Contents
What should I look for to take home the best fried tomato
Tips
It is important, when looking at the product label, to look at the ingredients instead of the nutritional composition table
El fried tomato it is a food that we have totally integrated into our diet. We take it regularly, using it as a complement to pasta, meats and stews. When going to the supermarket, the options are very diverse: we find from the simplest varieties of this sauce to those that claim to be “homemade”. But are all these tomatoes the same? The nutritionist dietitian Adriana Oroz, from the Alimmenta clinic, answers all these questions that will help us choose the best for our diet.
“Once in the supermarket, we should not look at the nutritional composition table, but rather at the ingredients list of the fried tomato that we are going to buy,” explains the professional. Point out the importance of the order in which the ingredients appear on the product label. «It is important to opt for the sauce that has a higher content or percentage of tomato as the first ingredient, followed by olive oil, better than sunflower oil, and salt as an additive. The latter in a small quantity ”, points out the nutritionist and also reiterates that the ideal is that the fried tomato that we buy should be made with only these three ingredients.
However, Adriana Oroz explains that you can also find varieties of fried tomato that “are not such a bad option.” “There are fried tomato sauces that may have a certain amount of sugar among their ingredients, since the sugar helps to neutralize the acidity of the tomato,” he comments and continues: “It would not be a” so bad “option, as long as el sugar is among its last ingredients, so that the proportion of sugar is minimal “. In the case in which it does recommend avoiding the consumption of the sauce, it is when the sugar is at the top of that list of ingredients, leaving behind the olive oil or salt. “Also, you should avoid those that may have, in addition to sugar in their composition, some starch or vegetable fat,” he says.
When it comes to shopping, it is important not to get carried away by the first thing we see. The “packaging” of the product can lead us to misunderstandings, such as in the case of fried tomatoes that claim to be “homemade” or “artisan”. Be careful with nutritional claims. «That it is an artisan does not ensure that it is healthy, it only indicates how it has been made and not with what, which is what is truly important. It can be very homemade, but contain lower quality oil or contain a lot of sugar “, he comments.
Another option we have is to make our own tomato at home. «This is always a healthier and more practical habit», Points out Ariadna Oroz. The nutritionist gives us two options for make our own tomato frito. On the one hand, we can choose to have a natural tomato sauce, which we can use for example on toasts. To do this, what you have to do is crush fresh tomato –with or without skin– and season it with garlic powder, fresh basil or oregano, oil and salt.
If what we want is a cooked tomato sauce, we must follow the next steps:
– Wash and dry off the tomatoes.
– Put vegetables such as onion, pepper and carrot in a saucepan to sauté with garlic and olive oil.
– Later add the tomato and let everything be done slow fire.
– Once this is done, shred it until a homogeneous sauce is left.
– Spice up with salt and spices that soften its flavor (Provencal herbs, oregano …).
It is important to know that, although we call it fried tomato, this is not the process that the product undergoes. The tomato is previously cooked or fried with vegetables using a certain amount of oil. «If the oil ration is moderated, it could be a very healthy and light sauce», Adriana Oroz concludes.
Fried tomato benefits
Adding tomato sauce to our diet is healthy as it provides us with the benefits that tomato contains, as a food itself. “A good dose of water, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals efficient to combat free radicals, which prevent aging and prevent degenerative diseases”, explains Adriana Oroz, dietitian nutritionist at Alimmenta.
Likewise, the tomato has properties that protect against cardiovascular diseases and, also, improves the health of the eyes, prevents hypertension and urinary infections. “Tomato is a very versatile food that can be included in many recipes that is part of the healthy Mediterranean diet,” says the professional.