Tomatoes

A cup of fresh tomato provides you with more than half the vitamin C needed daily. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, and vitamin K. A medium tomato has as much dietary fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread but only 35 calories. Tomatoes are also a very good source of molybdenum, potassium, manganese, chromium, and vitamin B1.

Adding more tomatoes to your diet may reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and degenerative eye disease. It can improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, prevent premature aging and help older people stay active longer, as well as improve skin texture and color and may build up a protective effect against sun exposure.

Tomatoes contain Lycopene, an antioxidant thought to be 10 times more efficient at eradicating free radicals than Vitamin E. Cooking tomatoes increases the availability of lycopene to your body and adding a healthy fat, such as olive oil, allows your body to absorb it better.

Choose the most brilliantly colored tomatoes which have the highest amounts of betacarotene and lycopene. Pass up ones with bruises, blemished, and shriveled skin. Store tomatoes with the stem side down in a cool dark place but not in the refrigerator as it decreases flavor and changes the texture of the tomato.
Rinse, dry, and then freeze tomatoes in zip top bags with as little air as possible. Once defrosted, they’ll be great for cooked dishes and the skin will easily peel off making preparation easier.

Because cooking improves the nutrition of tomatoes feel free to use low sodium canned tomatoes especially if all you have available are pale grocery store tomatoes.

When cooking with tomatoes, be aware that they have a high acid content and may slow the cooking process for some foods such as beans or grains so you may need to cook longer or add the tomatoes a little later in the process.