How does tomato consumption affect prostate cancer in men? The most common type of cancer among Western men is prostate cancer, but some studies suggest that men who consume more tomato products can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In a recent Adventist Health Study, researchers wanted to determine the correlation between tomato intake and prostate cancer. The participants of the study included 27,934 Adventist men who did not have prostate cancer in the beginning of the study. After a 7.9 year follow-up, there were 1,226 men who ended up having prostate cancer and 355 of these men were greatly affected, as their cancer was aggressive. The results of the study showed that those who consumed 64-71 grams of canned and cooked tomato products per day had a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Though other factors need to be taken into consideration when making this assumption, there seems to be a significant inverse relationship between lycopene consumption and prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is a serious issue among men, so it’s important to spread awareness about this topic and discover preventive measures. More than 1.3 million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and numerous studies suggest that lycopene has cancer-fighting properties. Lycopene can be found in tomato products, which contain anti-carcinogenic compounds, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. 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 healthy, well-balanced meals and staying active on a daily basis. With so many benefits surrounding canned tomatoes, go ahead and incorporate more tomato products into your daily diet to ensure maximum health!
Brrrr baby, it’s cold outside! Between the snow, ice, and wind, the winter season has got us feeling chilly (*chili?). But there’s no need to fear the cold when you have comforting recipes to warm you up! That’s why we are sharing this collection of 10 BEST Recipes to Stay Warm this Winter. From soups to casseroles to sheet pan dinners, we have something for everyone!
This collection features recipes from our own collection and several friends, including Toby Amidor (who is the Tomato Wellness Registered Dietitian of the month for February 2021). These recipes all tote health benefits thanks to canned tomatoes, vegetables, and whole grains, so you can feel good about serving these to friends and family.
So, without further adieu, here are the 10 BEST Recipes to Stay Warm this Winter!
This is an easy pasta dish that the whole family is going to devour! Thanks to your pressure cooker, you can have dinner ready in a few minutes and it couldn't be any easier to make. A one-pot meal that will be a new family favorite.
What's not to love about chili on a cold winter night? This version is filled with fiber-rich beans, canned diced tomatoes, and spicy jalapenos, plus it will be ready in under an hour!
Get dinner on the table in under an hour thanks to these delicious stuffed shells. Filled with fennel, artichoke hearts, and greek yogurt, this recipe teeming with flavor and health.
Dinner is made easy thanks to this slow cooker stuffed pepper soup! Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, set it on low, and enjoy 9 hours later.
Tomato products provide just the right amount of pizzazz to pasta recipes, such as this hearty, plant-based Lentil Walnut Bolognese with Spaghetti dish.
Based on the Italian flavors of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, olives, and herbs, this flavorful, plant-based recipe takes about 10 minutes to get into the oven.
Meet Toby Amidor, who is the Tomato Wellness Registered Dietitian of the month for February 2021! You probably already know her as she’s EVERYWHERE! With over 20 years of experience in the food and nutrition industry, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND is a Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author, spokesperson, speaker, leading dietitian, and recipe developer who believes that healthy and wholesome can also be appetizing and delicious. We have known and worked with her for many years, and she actually was on the very first RD Tomato Tour we helped to coordinate with our friends at Pacific Coast Producers. Having experienced the tomato harvest for herself, and being such a credible and widely respected expert on health, food safety and nutrition, we often turn to her to help explain the benefits of tomato products and to bust any negative myths about canned foods. Enjoy below some of her words on canned tomatoes, and a few of her delicious recipes featuring canned tomatoes!
Toby Amidor – As a registered dietitian, part of my role is to debunk nutrition myths and provide a science-based reason why they are myths. As I am a huge fan of canned tomatoes, one of my biggest pet peeves is when folks and media outlets trash canned foods without really knowing all the facts. Please stop trashing canned foods, especially canned tomatoes, and understand the agricultural facts and science. Click here for four common myths about canned foods debunked, plus a ton of ways to use canned tomatoes in your dishes.
Many believe that the foods being canned are rejected foods but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fruits and vegetables, including canned tomatoes, are specifically bred to be canned for their stronger flavor and for their firmness so they can hold up to being harvested by machines (this doesn’t mean GMOs are used). Over the last 40 to 50 years, scientists have gotten very good at breeding tomatoes to get the perfect blend of flavor and structure. The tomatoes used for canned tomato products are machine picked, not handpicked so they need to be sturdy. After the tomatoes are handpicked, they are cooked to preserve them. No additional additives or preservatives are needed. .
Of course, fresh is certainly a healthy option too. There is a time and place to use both fresh and canned in a healthy eating plan. If the fruit or vegetable is in season, enjoy it as a snack or in a sandwich. However, if you’re cooking or the fruit or vegetable isn’t in season, turn to canned (like canned tomatoes) for the best and most consistent flavor.
Health Benefits of Canned Tomatoes
Tomatoes and tomato products contain a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, and fiber. They’re also loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and lycopene. Tomatoes are actually cooked during the canning process, and lycopene has actually been found to be more absorbable by the body in its cooked form. Therefore, canned tomatoes actually have more of the cancer-fighting lycopene than the raw variety.
