Tomatoes: Fruit / Vegetable of the Month

Tomatoes are scientifically speaking a fruit because they are the edible part of the plant containing the seeds.Culturally and in cuisine, they are treated as a vegetable. Tomatoes were originally small, bitter, wild berries on plants in South America. Over a long period of time they were cultivated in Mexico to be sweeter and larger. It took a long time for many European cultures to embrace this new food. Many people thought is was poisonous since it is in the same family at the Nightshade plant. 

Today tomatoes are grown with many different colors, shapes and sizes. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins C and A and are rich in the phytochemical lycopene. The Dole Nutrition Book lists tomatoes as a "superfood" because of it's high lycopene content. Lycopene, like many other phytochemicals, helps reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease and helps keep the immune system healthy. Lycopene is what gives foods containing it their reddish hue. Cooking tomatoes increases the concentration and availability of lycopene to the body.

Tomatoes originated in South America so they need a great deal of water, warmth, and sunlight.

Ripening Zebra Cherry Tomatoes

Hey and what child doesn't love ketchup which is rich in lycopene? Besides ketchup, spaghetti and pizza sauce offer children salsa, tomato soup, stuffed baked tomatoes with couscous, tuna or ground beef. Children may also enjoy the sweetness and chewiness of dried tomatoes added to pastas. Children will also enjoy tasting and comparing the many different varieties of tomatoes. Offer them grape, cherry and pear tomatoes. Experiment by using deep red, orange, yellow and purple tomatoes in your recipes. Variety is a key component of a healthy diet. Exposing children to a variety will increase the variety in their diets- if not today- at another time in the future. Keep the faith!

For a list of activities for kids related to tomatoes visit California Department of Public Health's Network for a Healthy California Harvest of the Month: Tomatoes. 

If you are a child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program (CCFP).

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.

Children ages 2-3 need   1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Children ages 4-8 need   1-2     cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day. 

Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2  cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Teens ages14-18 need   1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.

Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out  CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.

Remember your plate.......

Half of your plate should have fruits and vegetables