“You say tomato, I say tomahto”

Well, whichever way you say it, tomato or tomahto, they are one of the easiest plants to grow in the summer and a great source of nutrition. I started growing my tomato plants indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost which was around mid-May this year. I started growing my seedlings in pods that can be found at any gardening center. Once the plant grew to about an inch tall, I easily transplanted them into my garden with full sun access. Last year, I planted them in the ground, but this year I decided to try planting them in containers. After seeing how the tomato plants grew this year, I would recommend planting them in the ground for next summer. Tomato plants grow to be about 3-4 feet tall and need a lot of room to grow. Either way you do it, its fool proof and you’ll end up with juicy, red tomatoes fresh from the vine and bursting with flavor! These are the real deal. They don’t compare to tomatoes served at restaurants.

So why are tomatoes a great source of nutrition?

Lycopene (lie-ko-peen), the pigment that gives tomatoes its vibrant red color, is an antioxidant that has a protective effect on the body against certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants, like I talked about in my previous blog entries, prevent free radicals from oxidizing in the body which is a damaging process and is a contributor to disease progression and aging. So whether you eat tomatoes right off the vine or mix them into salads, pastas or salsas, tomatoes are a great summer snack that can promote optimal health too!