Are Cherry Tomatoes as Healthy as Other Tomatoes
* Based on a RDI of 2000 calories
Health Benefits of Cherry Tomatoes
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- Vitamin C 3%
- Iron 0%
- Vitamin B6 0%
- Magnesium 0%
- Calcium 0%
- Vitamin D 0%
- Cobalamin 0%
- Vitamin A 0%
Delightfully sweet, cherry tomatoes deliver a burst of flavor as a snack, in salads, or in a surprising variety of both savory and sweet dishes. Although typically used as a vegetable, they are officially a type of fruit because they come from flowers.
The cherry tomato was first cultivated in South America and eventually found its way into European and Israeli gardens. They were finally commercialized by British grocery chain Marks & Spencer during the 20th century. The store’s owner sought a new take on commercialized tomatoes to entice customers.
Now popular as both a snack or primary meal ingredient, cherry tomatoes are one of the most well-loved types of produce you can find in grocery stores today.
Health Benefits
Cherry tomatoes are chock full of vitamins and minerals that promote excellent health. They are packed with vitamin C, which plays a major part in many body functions. The nutrient levels in cherry tomatoes can vary based on when you harvest them, but they can still be an important part of a healthy diet any time of the year.
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Other health benefits of cherry tomatoes include:
Stroke Prevention
Like other types of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are a wonderful source of lycopene. This compound can help with issues like inflammation and blood clotting. These benefits may minimize your risk of ischemic strokes, which occur when blood clots form and prevent blood flow to the brain.
Prostate Cancer Prevention
Several compounds in cherry tomatoes are associated with a lower risk of multiple diseases, including many types of cancer. Research suggests that a higher intake of tomatoes and tomato products may reduce your risk of prostate cancer in particular.
Bone Health
The lycopene in cherry tomatoes may support bone health, especially in women at risk of osteoporosis. A study found that women who consumed tomato products saw lower rates of bone density loss compared to those who consumed less lycopene.
Nutrition
Cherry tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is great at fighting free radicals that cause disease. Lycopene can also limit UV damage to your skin from sun exposure and promote better heart health.
Cherry tomatoes are also an excellent source of:
Nutrients per Serving
A one-cup serving (100 grams) of cherry tomatoes contains:
- Calories: 25
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 6 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugar: 4 grams
Things to Watch Out For
Eating too many cherry tomatoes can give you acid reflux and other negative digestive side effects. This may be due to the malic acid in cherry tomatoes.
How to Prepare Cherry Tomatoes
You can find cherry tomatoes year-round in grocery stores, co-ops, farmer’s markets, and several other locations. They are also notoriously easy to grow in backyard gardens — or even as potted plants. Expose them to plenty of sun and water, and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy treat you can enjoy right off the plant.
Most recipes that use cherry tomatoes call for raw ones, but they can also be steamed, sauteed, or roasted. Cooking them can reduce the amount of vitamin C they contain, but it may actually boost the other antioxidants your body can absorb.
Try some of these ways to add cherry tomatoes in your diet:
- Enjoy cherry tomatoes as a snack with hummus or spinach dip.
- Include them with carrot sticks, celery, and slices of bell pepper on a veggie tray.
- Add sliced cherry tomatoes to a stir fry.
- Toss them with parmesan cheese and olive oil in a pesto-flavored pasta.
- Combine cherry tomatoes with chopped red onion, jalapeño, and lime juice to create pico de gallo.
- Fold them into an omelet with your favorite types of cheese.
- Add them with lemon juice and Feta cheese to a couscous salad.
- Use heirloom cherry tomatoes in a tasty fruit salad.
Show Sources
ESHA Research, Inc., Salem, Oregon.
Harvard Health Blog: “Lycopene-Rich Tomatoes Linked to Lower Stroke Risk.”
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: “Thermal Processing Enhances the Nutritional Value of Tomatoes by Increasing Total Antioxidant Activity.”
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis: “Seasonal Variations in Antioxidant Components of Cherry Tomatoes.”
