Loving It From My Head To-Ma-Toes

We have been featuring tomatoes this month in our cafés on Wellness Wednesdays, especially in our Vegetable Pita Wrap with Tomato Chutney recipe.  But there are so many ways our patients and guests can enjoy this superfood, which contains several vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, the antioxidant phytochemical that helps prevent heart disease. In addition, tomatoes are a good source of vitamins A, C, and E. Because of their high content of carotenoid and lycopene, tomatoes also help the body fight cancer, just as their potassium content helps maintain blood pressure.

Fresh tomatoes taste delicious when eaten raw on top of salads or in the sandwiches. Tomatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place and in a single layer rather than being placed with others in a plastic bag to avoid becoming mushy.  Tomatoes are best kept at the room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Tomatoes that are not ripe can be kept in a paper bag until ripening.

Vegetable Pita Wrap with Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 Pita bread
• 1 tablespoon -Chive cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon -Roasted red and yellow bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon -Roasted mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon – Cucumber
• 1 tablespoon – Onions
• 2 tablespoons of chopped tomatoes seasoned with black pepper, rock salt, basil and red chili flakes to taste

Instructions:

To Prepare Chutney

• Take 2 blanched tomatoes, ½ cup cilantro, 1 green chili, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp black pepper and salt to taste. Grind everything together into the smooth paste.

To Serve

• Take a whole wheat Pita bread, spread the cream cheese on it and add all the vegetables on one side of pita bread and fold the pita bread evenly and enjoy the pita wrap and enjoy with tomato chutney.

Nutrition Highlights:

One medium sized tomato (123 grams) contains only 22 calories.

One-half cup of chopped or sliced tomatoes contains the following:

• 16 calories
• .80 grams of protein;
• 1.1 grams of fiber;
• 3 grams of carbohydrates;
• 9 milligrams of calcium;
• 214 milligrams of potassium;
• 750 international units of Vitamin A and wide range of other antioxidants.

Chef Tips:

Other ways to enjoy tomatoes are:

• Dipping cherry tomatoes into hummus
• Eating a toast with boiled eggs topped with avocado, tomato slices, salt and pepper
• Adding sliced tomatoes to sandwiches, wraps, pizza
• Adding diced tomatoes to burrito bowls, quesadillas, scrambled eggs
• And last but not the least tomato chopped salad with lime and black pepper

I personally love the versatility of tomatoes and hope you do too. Give this easy and healthy recipe a try!

• Hungry for more? Explore all our other Food posts!