“Fruity vegetables” like tomatoes — a good source of dietary fiber — are also high in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and can help fend off respiratory issues. Tomatoes and tomato products also contain an antioxidant compound called lycopene, which may help reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease and age-related blindness.
Kapica and her fellow researchers found that it is 60% more expensive to get dietary fiber from fresh tomatoes than from a can. “Not only is the price of canned tomatoes lower than fresh for the same serving size, but fresh tomatoes take longer to prepare, adding to the real cost of fresh,” the researchers said in a statement.