Get Fresh with Tomatoes

It’s peak tomato season, so now’s the time to discover just how delicious fresh tomato sauce can be. Our Health-e-Recipe for Fresh Tomato Sauce also includes garlic, onion and fresh basil — all foods that fight cancer.

Tomatoes are red because they contain a high amount of the phytochemical lycopene. This compounds is a carotenoid — a relative of beta-carotene — which turns into vitamin A in the body. Studies show lycopene may be protective against prostate cancer and possibly breast cancer. When tomatoes are heated, as in cooking or processing into canned products, we absorb lycopene more easily.

You’ll also get plenty of vitamin C from tomatoes. The onions and garlic contain other kinds of phytochemicals that also provide powerful health protection. And fresh oregano and basil not only make this sauce delectable, but contribute their own array of phytochemicals.

This sauce freezes well, so make a big batch and divide into containers that hold the amount you’ll use in future meals, then pop them into the freezer.

Visit the AICR Test Kitchen for more cancer-preventive recipes. Subscribe to our weekly Health-e-Recipes.