When I was a kid, I hated tomatoes. My parents genuinely thought there was something wrong with me. Something about their flavor, not so much texture, put me off. Although I did like ketchup, of course. Man, if I didn't like ketchup as a kid then I would agree something would have been genuinely awry. For this is the condiment of choice for all cheeseburger and hot dog needs. Such is the life, and occasional diet, of an American youngster.
All of a sudden when I grew up, my taste buds did become more sophisticated. Things that I previously could not stomach came to me. For the most part anyway. Tomatoes made this transition, and I am not sure why. If I was to guess, it must have been around the time I really started to get into health and fitness, or wellness, for myself, by myself.
Recognizing that I really needed to be Johnny on the Spot with my fruit and veg intake, I must have given tomatoes a go and a subsequent thumbs up.
They must have come to mind because of the little to zero preparation required for consumption. As in, you can eat them raw. They are a base for many a recipe that exists. But the beauty is in their simplicity. And this made perfect sense to me since I am lazy, yet otherwise a bang for the buck sorta person.
My preference, the plum tomato. Why…? Because of their smaller size, which is essentially due to containing less water than the regular sized variety. To me, this makes the texture less fleshy with a little more intense flavor profile. How about that, I actually prefer more of their flavor now.
So yes, plum tomato all the way. I like to prepare them with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dried herb like oregano or basil. Easy. If I am feeling wild and crazy, some cheese is added. Oh, and I eat one at a time as part of a meal. For instance with some chicken and rice, adding a single cut up plum tomato prepared as mentioned will round out the savory portion of my lunch or dinner.
Eating a vegetable with each and every meal, less a snack, is most recommended. When I started to map out how I was going to eat as an adult in my early twenties, I recognized that I needed to get in many servings of vegetables per day. And for my sciencey, sometime logical, yet ever so abstract brain, including veg with each and every meal made sense. So as to spread out my veg intake over time, throughout the day. And this has been in practice ever since.
Vegetables possess a whole host of micronutrients and antioxidants that do a body good. They also help hydrate your body since they are mostly made up of water, which is definitely the case with tomatoes.
Give this vegetable staple a try on a semiregular basis and tell me how it goes. They contain lots of Potassium, Vitamins C, K, and B9 (or Folate). Read my last food post to learn more about how Potassium works in your body.
Long live the tomato.
Viva el tomate.
Es lebe die Tomate.
Vive la tomate.
Lenge leve tomaten.
Ζήτω η ντομάτα.
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