Though technically a fruit but thought of as a vegetable, tomatoes are chock full of vitamins and minerals. Included in every tomato are vitamins A, C and B-complex, lycopene, potassium and magnesium. The A and C vitamins are antioxidants, which can help to protect the body from cell damage and lycopene assists in promoting heart health and to regulate cholesterol levels. Numerous foods are made out of or that contain tomatoes, which makes it easy to incorporate them into your eating plan.
Tomato Juice
Drinking a glass of tomato juice with breakfast in place of orange or grapefruit is a beneficial way to get vitamins and minerals first thing in the morning. Tomato juice also makes a filling snack in the afternoon and will likely help to boost your energy for the remainder of the workday. Commercially made tomato juices often contain an abundance of sodium, but you can easily make your own at home. Simply wash and slice about eight to 10 medium tomatoes and put them through your juicer. Leaving the peel on will give you additional nutrients. Add a few shakes of table salt or hot sauce to season.
Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce is a classic way to include tomatoes in a dish. Don’t limit it to just pasta; top your steamed vegetables, grilled chicken or sauteed scallops with piping hot tomato sauce as a low-calorie and nutritious way to season. Though some homemade tomato sauces are labor-intensive to prepare, you can whip up a batch of sauce using just a few simple ingredients. Combine one or two cans of crushed tomatoes with olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaves in a pot. Bring the sauce to a boil and then cover and simmer for one hour.
Salsa
Usually thought of as a condiment, salsa can provide you with several servings of vegetables, depending on how much you eat. Making it yourself at home is the best way to be assured that you are eating nutritious ingredients that do not contain any preservatives. Finely chop tomatoes, green onions, garlic, parsley or cilantro and add salt and lemon or lime juice. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and chill for an hour.
Tomato Soup
Tomato soup will warm you up on a cold winter day. Adding water, onion, garlic, celery, salt, pepper and bay leaves to canned tomato juice and sauce can make tomato soup. Simmer the ingredients together on the stove for five to six hours. Or, peel and seed fresh tomatoes rather than using canned juice and sauce.
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