If you haven’t tasted an heirloom tomato yet, you’re missing out!
Heirloom tomatoes are traditional varieties of tomatoes, that not only come in a variety of beautiful colors and shapes (like reds, oranges, yellows, and greens) they taste much more flavorful than the typical round red tomatoes you find at the grocery store.
Commercially grown tomatoes are typically cultivated for size/weight, color, and ability to withstand the jostling of travel, so they look pretty, but they are not flavorful or the most nutritious. They taste more water-y than tomato-y.
Heirloom tomatoes, on the other hand, are packed with flavor and nutrition. While some health food stores are beginning to carry them, the best place to find them is a local farmer’s market.
Benefits:
Tomatoes contain a variety of antioxidants and help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and overall, support cardiovascular health. They are a source of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect the skin against UV rays, and is even being studied for its role in bone health.
Pink salt, also known as Himalayan salt, is an unrefined salt that contains dozens of trace minerals.
Lemon is a refreshing source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals called limonoids, which have been shown in laboratory tests with animals and with human cells, to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.
Here’s the recipe:
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
4-6 heirloom tomatoes
Pink salt
Black pepper
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Fresh basil
Instructions:
Thinly slice the tomatoes, then sprinkle with pink salt, black pepper, and a drop of olive oil.
Garnish with lemon juice and fresh basil.
Author: Maria Marlowe is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who has helped thousands of people improve their health by optimizing their diet. She has created meal plans and programs to help youlose weight, clear up acne, and spend less time in the kitchen yet still eat healthy.
She has been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, NBC, Well + Good, and more. Her first book,The Real Food Grocery Guide, will teach you how to eat healthy without going broke.