American writer Lewis Grizzard once quipped, "It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." However, if you learn about the healthy nutrients packed into canned diced tomatoes, you'll likely have pleasant thoughts while eating them as well. Loaded with vitamins, dietary fiber and antioxidants, canned diced tomatoes are a healthy addition to any diet.
Macronutrients
A 1/2 cup serving of canned diced tomatoes provides 40 calories, zero grams of dietary fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 2 grams of protein.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that helps your body produce new connective tissue, fights free radicals and promotes a healthy immune system. A 1/2 cup serving of canned diced tomatoes provides you with 18 mg of vitamin C, or about 20 percent of the daily value. Other vitamin C-rich foods include broccoli, mango and bananas.
Sodium
Canned diced tomatoes are often high in sodium. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to 1500 mg or less per day. Those with, or at risk for, high blood pressure or heart disease should be especially concerned with sodium intake. As such, it's a good idea to opt for low-sodium diced tomatoes. A 1/2 cup serving of regular canned diced tomatoes contains about 290 mg of sodium, while the same size serving of low-sodium canned diced tomatoes contains only 150 mg.
Lycopene
Free radicals are deformed molecules that form in the body and harm healthy tissue. Antioxidants are constituents in plant foods that may help combat free radicals. Tomatoes contains a large amount of lycopene -- a powerful antioxidant that may help protect against prostate, stomach and lung cancer development, reports the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. You can boost lycopene absorption by cooking your canned diced tomatoes and consuming them with a small amount of dietary fat.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Canned Diced Tomatoes
- BrainyQuote.com: Lewis Grizzard Quotes
- Harvard University: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine: How Lycopene Helps Protect Against Cancer
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- American Heart Association: Shaking the Salt Habit
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in Muir Glen Organic Canned Diced Tomatoes
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