Tomatillo – yes or no? For healthy eating, the answer is easy.
By American Heart Association
For anyone unfortunate enough to have grown up without them, tomatillos might seem tough to approach. They hide inside a papery cloak and tend to hang out in the quietest corners of produce sections in the U.S. – if they show up there at all.
But to those in the know, tomatillos are tangy, tasty and healthy, said Dr. Sonia Vega-López, a professor of nutrition at Arizona State University in Phoenix.
They’re well-known in Mexico, where “you’ll find them pretty much in every single market you go to,” said Vega-López, a member of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Council Nutrition Committee. They may be hard to find in some areas, she said, but if your local grocery store doesn’t carry them, you might try farmers markets.
Tomatillos look like small, leaf-wrapped green tomatoes, and their name even means “little tomatoes” in Spanish. But although both are part of the nightshade family– which also include potatoes, peppers and eggplants – tomatillos are a different species from their red cousins.
In ancient times, tomatillos were domesticated by Aztecs and Mayans. Today, tomatillos are widely used in Mexican and Central American cooking. Vega-López said they are commonly used in salsas and sauces. They’re usually green but can be found in shades of yellow and purple.
Tomatillos are technically fruit, “but they’re generally treated as a vegetable in the culinary world. Either way, tomatillos are part of what the American Heart Association considers a healthy dietary pattern.
Tomatillos are high in antioxidants, vitamins and fiber but low in calories, Vega-López said. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, half a cup of chopped or diced tomatillos provides 1.25 grams of fiber and 21 calories, along with almost 8 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s about 9% of the recommended daily amount for a man and 10% for a woman.
That half-cup would also have 177 mg of potassium, which is almost 7% of the recommended daily amount for a woman and about 5% for a man. Foods rich in potassium are helpful in managing high blood pressure.
Tomatillos also have carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which may offer health benefits Vega-López said.
Tomatillos’ flavor makes them great for salsa. “My grandmother used to make a raw salsa with tomatillos blended with cilantro, onion and chili peppers,” Vega-López said. If your favorite restaurant serves a salsa verde, tomatillos are likely the main ingredient.
Tomatillos also are often used in sauces and stews. Cooking might alter their nutritional content slightly, she said, but “cooking with sauces that are made with fresh vegetables still provide a good background to make a healthy meal.”
All those delicious vegetables, however, do not turn a bowl of chips into health food, she noted.
“Sauces and salsas in Mexican cuisine are not a dip to use with a savory snack,” Vega-López said, but to add flavor to a meal. “At my grandmother’s table, there was always a salsa to go with a meal so you could top whatever she had made.”
Vega-López suggests using a tomatillo-based sauce or salsa to add flavor to fish or lean beef or as the base for a chicken stew.
If you do plan to use your tomatillo salsa with chips or some other type of snacks, she suggested putting them in a small bowl, “so you’re not eating that out of the bag and overconsuming calories and nutrient-void items.”
Vega-López said tomatillos are great for cooking from scratch, which has its own advantages, such as letting you choose the healthiest, freshest ingredients and helping you avoid additives common in ultraprocessed foods.
“Plus,” she said, “you can get a lot more creative trying different ingredients and seeing what you like.”
For example: One of her favorite childhood dishes was a chicken and tomatillo stew made with nopales, or cactus pads.
But if you can’t find that delicacy at your local market, tomatillos still go well with cilantro. “That combination is always great,” she said. And given the way tomatillos enhance the flavor of different types of protein, “I think they can be a great and interesting and fun addition to the diet.”
Eat It or Leave It? is an American Heart Association series that takes a closer look at the health benefits and drawbacks of specific foods, drinks and nutrients.
Tomatillo and Chile Pepper Salsa Salad - Delicious Decisions
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped, peeled cucumber
3 oz. tomatillos (finely chopped)
1 1/2 oz. reduced-fat Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 cubes
1 medium Anaheim pepper (seeded, ribs discarded, finely chopped)
1/4 cup snipped, fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions (green and white parts)
3 to 4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
This recipe is reprinted with permission from the American Heart Association Low-Calorie Cookbook, Copyright © 2003 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere.
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