Tomatoes taste very different when eaten raw or cooked! 7 Tips to Eat Like This, Lycopene Does Not Lose

Which is more nutritious, eating tomatoes raw or cooked? Nutritionists point out that tomatoes are not only delicious fruits and vegetables, but also a good medicine, and are good for health whether eaten raw or cooked. In particular, the redder the tomato, the higher the lycopene content. It is recommended that large tomatoes should be cooked and small tomatoes should be eaten raw, as this will better preserve the nutrients and prevent them from being lost.

Hong Ruopu, a nutritionist at the Zhongxiao branch of Taipei Municipal United Hospital, pointed out that in addition to being rich in lycopene, tomatoes also contain a variety of high-value nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and high-quality dietary fiber. Not only are they low in calories and can stabilize blood sugar and lower blood pressure, they are also the best food for preventing cancer and aging.

As for, is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? But few people can explain it clearly. According to the "Taiwan Food Nutrition Database Classification", large tomatoes are vegetables and are suitable for cooking; while small tomatoes, which are generally not used for cooking and are rich in vitamin C, are considered fruits and are suitable for eating raw.

The nutritional value of large and small tomatoes is very different

According to the Council of Agriculture, the common large tomatoes in Taiwan include black tomato and beef tomato, which are mainly produced in Chiayi, Changhua, Yunlin, Nantou, Hualien, Hsinchu and other counties and cities; small tomatoes include maiden, saint, cherry tomatoes, etc., which are mainly produced in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and other places, and the production season is from November to May.

Although the entire tomato fruit is edible, from the skin to the flesh and seeds. However, for the same 100-gram tomato variety, small tomatoes have 35 calories, while large tomatoes only have 26 calories. However, the vitamin C content of large tomatoes is 21 mg, while that of small tomatoes is three times more, about 67 mg. The difference between the two is obvious.

Nutritionist Hong Ruopu emphasized that large and small tomatoes actually have their own unique flavors and textures. For large tomatoes, it is best to choose those that are plump and round, bright red in color and have a fruity aroma. The redder the fruit, the more lycopene it contains. Cherry tomatoes require that the fruit be oblong in shape, bright red in color, and neat and beautiful in shape; they are best when the skin is thin, the flesh is delicate, and they are sweet with a little bit of sourness.

In particular, the lycopene in tomatoes is a powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer effects. Studies have confirmed that lycopene is not afraid of heating at all. On the contrary, it is easier to release nutrients and absorb after cooking.

【Antioxidant Vitality Tomato Soup】

This "Antioxidant Vitality Tomato Soup" is very simple to make. Stir-fry olive oil, minced garlic and onions, then add tomatoes, red bell peppers and vegetable broth and heat them together. After blending in a juicer, it becomes a nutritious and delicious basic tomato soup. It is delicious both hot and cold, and you can also add different spices and seasonings according to your personal preference to make the taste more varied.

As for how to eat tomatoes best? The following 7 tips will teach you how to eat healthily without losing nutrition:

1. The redder the better: Tomatoes come in red, yellow, green and other colors. The redder the better, the more lycopene it contains.

2. It is better to eat it heated than raw: cooking can destroy the cell walls and release more lycopene. Since lycopene is a heat-stable antioxidant, there is no need to worry about it being destroyed by heating.

3. Do not peel the skin: The skin contains more lycopene than the fruit. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene the skin contains, which may be 2 to 3 times that of the fruit.

4. If you want to eat tomatoes raw, it is recommended to eat them after a meal: If you want to eat tomatoes raw, it is better to eat them after a meal than on an empty stomach, because meat or fat is usually consumed during meals. Eating tomatoes after a meal will allow the body to absorb lycopene better than on an empty stomach.

5. It is best to use oil when cooking tomatoes: This is also related to the fact that lycopene is fat-soluble, so it is best to cook them with oil, which can increase the absorption rate by 2 to 3 times.

6. Supplement with tomato products: Products such as tomato juice, tomato sauce and tomato paste also contain lycopene. If you don’t have the opportunity to eat too many fresh tomatoes, you can also use tomato products to supplement it. However, these products are high in sodium, so people with high blood pressure should not eat too much.

7. Eat as soon as possible: Lycopene has antioxidant effects, but it is easily oxidized when exposed to air. It is recommended that both cooked tomatoes and canned tomato juice should be eaten as soon as possible.