Pass a Big Red Tomato, please!
Pass a Big Red Tomato, please!
Strategize a win for your health at the next Husker game with red tomatoes!Whether you gather with a crowd or enjoy the Huskers from the comfort of your home, include these phytonutrient-laden gems on your menu.
Yes, you heard me right. Don’t pass the opportunity to add a few more power-packed veggies to your game day! But I don’t mean a normal fare of canned green bean casserole or even a relish plate.
Put that “end-of-the-summer” garden to use, and whip up an easy batch of fresh garden salsa. Served alongside corn tortilla chips, or on top of any Nebraska-grown burger, this menu item will put you in the red zone with the crowd.
Here’s a conversation starter for game day….
Q: “Did you know that salsa is not actually a vegetable dish?”
A: It’s a fruit and vegetable dish. Onions, garlic, cilantro are vegetables, but tomatoes and peppers can genuinely be classified as a fruit, coming from the ovary of the plant flower and containing the seeds of the plant!
But to be honest, this is splitting hairs, because we are not interested in classification, but in winning foods that add a power-punch of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber to our health.
Peppers (link to last post) are definitely summer fruits that add a power-punch, but tomatoes have their own bragging rights. Vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin K and fiber reside in these crimson, yellow, purple and green spheres.
Considered a low carb food (4 gm of carb/.5 cup) with a zest of flavor, they also contribute to your nutrition bottom line with antioxidants (lycopene, beta-carotene and chlorogenic acid), flavonoids (aringenin) and more. Lycopene seems to be a risk reducer for prostate cancer and possess cholesterol lowering qualities. Carotenoids, may protect against breast cancer and aringenin shows blood pressure lowering effects. In addition, other compounds in tomatoes show an ability to decrease the risk of blood clotting.
In general, these phytonutrients work to fight inflammation. And since body-wide inflammation is an underlying cause of chronic disease, foods that fight inflammation put you on top of the game, by protecting you from these diseases.
Go Away,….Big Red?
As much as you love tomatoes, there may come a time you need to say, “Go away big red!” What I mean is that though you love them, they may not love you. So they might need to go, at least in large amounts or temporarily.
Tomatoes are members of the nightshade family and contain alkaloids (compounds that act as insect repellents…good for the plant, but maybe not good so for you!). Alkaloids may cause difficulty for those struggling with gastrointestinal issues or food sensitivities. Symptoms mimic gluten sensitivity (reflux, gastrointestinal issues, IBS, joint pain, nerve sensitization).
The long and the short of it? If you suspicion that nightshades aggravate any chronic condition you have, consider eliminating them for a period of time (21-30 days), then re-introduce them in limited amounts to determine your tolerance. If you want more information about this, come see me.
Score Big!
Garden Salsa
by Mary Lou Block RDN LMNT
2 c. Chopped tomatoes
2 c. Chopped peppers (mix of red, yellow, green sweet and chili peppers)
1 c. Chopped onion (mix of red and white)
1 c. Chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper (or to your taste)
3-5 cloves of fresh garlic (crushed)
1 tsp salt (Redman’s Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Sea salt, Celtic Sea Salt).
1 tsp lemon juice (fresh is best or try 3-4 drops of lemon essential oil).
Grab a chip and let the game begin! Hurry, this won’t last long!Recipe Hacks:
- Try layering the ingredients in a glass container. It looks great when you take it to a party and it helps keep it from becoming watery if you make it ahead of time.
- Balance strong flavors throughout the salsa by utilizing a garlic press for the garlic and the jalapeño peppers.
- Try a salsa jar for lunch: layer salsa ingredients in a small jar, adding avocados and hemp hearts at the last minute before eating.
- Use the end of the summer cherry tomatoes for a non-juicy salsa twist.
Mary Lou Block is a Registered Dietician at Gothenburg Health. To learn more please reach out to Mary Lou: mblock@gothenburghealth.org or (308)-537-3661.
