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Tomato delights
Tomatoes remind me of summer as a young girl, every year we would go down to the south of Sardinia to stay with my paternal grandparents. All my cousins were there and we had so much fun, all day at the beach then out in the evening to enjoy the summer night breeze. Most of all I remember the tomatoes my granddad grew, they were so red and sweet, I used to eat them like apples. Tomato is one of the key ingredients of the Mediterranean diet which is widely accepted to be the best balanced healthy diet to adopt for children and adults alike. UNESCO is expected to assign it the World Heritage recognition later in the year. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is low in fat, fundamental to keep obesity levels down. 100 grams of tomatoes have only 19 calories but are very rich in vitamins A and C; 100 grams contain half of the recommended daily intake. They are also rich in antioxidants and potassium which is essential to maintain energy levels. It has also emerged from recent studies that a regular consumption of tomatoes protects from certain types of cancer affecting the digestive system.
Add pasta and extra virgin olive oil and you have a very complete healthy meal. Pasta is a great source of energy, a complex type carbohydrate that releases energy slowly and is easily digested. According to nutritionists 55-60% of children’s calories intake should come from pasta. Extra virgin olive oil is renowned to be one of the best sources of good fats and is fundamental to reduce bad cholesterol and to favour the growth of healthy bone tissue.