OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaEven though many people think of them as vegetables, tomatoes are actually a fruit because they have seeds inside! They grow on bushy vines and turn from green to a bright, shiny red when they are ripe. Tomatoes originally came from South America.
Tomatoes are packed with a special nutrient called lycopene, which gives them their beautiful red color and helps keep your heart healthy. They are used to make ketchup, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and pizza sauce! Without tomatoes, we would not have any of those yummy things.
- When explorers first brought tomatoes to Europe, many people were afraid to eat them because they thought they might be poisonous!
- Of course, tomatoes are completely safe and delicious.
- Tomatoes are very juicy and have many tiny seeds inside surrounded by a squishy, jelly-like pulp.
