I love all food. I really do.

But I especially love Mexican food.

It’s fresh and full of flavour.

And two things I could eat my body weight in every day? Guacamole and pico de gallo.

Best part — both of them are great for your skin.

But since avocados hog the spotlight on my blog most days, I wanted to focus on the star of pico de gallo: tomatoes.

PS. This homemade pico de gallo recipe goes great with my baked paleo tortilla chips. My clients over in The Clear Skin Solution went crazy over this recipe!

Lycopene: The Nutrient You Didn’t Know Your Skin Needed

Part of the carotenoid family, lycopene gives tomatoes their signature red colour. And the more ripe the tomato, the more lycopene it contains.

When it comes to the health of your skin, lycopene is a master at combating free radicals in the body. We want to be keeping free radicals at bay because they create oxidative stress and inflammation in the body — aka the causes of acne. And let’s not forget free radicals also promote aging.

Lycopene helps prevent…

• Damage to the skin’s collagen
• Signs of aging (seeya later fine lines)
• Skin discolouration
• Changes in texture

While tomatoes alone aren’t going to give you that clear complexion or turn back the clock, they are a great antioxidant boost to an already healthy diet.

Tip: buy your tomatoes from local farmers or, even better, grow them yourself. That way you get the most nutrient dense tomatoes as they’re picked at their peak of ripeness.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes finely chopped
• ½ red onion finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley and/or cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Sprinkle garlic powder
• Unrefined salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Serve.