Benefits of Canned Tomato Products

Benefits of Canned Tomato Products

Do you prefer fresh, cooked, or canned tomatoes? While both are nutritious, cooked and canned tomatoes may actually contribute more to long-term health benefits in comparison to fresh tomatoes! Read on to learn more about the benefits of canned tomato products and how YOU can easily incorporate them into your daily recipes.

Thanks to busy schedules that leave little time for cooking nutritious meals at home, how are we expected to get all our nutrients in every single meal? This is a concern for many, so you are not alone. One easy, affordable way to secretly pack in those nutrients is by purchasing canned products, specifically canned tomatoes. These products range from tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salsa, and tomato sauce. They are easy to find at your local grocery store and contain incredible ingredients that will enable you to lessen your worries about obtaining proper nutrient intake.

In general, all tomato products help to improve the health of the general population, but an increasing amount of research studies have shown that there is more lycopene availability found in heated, cooked, or canned tomatoes when compared to fresh tomatoes—making them more effective in the long run. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, cooked tomatoes play more of an effective role in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Unfortunate as it is, prostate cancer is one of the top 2 most common cancers in the world and has resulted in numerous deaths. However, recent science-based evidence has shown that the increase in lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, can help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The research study focused on the comparison between men who failed to consume any tomato products throughout the week with men who consumed canned and cooked tomatoes about five to six times a week. The results showed that those who consumed tomato products were able to reduce their risk of prostate cancer by 28%, which goes to show just how powerful food can play a role in our overall health.

Although the impacts of cooked and canned tomato products may outweigh the benefits of fresh tomatoes, it’s still useful to incorporate tomatoes into your weekly recipes so that you can achieve optimal health and reduce your risk of preventable cancers. Whether it’s pasta, pizza, or a taco dish, tomato products are super easy to use and will save you time and money while boosting your nutrient intake. So, what are you planning to whip up in the kitchen for your family this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Pizza Rolls with Homemade Marinara

Pizza Rolls with Homemade Marinara

Who doesn’t love pizza? Get your craving satisfied with these delightful Pizza Rolls with Homemade Marinara, perfect for a fun party appetizer or extra special side dish. This super simple recipe uses convenient and affordable ingredients like premade crescent rolls and canned diced tomatoes yet tastes just like a fresh homemade pizza.

You can feel good about serving these tasty bites with a savory sauce, as canned tomatoes are chock-full of nutrition. Did you know that canned tomatoes actually contain more of some nutrients than fresh? Lycopene, the plant compound that is responsible for giving tomatoes their signature red color, becomes more bioavailable when cooked, translating to more health benefits for you and your family. In order to achieve maximum health benefits associated with lycopene, it is recommended to consume tomato products with a heart healthy fat, such as olive oil or avocado. That’s why we recommend enjoying lycopene and its health benefits through delicious foods such as lasagnacurries, and bolognese

Get the full recipe for Pizza Rolls with Homemade Marinara by visiting our friends at Pacific Coast Producers.

For other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Compote
Easy Chicken Curry
Pizza Stuffed Chicken

Health-Promoting Effects of Tomatoes

Health-Promoting Effects of Tomatoes

Want to boost your nutrient intake while enjoying a delicious bowl of pasta? Well, you’re in luck! An increasing amount of research has shown that the consumption of canned tomatoes is the perfect opportunity to eat a scrumptious meal while incorporating the daily recommended vitamins and minerals to fuel your body. Read on to find out more about the health-promoting effects of tomatoes, a vibrant red fruit that is loved by many.

Eating well-balanced, plant-powered meals everyday can be challenging, especially if you are constantly on the go. If you are looking for ways to cook easy, nutrient-packed meals for you and your family to enjoy, yet might be lacking the time and energy to do so, we have the inside scoop for you—invest in canned tomato products! By doing so, you will be able to whip up home-made, tomato-based recipes in under 30 minutes, and who doesn’t want that?

The increase in tomato products around the world isn’t just a coincidence. In fact, the incorporation of canned tomato products in various recipes is an affordable, accessible, and sustainable option, which is why everyone is raving about canned tomatoes. Not only is there a massive amount of tomato production each year, but canned tomatoes also offer a great source of nutrients for the human body. This research study focuses on the bioactive compounds and health-promoting effects of tomatoes that make them incredibly effective and enhance quality of life. One of the many important components found in tomatoes includes lycopene, which has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Research studies provide sufficient evidence to suggest that tomatoes are powerful fruits, offering a ton of vitamins and minerals for our body’s to function properly. In fact, these nutrient-packed fruits have the power to prevent chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

When comprehending all this information about the benefits of canned tomatoes, it’s safe to say that canned tomatoes should be a staple in your pantry. Not only do they have the power to improve your long-term health, but they are incredibly versatile and easy to incorporate into numerous dishes!

Shepherd’s Pie Hot Dish

Shepherd’s Pie Hot Dish

One-skillet meals are the ultimate solution for getting delicious food on the table in no time, plus they make for easy clean up. This Shepherd’s Pie Hot Dish is a spin on the classic dish, made easier with pantry staples like canned tomatoes, and frozen tater tots. In less than an hour, you can prepare a hearty and nutritious meal your whole family will love.

