Nutrition | Tomato

The Red Ripe Days of Summer are Here!

Today marks the official first day of summer! What fruit screams summer more than the rest?

A tomato of course! Some may argue that a tomato is a vegetable; if that’s the case, so be it. I say “TomAto,” you say “Tomat-O.”

The best place to find tomatoes during the summer are at your local farmer’s market or in your own backyard. Homegrown tomatoes have a distinctively different taste than your year-round store bought tomatoes.

Homegrown tomatoes are:




Slightly Salty


and….a deep, deep red color!

One of my favorite memories as a child was picking cherry tomatoes in my grandmother’s vegetable garden together. I had a special basket for picking tomatoes. Once the tomato basket was filled to the brim, we would take a break and lighten our load. Fresh tomatoes off the vine are so delectable! We would bring our tomato filled baskets inside her house, relax in the air conditioning, and eat our tomatoes with loads of salt 😳 We had enough tomatoes to eat tomato sandwiches for weeks. Our tomato sandwiches would be made typically with white bread and mayonnaise. Now that I’ve grown up and broadened my culinary skills, I tweaked the old fashioned tomato sandwich recipe to add more nutrition and flavor.

Tomatoes are naturally great sources of Vitamins A and C, potassium, and antioxidant, lycopene, which has been shown to support prostate health. When paired with whole wheat bread and spring greens, more vitamins, minerals, and fiber are added to the mix. Tomato sandwiches are about showcasing the beloved tomato, not the bread. This is why I suggest eating an open faced tomato sandwich.


Open Faced Tomato Sandwich


1 small-medium tomato, homegrown, sliced*

1 slice of whole wheat bread, toasted

a dab of real mayonnaise (if vegan, sub vegan mayonnaise)

Spring greens (sub any type of lettuce if you aren’t into greens, but you’ll missing out!)

Pinch of sea salt


  1. Spread mayo on the toasted slice of bread.
  2. Every layer the slices of tomato onto of the mayo so the entire piece of bread is covered.
  3. Top tomato slices with spring greens and sea salt to taste.

*Sub heirloom tomatoes for vine ripened tomatoes for a burst of color!


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