If You Want Even More Easy, WW Friendly Recipes
Take a look at my Ultimate eCookbook Bundle, filled with simple, comforting, practical recipes to support your slow and steady weight loss journey.






Come on let’s get to recipes!!!
I used Napa cabbage. Delicious. Definitely vaake again.
Should be *make* again.
Hi there just wanted to let you know I love this salad. One of my new favorite quick and healthy lunches. Thank you for sharing!
This was so good. I really didn’t think it would be due to the cabbage. For the second serving I added some chopped apple. Great that way too. Today I made it again and added some crushed pineapple. Yum! The original way is just perfect as is. It seems to be my new favorite.
Thanks Martha for all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Kay, love your additions of apple and pineapple. I must remember to try those myself. Thanks for sharing. Glad you liked it. ~Martha
This sounds great! Also would be very good stuffed in a half of large red/yellow or orange bell pepper! Crunch & sweet taste! Thanks for sharing w/ us!
This is my new favorite for lunch. It is delicious, easy to make and filling. Thanks for putting this on your website
I ran this thru the WW online version & mobile app and we checked at the meeting and each time ending up with 4 Smart Points (3 SP listed). I have ran other recipes thru and am finding I am getting a higher point value. I am not sure what is happening
Hi NanCee,
Not sure what is happening either. There can definitely be some variation in WW Recipe Builder depending on brands of ingredients selected. If you are concerned about the the 1 point, leave out the dried cranberries. Hope this helps.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t have plain yogurt so I used sour cream instead and it was lovely. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Barb, So glad to hear you liked it as much as I did! Thanks for letting me know.
I made this last night and wanted you to know that it was awesome! I loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Robin! Glad you liked it 🙂
What can you use instead of yogurt – I LOVE tuna fish salad but am allergic to yogurt? It is a problem I run into regularly on “skinny” recipes.
Hi Lee, I think the easiest thing to do is substitute with more light mayonnaise. Hope this helps!