Tomatoes to the Rescue
People sometimes wonder, are tomatoes fruits or are they vegetables? Tomatoes are in fact fruits but who really cares? It doesn't make it healthier one way or the other. The question we should be asking is how tomatoes compare to other fruits and vegetables in terms of nutritional value.
There are a countless number of tomato products and an infinite number of ways they can be used. People use tomato products without even thinking about it. Tomato products include: pasta sauce, tomato soup, crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, and salsa to name a few. Even when canned, tomatoes maintain their high nutritional value.
Over the years consumption of fruits and vegetables has dropped. People aren't meeting the number of recommended servings. Tomatoes can change this. Due to tomatoes being available in so many different forms more people are able to incorporate them into their diets. Not to mention, they are
fairly affordable.
The ultimate goal is to develop good eating habits that foster healthy living. Tomatoes have numerous health benefits. In addition, tomato products often contain other vegetables in them. It has been said that eating tomato products actually encourages people to try other fruits and vegetables.
Tomatoes are renowned for being an excellent source of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is not made naturally in the body. One has to eat certain foods to acquire it. Lycopene prevents and helps fight cancer and other health conditions. Research determines that there is an evident relationship between the consumption of tomatoes and the risk of certain types of diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
Aside from tomatoes, potatoes are also quite abundantly available. In fact they are the most commonly eaten vegetables in the world. Although, potatoes have various benefits of their own, a tomato is the only of the fruits and vegetables group that is not starchy and consumed at such a large scale. Keep eating your tomatoes but also try other fruits and vegetables. You'll thank yourself one day!
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