Top 10 Reasons to Love Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a versatile ingredient, and when they’re perfectly ripe, they are exceptionally delicious.

If I close my eyes, I can almost taste a sun-ripened tomato freshly picked from my parents’ garden.

Whether you enjoy them juicy and fresh, or prefer them in the form of ketchup or homemade sauce, I think we can all agree that they’re superb.

What you may not know is that they also pack a nutritional punch!

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Read on for a health-focused look at why you should love tomatoes, and add more to your diet.

You’ve probably heard it’s a good idea to eat more fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. But what specifically is it about tomatoes that makes them such a valuable “health food?”

Full of essential nutrients and offering various health benefits, here are the key features of this garden favorite.

Carotenoids in these fruits help to give them their color, and these are converted to vitamin A in the body. One average sized tomato contains around 20% of your daily recommended value of vitamin A.

This nutrient is a component of the protein rhodopsin, which helps our retinas absorb light, a key factor in our ability to see. A deficit of vitamin A in the diet can lead to night blindness, whereas getting enough carotenoids that can be converted into rhodopsin helps to improve our vision.

Additionally, vitamin A plays a role in cell growth.

Not only is this vitamin vital to the growth of a developing fetus, it plays a key role in growth and development throughout our lives.

Sure, keep encouraging your