Tomato: in season July – October

This low-calorie food is packed with nutrition, especially when fully ripe. Eat the reddest, ripest fruit for the most benefits. The extremely high lycopene content offers protection against anti-oxidants, heart disease,  cataracts, macular degeneration and cancer. Tomatoes are also loaded with other health-promoting properties, including vitamins A, C, K, chromium, B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, foci acid, as well as dietary fiber.

Store tomatoes at room temperature and out of direct sunlight otherwise they may lose up to 30% of their vitamin and mineral content.

When cooking tomatoes, never use aluminum cookware since the high acid content of the tomatoes will interact with the metal, and results in migration of the aluminum into the tomatoes.

Cautions:

1. Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family and often associated with allergic reactions.
2. Choose organic fruit; pesticide residues are frequently found in conventionally grown fruit.
3. Avoid tomatoes if you have a history of oxalate-containing kidney stones.
4. There is some association with latex food allergies.