by Tomato Wellness | Apr 1, 2021 | Food and Nutrition
Earth Month is a great time to reflect on your choices and better your habits to improve the environment. Learn how you can help the planet with your fork!
Happy Earth Month! If you weren’t aware, April is the month where we raise awareness for sustainability, food waste, and taking care of our planet. While this should be something we do year-round, this month is a great time to reflect on your choices and better your habits to improve the planet’s health. Whether you have been focused on your carbon footprint for awhile now, or if you’re looking to begin your sustainability journey, this is the perfect time for everyone to put some extra love towards our planet. You can do this by learning how to lessen food waste, and while this may seem like an overwhelming task at first, it’s actually quite simple. You can start by eating with your fork! When you choose foods that are sustainable and eco-friendly, you better the environment with each bite you take. It doesn’t get much better than that!
When looking for sustainable foods, turn to canned, nonperishable items (such as canned beans, fruits, and vegetables) for an affordable, earth-friendly option. That’s why we love canned tomatoes! Not only are they versatile and delicious, but they are also an incredible sustainable food, as they don’t need as much energy as fresh tomatoes to refrigerate and transport. Since fresh tomatoes are generally grown in Mexico (which requires longer transportation distances) or in heated, energy-intensive greenhouses, they are not as sustainable-friendly as their canned counterparts. On the other hand, canned tomatoes are generally stored in steel cans when they reach their seasonal peak, which means that these cans are 100% recyclable, and the tomatoes stay nutritious! That’s a win all around! In addition to their sustainability factor, canned tomatoes also have a long shelf life, which makes them the perfect pantry item to have on hand. Whether you’re looking for a sweet or savory dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, canned tomatoes are a staple to have in the kitchen. This allows you to save time and money on those busy weeknights when you need to prepare a meal for the whole family, and there are countless flavorful and nutrient-rich recipes to choose from!
Considering food waste is also vital when it comes to improving environmental health. According to Feeding America, approximately $218 billion worth of food in the USA is thrown away each year! So, what can you do to offset this number? When it comes to purchasing foods, you should think a bit more about how you can utilize what you buy (i.e. create leftovers or meal prep) and what types of food are going to provide better use in the kitchen. Feeding America states that canned foods are much less likely to be wasted, as the canning process requires less resources, time, and money, which means less energy and water is used to make the product ready for purchase. What you choose to eat each day plays a part in food waste, and by making small changes in your daily life (like using canned foods instead of fresh foods), you can make a difference.
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.
by Tomato Wellness | Mar 19, 2021 | Media Recipe, Recipes
For a delicious and nutritious experience, try out this simple recipe for Pan Seared Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Compote. We love that this recipe features sweet peaches, tangy tomatoes, and savory pork chops, because they all come together perfectly to create a delectable main dish. Whether you’re looking for a meal to impress a first date or a tasty dinner for your family, this recipe is sure to impress everyone around the table.
When it comes to nutrition, this recipe is teeming with health benefits! Pork is the main protein source here, and this lean meat is a good source of thiamin, selenium, niacin, vitamin B-6, zinc, riboflavin and potassium. Canned Tri-Color Tomatoes take on a starring role in this dish, providing both nutrition and flavor. When it comes to canned tomatoes, lycopene is certainly the star of the show, as it has been shown to help lower the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and macular degeneration. So, what are you waiting for? Head into the kitchen and try this recipe out for yourself!
Get the full recipe for Pan Seared Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Compote by visiting our friends at Pacific Coast Producers.
For other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:
Chipotle Tomato Rice POWER Bowl
Swiss Chard Pecan Lasagna
Black Bean Corn Chili
by Tomato Wellness | Mar 16, 2021 | Health, News
What’s the health connection between tomatoes and lycopene? Researchers performed a review of 174 articles to determine the health outcomes associated with tomato and lycopene. In May 2020, this study provided evidence which supports the claim that consumption of tomatoes and lycopene are linked to numerous health benefits. Tomato intake has similar health effects to lycopene intake, as they are both inversely associated with mortality, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and heart diseases. There are a few variations between tomato and dietary lycopene intake: tomato products are inversely associated with cerebrovascular disease mortality and gastric cancer, while lycopene is inversely associated with stroke and male infertility.
Fresh tomatoes are not the only tomato products that are nutrient-rich and contain lycopene. In fact, canned tomatoes, marinara sauce, salsa, and even tomato soup have a slightly higher amount of lycopene in them due to the cooking and canning process they undergo. Similar to most nutrients, it’s more natural to obtain lycopene from foods rather than supplements. 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 lasagna, curries, and bolognese. So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy some canned tomato products today!
For other tomato news, check out:
Top 11 Reasons to Go Red with Tomato Products
Can Tomatoes Help Your Kid Eat More Veggies?
What is Lycopene?
by Tomato Wellness | Mar 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
A non-profit spreading kindness through lasagna?! It sounds too good to be true, but with over 20,000 volunteers around the country, it most certainly is true, as they are using lasagna to spread the love.
Meet Lasagna Love! A nonprofit started at the beginning of the pandemic, by founder Rhiannon Menn, a mama who was searching for a way to help support her community during this time of need. What started with just a quick Facebook post in a mom group, offering home cooked meals to anyone who could use one, has grown into a national movement, with over 20,000 volunteers delivering meals made with love every week.
What we do is simple: feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities.
Here’s how it works:
Families in need go to lasagnalove.org/request and fill out a request form. They are then matched with a local volunteer, or Lasagna Chef as they are called, who make and deliver them a home cooked meal.
What qualifies a “family in need”:
Anything! Facing food insecurity and could use a hot meal for your family? Working mom juggling working from home, home schooling kids, and could use some help with dinner? Going through a hard time? Lasagna Love is here to help!!
Lasagna Love is a kindness movement. Our mission is to not only address the rise in food insecurity, but also strengthen communities through kindness by providing an easy way for every person to help a neighbor.
How to get involved:
You can sign up to volunteer at https://www.lasagnalove.org/volunteer-2 if you want to get involved and make meals for families.
Lasagna Love has grown to be more than just about lasagna, but about kindness and weaving kindness back into the fabric of our communities. The Kindness Pledge is a simple way to get involved, show support for the mission, and spread kindness, no cooking required!
Simply go to https://www.lasagnalove.org/kindnesspledge and sign the pledge and go out and be kind!
To donate to Lasagna Love click this link for donation options. https://www.lasagnalove.org/donate
by Tomato Wellness | Mar 12, 2021 | Media Recipe, Recipes
Less than 10 ingredients are needed for this flavorful and nutritious Easy Chicken Curry. Thanks to ingredients you probably already have on hand (such as canned tomatoes, frozen chicken, and coconut milk), you can whip up this quick and easy main dish in no time at all! With so many delicious flavors, this is sure to become a family favorite in no time. Be sure to make extras so you can have leftovers throughout the week!
Not only does this recipe taste incredible, but it’s also good for you due to the high protein and lycopene content. Thanks to the chicken, there is plenty of lean protein, which is essential for muscle building and feeling satisfied. And then when you add in the canned tomatoes, you’re provided with a load of vitamins and minerals; including lycopene, which is responsible for that gorgeous bright red hue. The canned tomatoes make up the base for this tangy, spicy dinner, so instead of ordering takeout this weekend, take an hour to prepare this Easy Chicken Curry. We’re sure you are going to love it!
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:
Tomato Pesto Hummus
Swiss Chard Pecan Lasagna
Black Bean Corn Chili
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