Journal of Translational Medicine: “Lycopene and Bone—An In Vitro Investigation and a Pilot Prospective Clinical Study.”
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: “Cherry Tomatoes.”
Smithsonian Magazine: “The Contentious History of the Cherry Tomato.”
The Journal of Nutrition: “Tomato Phytochemicals and Prostate Cancer Risk.”
Are Cherry Tomatoes as Healthy as Other Tomatoes?
Tomatoes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Cherry tomatoes are among the smallest tomatoes commercially available. These tiny tomatoes are often eaten in salads or grilled, rather than cooked into stews or sauces like their larger counterparts.
However, despite the obvious size difference, cherry tomatoes are like most other tomatoes. From a nutritional point of view, cherry tomatoes are just as good for you as any other tomato. A 1-cup serving of cherry tomatoes contains:
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- 63 calories
- 0 grams of fat
- 12 grams of carbohydrates
- 4 grams of protein
Cherry Tomato Nutrition
Tomatoes are easily integrated into many dishes. However, cherry tomatoes are a little bit more difficult to use because of their size. Unlike most fruits, this food tastes better salted. You may find cherry tomatoes skewered alongside grilled meat or halved into salads.
Tomatoes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types. Cherry tomatoes are the smallest of the lot, weighing between 5 and 10 grams per tomato. A portion of tomatoes is about 150 grams.
In cherry tomato terms, 150 grams is equal to about a full cup. There are 12 grams of carbohydrates and 63 calories in cherry tomatoes per serving. A single serving of tomatoes also contains 7 percent of your daily recommended amount of fiber and a variety of beneficial nutrients. Cherry tomato nutrition includes the following vitamins and minerals:
- Manganese (8 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Potassium (10 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Vitamin A (25 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Vitamin B-6 (6 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Vitamin B-9, or folic acid (6 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Vitamin C (32 percent of your recommended daily amount)
- Vitamin K (15 percent of your recommended daily amount)
Cherry tomatoes also contain protein and other nutrients in small amounts (between 1 and 4 percent ), including other B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Beside all these vitamins and minerals, tomatoes are known for being rich in carotenoids, like lycopene, and phenolic compounds. Both carotenoids and phenolic compounds play important roles in the health benefits of cherry tomatoes and other tomato variants. With so many vitamins, minerals and beneficial compounds, the nutritional value of tomatoes is very high.
Health Benefits of Cherry Tomatoes
Many of the nutrients, antioxidants and other beneficial compounds in raw tomatoes have been found to prevent or help treat health issues. Carotenoids like lycopene have been shown to have important antioxidant and anticarcinogenic qualities. Even though cherry tomatoes have a variety of nutrients, it’s actually lycopene that is thought to contribute to most of tomatoes’ benefits.
Drinking tomato juice and eating tomatoes have been tied to a variety of health benefits. Tomato consumption may help reduce the risk of cancer and reduce inflammation. They may improve your skin’s health and help alleviate menopausal symptoms like anxiety. Tomatoes can also help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Lowered levels of cholesterol and triglycerides can improve the health of your cardiovascular system.
Tomatoes are also good for your gut and your brain. Consumption of tomatoes can increase your production of serotonin, which is important because your digestive system and central nervous system are connected. Tomatoes can help promote weight loss, reducing waist circumference, body weight, body fat and overall body mass index (BMI).
Cherry Tomatoes
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Last updated: 10 May 20 08:35 PM
Source: FatSecret Platform API
* Based on a RDI of 2000 calories
Photos
Nutrition summary:
Other Common Serving Sizes:
| Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|
 1 cherry |
3 |
| 1 oz |
5 |
| 100 g |
18 |
| 1 cup |
27 |
Related Types of Cherry Tomatoes:
Related Types of Tomatoes:
| Crushed Tomatoes (Canned) | |
| Red Tomatoes | |
| Tomatoes | |
| Red Tomatoes (Canned) | |
| Green Tomatoes | |
| view more tomatoes nutritional info | |
| Other Related Foods Vegetables |
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