Itz Holistically Wholesome

Most people I know do not care for tomatoes. It doesn’t matter whether they’re cooked or raw—they’re just “blah” to them. My older daughter, for instance, doesn’t like them but will occasionally compromise and have them in a sandwich or salad. However, tomatoes are never her desirable choice of fruit.

As for me, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, I lost my liking for tomatoes. I don’t know how or why. Maybe I ate too many as a child, and now my taste buds are saying, “Time to back off!” I remember roaming small farms, picking and devouring tomatoes straight from the plants on hot days. Sometimes, farmers would give us some to take home. I especially enjoyed sprinkling a bit of salt on them—boy, oh boy, wasn’t that delicious!

These days, living in the United States, I mostly see tomatoes in stores, except when I plant them during the warm months. Come to think of it, I wonder if my slight dislike is because they’re not straight from the plant—like the farm-to-table experience I was so used to as a youngster. 🤫

Anyway, my son—oh, he is obsessed with tomatoes, and I love that for him. You go, son! Show them how to enjoy God’s food!

The truth is, whether or not we like tomatoes, they come with some amazing benefits that can be useful to us. So, while I’m not saying you must start eating tomatoes from this day forward, I do want to encourage you: with a little sprucing up, you might just enjoy a delicious bowl of raw tomatoes if you choose to try.

Check out the video below where he’s thoroughly enjoying a large tomato gifted to him by our neighbor Clai.

Some benefits of tomatoes include:

1. May Protect the Eyes
   Tomatoes contain phytochemicals called carotenoids, including lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene. These compounds are essential for maintaining eye health and may help protect against age-related eye conditions.
2. Great for Skin Health
   The carotenoids found in tomatoes may also protect the skin from UV damage caused by the sun, helping to maintain healthy, radiant skin.
3. An Excellent Source of Vitamin K
   Tomatoes are rich in vitamin K, which is crucial for blood clotting and wound healing. Studies also suggest that vitamin K may support bone and cardiovascular health.
4. May Help with Menopausal Symptoms
   A small study on 95 women aged 40–60 found that drinking pure tomato juice for eight weeks may help alleviate menopausal symptoms such as anxiety, resting energy expenditure, and heart rate. Read the study here.

In my family, we use tomatoes in a variety of ways. We cook them in our favorite dishes, make salsa, toss them into salads, and—like the dish I’m about to share—simply prepare a bowl of fresh tomatoes, season them with our favorite herbs and spices, and enjoy their goodness!

Simple Tomato Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sea Salt
• McCormick Chipotle Roasted Garlic Seasoning
• Optional: olive oil, diced red onions, or your favorite seasonings

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro.
2. Sprinkle generously with McCormick Chipotle Roasted Garlic Seasoning and sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan).
3. drizzle with olive oil and mix in some diced red onions for extra flavor.
4. Adjust the seasoning to your taste and feel free to personalize with your favorite herbs or spices.
5. Serve fresh and enjoy!

Research also suggests that cooking tomatoes can increase their nutritional value, particularly, their antioxidant properties. I am not a fan of cooked tomatoes but every since learning this a few years ago, I have been trying to eat cooked tomatoes. I am thankful for pasta sauces because I have no problem consuming that.

Having a mix of cook or raw tomatoes can be most beneficial. Cook tomatoes with a healthy source of fat such as olive oil can help us access its lycopene compound. While raw or whole tomatoes, my preferred choice helps us to absorb carotenoids which is found in the skin of fruits.

Happy Healthy and God Bless.

Additional Information on Lycopene that I copied from WebMD:

Lycopene is a type of organic pigment called a carotenoid. It is related to beta-carotene and gives some vegetables and fruits (e.g., tomatoes) a red color.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that might help protect cells from damage. It’s found in tomato, watermelon, red orange, pink grapefruit, apricot, rose hip, and guava.

Lycopene is used for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.