With lean protein from ground beef, nourishing carbohydrates from potatoes, and colorful veggies like tomatoes and green beans, this one dish makes for a perfectly balanced meal. Canned diced tomatoes provide important nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, improving your immune health, blood pressure, and protecting you against certain cancers, such as prostate cancer. Some studies suggest that men who consume more tomato products can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and since lycopene can be found in tomato products, there are anti-carcinogenic compounds. With early detection and higher intake of fruits and vegetables, prostate cancer can be reduced. Thus, it’s important to ensure that you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, so enjoy this delicious meal and feel good about what you are putting into your body!

Get the full recipe for Shepherd’s Pie Hot Dish by visiting our friends at Del Monte.

For other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Compote
Easy Chicken Curry
Pizza Stuffed Chicken

6 Tips on How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Kitchen

6 Tips on How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Kitchen

April is not only a beautiful month dedicated to spring, but it’s also a great time to center your efforts around planetary health. Since it’s Earth month, you can double down on your efforts to improve the health of our planet by making small adjustments in your life. Whether it’s composting, eating leftovers, or freezing foods, you can make changes by what you put on your fork. Learn how you can help the world around you with these tips on how to reduce food waste in the kitchen!

The Earth has granted us with so many beautiful sights to see and air to breathe! However, it’s easy to take it all for granted. Since it’s Earth month, this is the perfect time to reflect on ways that you can give back to the world that has provided everything you need to survive. This time of reflection may lead to thoughts of how to focus on reducing your carbon footprint, eating less animal-based products, recycling canned items, or engaging in sustainable practices. There are countless ways that you can contribute to creating a healthy, sustainable planet. Although the world is a HUGE place, the small changes that you can make in your daily life to improve our planet’s health can truly go a long way, especially if we all work together to achieve the same goal—protect our Earth. You might be thinking “How can I (one person) make a difference in something so surmountable?” Well, it’s a lot simpler than you think, and you can start with what you put on your fork.

Whether you’re interested in meal prepping or reducing kitchen time, there are numerous recipes that are both nutritious and environmentally friendly. Canned tomatoes are one of the most versatile canned products that should be a staple in your pantry. The long-shelf life of canned tomatoes helps to reduce food waste and improve the health of our earth. The accessibility and affordability of canned tomatoes make them a hot commodity, especially if you’re looking for ways to improve the quality of your meals. Canned tomatoes can be used in recipes that require little to no prep and cook time, which makes it quick and easy to whip up a delicious, nutrient-rich meal that everyone will enjoy. Check out these tomato-based recipes for some inspiration on how to start incorporating canned tomatoes into your dishes.

In addition to choosing sustainable foods (such as canned tomatoes), you can also do your part by reducing food waste. Wondering how you can achieve this? Check out these 6 tips on how to reduce food waste in your kitchen:

  1. Make a Grocery List. Keep a sticky note or white board in your kitchen so you can easily jot down foods you need for your next grocery run. This allows you to avoid buying unnecessary items that are already in your kitchen and purchase items that you need for the week.
  2. Freeze Foods. You should freeze your groceries 2-3 days before you know they will go bad to ensure maximum freshness. For instance, if you have kale in your refrigerator and know that you might not eat it over the next week, don’t be afraid to freeze it! Frozen kale can be used in a ton of recipes, such as smoothies, soups, and pastas, and it tastes delicious.
  3. Save Leftovers. If you cook at-home meals that you don’t finish, you can always save it for leftovers the next day! This will save you time and money since you will already have food readily available for your upcoming meal. If you’re going out to a restaurant with friends or family and don’t eat all the food on your plate, you can ask for a to-go box and take it home with you.
  4. Prepare Your Meals. When you have meals already prepared, you tend to limit grocery shopping, eating fast food, and wasting food. Preparing meals ahead of time allows you to choose exactly what you want to eat for the week, which also means you can eat more plant-based foods (which is great for the environment). Plus, you save time AND money!
  5. Purchase Canned Products. Purchasing canned, nonperishable items (like beans, fruits, vegetables, and tomato products) is one of the best ways to engage in practices of sustainable eating. Using canned foods reduces greenhouse gas emissions, requires less resources to produce, decreases food waste, and is 100% recyclable.
  6. Create Compost. When preparing meals, you probably throw away strawberry leaves or broccoli stems in the trash. But did you know that scraps of fresh produce (that are generally thrown in the trash) can be used for composting instead? This compost is a natural, authentic way to fertilize plants and is packed with more nutrients than synthetic fertilizers. The organic elements in compost are providing the soil with the most nutrient-rich foods, all while utilizing the scraps of other foods.

To discover additional recipes and articles discussing the benefits of canned tomatoes, be sure to check out some of our favorite Registered Dietitians Sharon Palmer, Liz Weiss, and Toby Amidor. Not only do they all discuss how canned tomatoes can reduce food waste and improve the health of our environment, but they also share their favorite tomato-based recipes. In addition to these amazing resources, you can also get more information from Today’s Dietitian, RD Lounge, and the Vegetarian Resource Group regarding health benefits of canned tomatoes.

By practicing sustainable methods in your home this month (and throughout the year), you have the power to impact your community and help restore our planet’s health. So, what are you waiting for? Encourage your friends and family to take part of Earth Day with some actionable methods! Learn more about how you can help here.