Tomatoes-Reasons and Recipes

Healthy Recipes for Tomatoes—a True Antioxidant Food Star

Eight reasons to eat tomatoes for anyone concerned about prostate health, cancer prevention, fighting heart disease, and weight loss
By Megan O. Steintrager

O ne of the greatest things about summer is that it's fresh tomato season. In addition to being delicious and incredibly versatile players in all sorts of dishes and cuisines, tomatoes are nutritional powerhouses that give trendy imported and obscure super-foods like açaí and goji berries a run for their money—without costing you a ton of cash.
Check out the nutritional profile for cherry tomatoes from our sister site Nutrition Data, and you'll learn that one cup of the candy-sweet vegetable (which is, yes, botanically a fruit) supplies 32 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and 25 percent for vitamin A. "Tomatoes are high in several antioxidants, including vitamin C and several important nutrients from the vitamin A family, known as carotenoids," explains Nutrition Data's Monica Reinagel, chief nutritionist for Nutrition Data and the author of The Inflammation Free Diet Plan. (As we explained in our beauty food story, antioxidants help protect the body from free-radical damage: cell damage that is linked to cancer, heart disease, and a host of other illnesses.) "The nutritional superstar is, of course, lycopene, a carotenoid that supports heart health by reducing the tendency of blood to form clots and also helps promote healthy cholesterol levels. It's also been found to be a potent hedge against many kinds of cancer, in particular, prostate."
Nutrition Data also lists tomatoes as a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin K, and manganese, and a good source of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. To get the most from tomatoes both nutritionally and gastronomically, read on for our recipes and tips.

Tomatoes Fight Prostate Cancer

As noted above, the lycopene in tomatoes is a potent cancer-fighter and seems to be particularly helpful in the prevention of prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that eating actual tomatoes seems to be more protective than taking a lycopene supplement (see its article Tomatoes Beat Lycopene Alone for Prostate Cancer Protection for details). "Organic tomato products have been found to have more lycopene than nonorganic," adds Reinagel, "and the lycopene is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes, such as tomato sauce and paste." Lycopene is fat-soluble, so cooking the tomatoes with a bit of oil, as in the recipes below, further increases the body's absorption of the nutrient.
recipes to try:
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Ratatouille
Charred Heirloom Tomatoes with Fresh Herbs

Tomatoes Aid Heart Health

"In addition to lycopene, tomatoes provide numerous other heart-healthy nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, dietary fiber, and vitamin B6," writes George Mateljan in The World's Healthiest Food. You can boost the health benefit by combining tomatoes with other heart-protecting foods, such as fish, nuts, olive oil, and avocados.
recipes to try:
Linguine with Puttanesca Sauce
Roasted Black Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Salad
Tomato and Mint Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Tomatoes Help You Absorb More Nutrients From Your Whole Meal

The vitamin C in tomatoes helps the body absorb other important nutrients, including iron and calcium. So pair tomatoes with calcium-rich foods like cheese and ingredients such as meat and spinach that are good sources of iron to get more from the whole meal.
recipes to try:
Mozzarella Arrabiata Salsa
Pepper Grilled Steak with Chopped Summer Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Feta

Tomatoes Are Low in Calories, So They're Good Diet Food

A whole medium tomato has only 22 calories, according to Nutrition Data, so tomatoes make great "filler," adding volume, moisture, and, of course, flavor to salads, sandwiches, stews, and other meals. Start your meal with a filling but low-cal tomato soup such as gazpacho or a tomato-based salad, and you're less likely to eat too much of the main course.
recipes to try:
Grilled Halibut with Lima Bean and Roasted Tomato Sauce
Garden Greens with Yellow Tomatoes and Peaches
Shrimp Gazpacho

Tomatoes Are an Excellent Source of Fiber

Just a few of the health benefits of fiber, according to the Mayo Clinic: It prevents constipation; lowers the risk of digestive problems; lowers blood cholesterol; controls blood sugar levels; and aids in weight loss. One cup of chopped or sliced tomatoes has nine percent of the daily value for fiber, according to Nutrition Data. So add tomatoes to otherwise fiber-poor meals, or combine them with other vegetables, whole grains, and legumes for extra fiber.
recipes to try:
Summer Tomato and Bell Pepper Soup
Heirloom Tomatoes with Shell Beans Vinaigrette
Artichoke, Cherry Tomato, and Feta Salad with Artichoke-Pesto Crostini

Tomatoes Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties

As we explained in The Anti-Inflammatory Diet, chronic low-grade inflammation in the body has been linked to increased risk of disease (including heart disease and stroke), as well as difficulty losing weight. Some researchers believe that eating "anti-inflammatory" foods—and avoiding "inflammatory" ones—can make weight loss easier, slow down the aging process, and prevent disease. Tomatoes are considered anti-inflammatory and combine well with other anti-inflammatory foods, including olive oil, fish, spinach, carrots, garlic, and chili peppers.
recipes to try:
Tomato, Onion, and Serrano Chile Salsa
Spicy Sautéed Fish with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato Relish

Tomatoes Make Great Low-Cal and Wheat-Free Edible Serving Dishes

Want a healthy way to serve hors d'oeuvres without using bread or crackers? Hollow out a tomato and fill it with tuna, soft cheese, bean dip, or guacamole.
recipes to try:
Tomatoes Stuffed with Guacamole
Tomatoes Stuffed with Marinated Feta
Tomatoes Stuffed with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

Tomatoes Match Wonderfully with Other Seasonal Produce

There's some evidence that fresh-picked local seasonal produce packs a greater nutritional punch than stuff that was shipped around the world and has been sitting in storage. There's even more evidence that it tastes better—tomatoes, in particular, are difficult to ship ripe and therefore are normally shipped green and treated with ethylene gas so they turn red (but not really ripe like the ones picked when they're already red). Check out our Seasonal Ingredient Map to find out what's ripe in your area, and then try it with tomatoes. Good bets include corn, chiles, green and red peppers, shell beans, summer squash and zucchini, eggplant, and fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and mint.
recipes to try:
Herbed Lamb, Tomato, and Zucchini Kebabs
Smokey Corn and Tomato Bruschetta
Eggplant Caprese with Grilled Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette