Nutritionally speaking, Should I cook the tomatoes?

Question

When I'm making dinner for the family including two small kids, should I just serve tomatoes raw, like with a salad, or should I make stewed or stuffed tomatoes? Does cooking them increase or decrease their nutritive value?

Answer 1

I thought I heard that cooked tomatoes are better than raw because of the lycopene.  I know that the ketchup is promoted because of that.  Maybe they add that stuff in there later.  I know raw ones don't have the lycopene but the cooked ones do, so if you need lycopene (whatever that is) then cook them.  Otherwise I would think raw would be better and not have nutrients cooked out of them. I don't know if making stuffed tomatoes would make lycopene or if it needs to be seroiusly cooked to death like with ketchup and tomato sauce.  Maybe just use both to be sure.

Answer 2

cooking always decreases nutritional value. best tomatoes are out of the garden, no pesticides/organic, eaten like an apple...yummy and tastes like sweet juicy tomato!

Answer 3

Yes, when you cook any vegy or fruit you take some of the nutrition out of it.  

Answer 4

Makes no odds - you wouldn't boil them and thats the only real way to lose nutrients.  Bake them in the oven or grill them and they stay pretty much as they are.  In my experience little ones love raw tomatoes anyhow!

Answer 5

You should have them both ways.  Both raw and cooked tomatoes add very valuable, different nutrients!

Answer 6

Decreases

Answer 7

Cooking destroys vitamin c... BUT  it GREATLY increases their value in age-fighting isoflavones and flavonoids. it's a fact that tomato sauce is a lot better for you than raw tomatoes, generally speaking, since you can get vitamin C from other sources. Do cook your tomatoes, and always use them as RED as possible, both for sauce and salads. Enjoy! ☼

Answer 8

no. eating fruits and vegetables RAW are the BEST way to absorb and get all the vitamins, nutrients and energy from them, When you cook them, you loose all those nutrients and vitamins and goodness. Eat them the way the have grown out of the earth... RAW. simple and easy. thats how God has made it.