Jerusalem Post

ByDR. MAYA ROSMAN

They have a lot of volume and few calories, they help you feel full, and they provide natural sweetness without a feeling of heaviness – start eating cherry tomatoes.

There are foods that do not need glamorous public relations to prove themselves. They are simply there, in the refrigerator, on the counter, in the salad, in the sandwich, in the stew, next to the omelet, or in a small container taken on the go. Tomatoes are exactly like that: Simple, available, tasty, low in calories, rich in important components, and integrate into almost any menu.
And I love cherry tomatoes in particular.

In recent years, they have become one of the most successful snacks available: They are sweet, convenient to eat, do not require cutting, can be taken to work or on a trip, and they give the fun feeling of a snack without the nutritional price of a chip or candy. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best examples that healthy food does not have to be complicated, expensive, or special. Sometimes it is simply a container of washed cherry tomatoes in the refrigerator.
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A lot of nutritional value in few calories

One of the greatest advantages of tomatoes is that they provide a lot of volume, flavor, and nutritional values in a very low amount of calories. They contain a lot of water, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Therefore, they are highly suitable both for those who want to lose weight, those who are trying to maintain a balanced menu, and those who are simply looking for something refreshing and sweet to snack on between meals.
Additionally, in my opinion, cherry tomatoes give the sensation of a snack. They involve chewing, volume, natural sweetness, and freshness. This sounds simple, but in a daily diet, it is very important. Many times, the small snacks between meals are the ones that accumulate into unnecessary calories, especially when it comes to cookies, crackers, pretzels, or chips. A container of cherry tomatoes can replace this need for something "to have on the side," without overloading on sugar, fat, or salt.

Vitamin C to strengthen the body during busy periods

Tomatoes contribute vitamin C to the menu, and this is one of the most important vitamins for the proper functioning of the immune system, for collagen production, for skin health, for wound healing, and for the absorption of iron from plant-based foods. In periods of load, stress, lack of sleep, or less organized nutrition, it is especially advisable to ensure fresh vegetables and fruits that add antioxidant components to the body.
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The advantage of tomatoes is that they are easily eaten and in a nice quantity. Most people do not need to be convinced to eat them, and they integrate into almost every meal.
A salad with tomatoes next to lunch, cherry tomatoes as an afternoon snack, tomato sauce at dinner, or shakshuka on the weekend, all of these accumulate into a nice daily contribution of essential components.

 Cherry tomatoes (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)
The smart combination with plant-based iron

Tomatoes also have an important advantage when combined with plant-based foods rich in iron. The vitamin C within them helps improve the absorption of plant-based iron, and therefore a tomato salad next to lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, tahini, or mujadara is an excellent combination.
This is particularly important for vegetarians, vegans, women of childbearing age, people who reduce their meat intake, and anyone who wants to improve the quality of their menu. Plant-based iron is absorbed less well than iron that comes from meat, but vitamin C in the meal can improve its absorption.
Lycopene: The red pigment that does much more than color

The big star of the tomato is lycopene, the red antioxidant that gives the tomato its prominent color. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoid family, and it has been studied for years in the context of blood vessel health, antioxidant activity, inflammatory processes, skin health, and a reduced risk of various diseases.

One of the areas where lycopene has been particularly studied is prostate health. Observational studies and meta-analyses found a link between a higher consumption of tomatoes and tomato products and a lower risk of prostate cancer. This does not mean that a tomato is a treatment or absolute protection, of course, but it certainly adds another good reason to incorporate it into the menu regularly.
It is also interesting to note that lycopene has been studied in the context of cardiovascular health as well. The advantage here does not stem from a single component alone, but from the combination of lycopene with vitamin C, potassium, fiber, polyphenols, and additional components found in the tomato as a whole food.
Why cooked tomatoes are no less important than fresh ones?

Tomatoes have an interesting advantage: They are good both when they are fresh and when they are cooked. A fresh tomato adds vitamin C, fluids, freshness, and volume to a salad. A cooked tomato, on the other hand, provides lycopene in a form more available to the body. When heating, crushing, or cooking tomatoes, the lycopene is released better from within the cell walls of the plant, and therefore is absorbed better.
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This is an excellent reason to also incorporate tomato sauce, shakshuka, matbucha, tomatoes in stews, diced tomatoes in soups, or homemade sauce for pasta into the menu. And if you add a little olive skin, the absorption of lycopene improves even further, because lycopene is a fat-soluble component.
How much sugar is in a tomato?

Cherry tomatoes are sweet, and therefore I am sometimes asked if they need to be "counted" because of the sugar. In practice, the sugar in tomatoes comes as part of a whole food, with a lot of water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This is completely different from sugar that comes from candy, cakes, or sweet drinks.
In cherry tomatoes, there is about 2.5% sugar, depending on the variety and the level of ripeness. Meaning: In 100 grams of cherry tomatoes, there is usually 2.5 grams of natural sugar. In a 250-gram container of cherry tomatoes, that is about 6 grams of sugar. So true, this is already an amount that can be found in a teaspoon of sugar.
But do not forget: The sugar in tomatoes arrives inside a whole food, with a lot of water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and therefore its effect on the body is entirely different from sugar that comes from chocolate, cakes, or candy.
Even when eating a large quantity of tomatoes, it is a food with a relatively low glycemic load, a lot of volume, and few calories. Therefore, tomatoes are highly suitable also for those who have a tendency toward diabetes, as part of a balanced menu. They can replace more problematic snacks, help with the feeling of fullness, and provide natural sweetness without a feeling of heaviness.
The ultimate snack for the road

One of the biggest problems in the daily menu is not always the meals themselves, but what happens between them. You leave the house for a few hours, do not prepare in advance, and then you buy something at a gas station, at a bakery, or from a vending machine. Here, cherry tomatoes can be a simple and smart solution.
A small container of cherry tomatoes in the bag or in the car can save many moments of a small hunger. They do not require a spoon, heating, cutting, or special preparation. They are suitable for work, for trips, for hikes, for children, and for anyone looking for something small to snack on without opening a bag of chips.
In a diet, this is an especially major advantage. Cherry tomatoes give the feeling of "I ate something," add volume and fluids, and in many cases reduce the need for a less healthy snack. This is not a trick, it is simply smart organization.