A Note From our Registered Dietitian, Joni Gerken:
Yield 4 Servings:
Calories: 248
Fat: 18 g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 4g
What's the best way to store tomatoes?
Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature or ideally between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigerating tomatoes prevents further ripening as well as a mealy texture, with breakdown of cell walls caused by cold temperatures. You also don't want to keep them in the window with the warm sun light speeding up the ripening process and ultimately over ripening. Keep the tomatoes in a single layer and not too tightly packed to prevent bruising.
Tomatoes may actually help to prevent skin cancer! Tomatoes are high in the carotenoid lycopene. Lycopene helps to regenerate skin cells as well as help the skin act as a natural UV light filter. Certainly not a substitute for other sunscreen and limiting exposure, but lycopene can provide an SPF of three or four naturally form the inside out. A study published in 2010 in the British Journal of Dermatology tracked individuals regularly eating tomato paste versus a control group. After 10-weeks, the tomato paste eaters were 40 percent less likely to be sunburned. Lycopene is most bioavailable (meaning your body can use more of it) in cooked tomatoes, though other vitamin and minerals such as vitamin C are broken down by heat. This is why not only varying your diet is important, but also varying preparation techniques to get all the wonderful benefits of food.
We now offer online dietary counseling.
For more information on dietary counseling contact Joni Gerken at Jgerken@adirondackhealth.org 518-359-8854.