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It’s Tomato Juice
Go ahead. Relegate tomato juice for beverages only and you will short circuit one of the most versatile ingredients in the foodservice business. Chefs are discovering that beyond the building block of a better Bloody Mary, tomato juice is the base for much more.
The attribute of being a good source of vitamins and minerals ranks highest, ahead of “all natural”.
When you consider functional foods and the hearty flavor of a premium tomato juice, it is easy to understand its benefit as an ingredient. Just one cup of tomato juice covers the daily needs for vitamin C and is 22% of the vitamin A requirements in the form of alpha and beta carotenoids. Its high lycopene content, naturally found in tomatoes, helps enhance the skin’s natural defense against free radicals.
In a recent report by Datassential, 90% of consumers say that what they eat and drink plays directly into their sense of “well-being”. The attribute of being a good source of vitamins and minerals ranks highest, ahead of “all natural”. So, within today’s functional foods movement few items offer more reasons for consumption than tomato juice.
Smart operators are strengthening their position as serving better-for-you menus by adding mentions of tomato juice as part of their menu descriptions. They are also listing tomato juice as one of the functional foods that are part of their operation’s ingredient list.
Adding richness to soups, stews, salsas and pasta sauces are only a few applications. Top chefs also add tomato juice as a base for sauces, meatballs and meat loaf, seafoods and to add flare to rice.
Whether your segment is healthcare, senior living or a commercial restaurant, your operation will benefit by leveraging the functional and nutritional benefits of tomato juice as more than a beverage but an ingredient for your meals.
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