More than 600 patients at Malaga’s Regional University Hospital have been treated to one of the province’s most celebrated local delicacies.

It comes after the leading hospital added Huevo de Toro tomatoes to its menus.

The initiative aims to promote healthy eating while supporting local farmers by introducing seasonal produce into hospital meals.

Around 120kg of the iconic tomato variety, grown outdoors in the Guadalhorce Valley, were donated by the Asociacion Tomate Huevo de Toro, Frutas y Verduras del Guadalhorce.

Patients were served the tomatoes as a traditional chopped salad dressed with organic extra virgin olive oil, with each meal accompanied by information explaining the nutritional benefits of the locally grown produce.

The tasting formed part of the hospital’s wider nutrition programme, which prepares up to 25 different therapeutic diets every day for patients with a range of medical conditions.

Hospital kitchens produce 14 different lunch and dinner menus, allowing most patients to enjoy varied meals throughout their stay without repeating dishes.

The menus are designed in collaboration with specialists from the hospital’s Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit to ensure meals support patients’ recovery while meeting their individual dietary requirements.

The Huevo de Toro is a traditional tomato variety grown exclusively during the summer months in the Guadalhorce Valley.

It is prized for its large size, sweet flavour and fleshy texture, while also being rich in vitamins, minerals and lycopene, a natural antioxidant associated with the Mediterranean diet.

Hospital officials said incorporating local seasonal produce not only improves the nutritional quality of meals but also supports Malaga’s agricultural sector.

The initiative forms part of the annual campaign promoting the Huevo de Toro tomato and highlighting the importance of locally produced food across the province.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.