Do you know that some tomatoes are more nutritious than other tomatoes?
By mermaid911
@mermaid911 (798)
Philippines
July 17, 2007 1:18am CST
This really isn't limited to tomatoes only but for all types of vegetables. I'm just using tomatoes because they are the most obvious ones. In choosing vegetables be sure to choose the one that has a more vibrant color rather than the dull, pale ones. The ones with a more vibrant color has more nutrients. Like in the case of a tomato, the red tomato is more nutritious than the yellow one. I used to go to the market and get so confused in choosing the right vegetables. They all looked the same to me. Until somebody gave me this valuable tip in choosing vegetables! Now I am confident when choosing the right vegetables. I'm sure there are still lots of you who also get confused in choosing the right kind of vegetable, this one's for you. Hope you find it helpful.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@ryanphil01 (4182)
• Philippines
17 Jul 07
Here is what I gathered from searching about red and yellow tomatoes.
Like all vegetables, tomatoes differ somewhat in nutritional value from variety to variety, and even from season to season.
Many food values are comparable for red and yellow tomatoes, or are a tradeoff. The precursor of vitamin A called beta carotene is found in valuable amounts in red and yellow tomatoes and in many other vegetables.
Both colors have vitamin C, though a red tomato has about three times as much. Minerals are similar, though a yellow tomato is higher in sodium. Yellow tomatoes have more niacin and folate; red tomatoes have more vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, and so on.
But there is one significant nutrient, reported in some studies to be a powerful antioxidant that may help prevent cancer, that is found in red tomatoes but not in others: lycopene. Lycopene, which is also converted in the body to vitamin A, is the very thing that makes red tomatoes red. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene, and no lycopene at all is to be found in green or yellow tomatoes.
Source: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9402E2DA1338F93AA35756C0A9669C8B63
@ryanphil01 (4182)
• Philippines
18 Jul 07
There are alwasy two sides of a coin. I have read your information and I tried researching and finding for more valuable and additonal knowledge. It's always be the right attitude to look for more answers before jumping into conclusions. Further, all issues we have are still subject for more scrutinities and deliberations, in science, that would be more studies to be conducted to find the truth.
@mermaid911 (798)
• Philippines
18 Jul 07
Wow, this is really informative! Its nice that you have all these time to research about these topics. And its nice to have people like you in mylot who are willing to share their researches. Thanks for sharing.
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
17 Jul 07
Thanks for the great advice! I will try this out now when shopping. It can be so confusing sometimes when there are so many varieties and colors of the same fruits and veggies. I do love tomatoes though, my favorite are Strawberry Tomatoes. They're shapped like strawberries and are really sweet.. mmmm... so good!
@mermaid911 (798)
• Philippines
17 Jul 07
I'm glad you learned something from me. I'll try out your strawberry tomatoes, too. I usually don't look at the variety. Thanks for sharing.
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
18 Jul 07
No problem and thanks again for the tip. I got excited and told everyone I know... they're not so excited, lol but I bet they'll all think of it the next time they go shopping! I buy the strawberry tomatoes at Super Target, I believe they're even organic. Kinda expensive, I get them for about $3.99 - $4.99 but they come right on the vine and worth every penny (and the color's vibrant too!). I've also had cherry berry tomatoes which were pretty good too. Hope you try some!
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
18 Jul 07
That's a really good tip! Thanks! I love cooking anyway. And, I've been thinking of switching back to vegetarianism, so this tip will really help me out.
I've also heard that cooked tomatoes are even more nutritious than raw ones. For one simple reason. Lycopene is released during the cooking process. This essential nutrient has been linked to lowering the incidence of prostate cancer in men. So, I've always been sure to have lots of tomato rich dishes in our house. Most times, I'll simply use canned or stewed tomatoes. They're great for homemade chili, sloppy joes, tacos and even salads.
@mermaid911 (798)
• Philippines
18 Jul 07
Your response sounds very delicious...made me hungry. Yes, tomatoes are very nutritious and delicious at the same time. I really like eating it both raw and cooked. I'm glad this was helpful to you. Thanks for replying. Enjoy eating your tomatoes!