Canned tomatoes are a permanent staple in my pantry. You can find them in many different forms, such as whole peeled, diced, stewed, crushed in puree, tomato paste and tomato puree. Here are some of my favorite ways to use canned tomatoes:
Crushed tomatoes are a great base for a creamy tomato soup.
Diced tomatoes are a nice addition to chili and curry.
Whole crushed or stewed tomatoes can be used to make a homemade pasta sauce.
Add tomato paste and/or diced tomatoes to homemade soups.
Use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes to make a salsa for chicken and fish.
For more recipes featuring canned tomato products, check out some of Toby’s favorites:
Looking for an easy appetizer that’s bursting with flavor? Try these Baked Chicken Wings with Tomato, Ginger, and Sweet Onion Chutney for a unique take on the classic chicken wing. This recipe for baked chicken wings couldn’t be simpler and makes a perfect game day appetizer or party snack that’s sure to please everyone. Simple ingredients like garlic, sugar, vinegar, and tomatoes make it easy to prepare this Indian-inspired dish without breaking your budget or needing to buy any fancy products. Plus, this recipe makes some extra sauce that you can save for another meal. Try using it as a topping for grilled pork or baked fish for an easy protein-packed dinner.
The bright flavor of canned diced tomatoes forms the base for a tasty sweet and sour sauce, while providing plenty of nutrients. Canned tomatoes are especially high in lycopene, a compound that gives them their characteristic red color and has powerful antioxidant properties. Although further evidence-based studies need to be conducted to confirm the impact of lycopene and tomato intake, we know that tomato products can reduce the risk of certain diseases. Canned, cooked, and fresh tomatoes all contain lycopene, which has been shown to improve overall health. In addition to lycopene, tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, iron, and other antioxidants. These nutrients are critical for both short and long term health, so it’s important to incorporate tomato products into your meals.
For the full recipe, visit our friends at Pacific Coast Producers.
If you’re looking for other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:
Can pizza be a health food? You may be surprised by what Chelsey Amer, RD has to say about that! Read on to learn more about how pizza can be a nutritionally balanced meal.
When you think of American food, you may think of a burger and fries, but statistics show we’re crowding in on the Italians’ favorite: pizza!
Every second of the day, 350 slices of pizza are consumed. That means 1 in 8 Americans chow down on a slice of ‘za every day, regardless of race and gender.
As a registered dietitian nutritionist, you may be surprised to learn that I most definitely contribute to these statistics too. In fact, I recently made the mornings of many college students when I told The Daily Meal that in my professional opinion, a slice of pizza can be a better breakfast option than a bowl of sugary flakes.
Coming from a nutritionist, this may shock you, but pizza doesn’t deserve to be demonized as junk food, the way it’s often portrayed. Sure, a greasy slice with extra pepperoni or a deep-dish meat lovers pie may not be your best bets, but pizza can actually be a nutritionally-balanced meal.
Pizza, the way it was originally designed, is pretty straightforward. It should have a simple crust, plenty of tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese. As explained, pizza contains a balance of the same 3 major nutrients we need to build a well-balanced and satisfying meal: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The crust is your carbohydrate, cheese contains protein and fat.
Then, don’t forget about the tomato sauce on top! Lycopene, potent in cooked tomatoes, like pizza sauce, gives each slice a boost of antioxidants. Antioxidants are small compounds that help negate oxidative stress, a common cause of inflammation in the body. Diets rich in lycopene have been linked to reduced risk of infertility and chronic diseases, like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, plus a lower incidence of prostate cancer.
One tablespoon of pizza sauce, the approximate amount in one average slice, contains almost 2,000 mcg of lycopene. According to the USDA, that’s the equivalent of eating one-half cup cherry tomatoes!
Of course, some versions of pizza can be more nutritious than others, so here are 5 steps to build a healthier pizza pie:
Choose a Whole Wheat Thin Crust, If You Can
Whole grains contain more fiber than refined white flour, which is better for your health. Choosing a thin crust also helps manage your portion size.
Lather on Tomato Sauce
Skip the white pie, and opt for extra tomato sauce. This will help keep your overall calories in check, but as previously mentioned, this antioxidant boost will promote good health too.
Ask For “Light” Cheese
Do as the Italians do, and go light on the cheese. Cheese is a good source of protein, which promotes satiety and fullness, but does contain a decent amount of saturated fat, which is not as beneficial for your heart health.
Add Extra Veggies for Good Measure
Skip the meat toppings and load up your pie with veggies instead. Vegetables will add even more flavor, vitamins and minerals, and fiber to keep you full for a longer period of time.
Enjoy Every Bite!
Eliminate distractions while eating and savor every bite of your slice for an overall healthier dining experience.
Chelsey Amer, MS, RDN, CDNis a New York City-based registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in mindful weight management and disease prevention, helping individuals break up with dieting and find their food freedom. When Chelsey is not helping clients, she is developing deliciously nutritious, food-allergy friendly recipes, and photographing every bite for her healthy food blog, CitNutritionally.com!
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