Tomatoes leave dieters feeling full

If you're on a diet, the daily search for a low-fat, healthy lunchtime snack can be a minefield.

But worry no more. Rumour has it that the humble tomato could be just what you're looking for.According to new research, if you've got some tomato in your sandwich, you'll be feeling fully satisfied enabling you to resist the snacking urge.

Scientists were investigating the benefits of enriching white bread with fruit and vegetables when they made the discovery.

A small group of women, all of normal weight, were offered cream cheese sandwiches made with either white bread or bread enriched with carrots or tomatoes.

And the tomato bread was deemed the most satisfying.

Dr Julie Lovegrove of Reading University told a nutritional conference in France: "They were given the sandwiches in a random order and we recorded how full they said they were.

"It was a small study, and we can't yet say what the crucial tomato ingredient is, but the results were statistically significant."

It is thought that tomatoes are rich in compounds that help to ease hunger pangs. And we all know, without snacking, dieting would become a whole lot easier.

Who knows... perhaps one day in the future, the BLT may become a diet favourite.

We live in hope.