The Power of the Tomato!

Special Contributor: Joy Landry

I am tomato resistant. I don’t like them. But reading “Eat to Beat Your Diet” has made me reconsider this lovely fruit (that’s right, it’s technically a fruit since it has seeds and grows from the flower of a plant). Tomatoes pack a powerful nutritional punch!

You may already know that tomatoes contain vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a cancer-fighting agent. They also have two more critical bioactives:

1. Beta-cryptoxanthin, which may improve metabolism

2. Rutin, which helps your gut microbiome’s produce anti-inflammatory fatty acids

All three of those bioactives support your health and healing. When cooking tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and onion, the bioactives are protected from heat while cooking!

Thanks to some advice from my colleague Tony, I’m learning to mix up homemade pasta sauce and ketchup with fresh tomatoes. I’m dicing up Romas to throw in with scrambled eggs. I’m putting diced tomatoes on top of grilled chicken or fish and mixing in with quinoa.

What fun cooking ideas do you have for tomatoes? Let us know in the comments!

Storage tip: When storing your tomatoes, it’s best to keep them on the counter, stem-side down. Refrigerating these vibrant fruits causing them to lose their flavor.

PS: All this information inspired me to (attempt to) grow my own tomatoes this summer. Wish me luck!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 red onion

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lime

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Dice tomato, cucumber, and red onion

2. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, juice from one lime, garlic powder, and salt. Add more herbs and spices to make this dish your own.