Tomato Facts for Kids

What am I?

​Don't make me blush, but I'm very popular. Even if people say they don't like me, I'm in most meals you like. 

I'm usually bright red, but I can be green, yellow, orange, and even purple. Sometimes even a mixture of those colors in one fruit.

Where I grow

​I grow on a vine on the ground. I'm technically a fruit because I grow on a flowering plant (even though people often think I'm a vegetable). 

My flowers are yellow and my leaves have a strong scent (in a good way).

After I'm picked

​Pick me from the vine and pop me in your mouth! Or, you can add me to salad, soup, salsa, and sauce... for your pizza.

The options are unlimited with me.

Did you guess... Tomato

​Español: tomate

That's right! 

There are over 7,500 kinds of tomatoes! If you haven't tried one you like, keep trying.

---

Learn more about Tomatoes

Tomatoes are used to make some of your favorite dishes! It can be found in almost all parts of the world, but it was first grown in South America. Worldwide there are 7,500 varieties of tomatoes.

HOW IT GROWS
Tomatoes grow on the ground on a plant with vines. Tomatoes love the heat, but they are picky plants. If they get too much heat or not enough, the plant will die. 

Tomatoes produce a yellow flower that grows the tomato fruit. If the flower dies, the plant won't grow a tomato.

The majority of tomatoes that we eat are processed into sauces and salsa.   

DID YOU KNOW

• Tomatoes turn red from the inside out
• The ripest tomatoes of a crop are used to make sauce
• Tomatoes are native to the Andes in South America
• Tomatoes became popularized in Italy
• Tomatoes come in many colors and sizes, including yellow, green, orange, purple, and of course, red. 

HOW TO EAT IT
Eat tomatoes fresh, chop it and add to salads, salsa, bread and more! Cook it and add it to soups or make sauces. Or freeze it to cook it later. ​

Get more facts like this on the Snackster Sam app.

​Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Get it where you get apps!