📊 Full nutrition facts — per 100g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily value | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 18 kcal | 1% | |
| Carbohydrates | 3.9g | 1% | |
| Dietary fibre | 1.2g | 4% | |
| Sugars | 2.6g | — | |
| GI | ~15 — Near zero | — | |
| Lycopene (raw) | 2573µg | — | |
| Lycopene (paste) | ~45,900µg | — | |
| Vitamin C | 13.7mg | 15% | |
| Vitamin K | 7.9µg | 7% | |
| Folate | 15µg | 4% | |
| Potassium | 237mg | 5% | |
| Vitamin A (beta-carotene) | 42µg RAE | 5% |
Based on Australian NRV. Source: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database.
📈 Glycaemic index (GI)
💊 Key vitamins & minerals
✅ Health benefits
Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes and the most extensively studied carotenoid in cancer prevention research. Over 70 population studies have found associations between higher lycopene intake and reduced prostate cancer risk — with the strongest associations for cooked tomato products (paste, sauce, soup) rather than fresh tomatoes. Cooking with oil releases lycopene from cell walls and converts it to a more bioavailable cis-isomer: a tablespoon of tomato paste provides approximately 19mg of lycopene — compared to 3.3mg in a medium raw tomato. Lycopene is also strongly associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease via LDL oxidation inhibition.
Most vegetables lose nutrients through cooking, but tomatoes are a clear exception. Heat breaks down the cell walls that trap lycopene, and the transformation of trans-lycopene to cis-lycopene during cooking increases bioavailability by 35% or more. Adding fat (olive oil) further increases absorption by 50–150% as lycopene is fat-soluble. A tomato pasta sauce with olive oil provides approximately 10× more bioavailable lycopene than a raw tomato salad. This is one of the most practically actionable nutritional findings for everyday cooking.
Tomatoes' cardiovascular benefits operate through three mechanisms: lycopene reduces LDL oxidation (a key step in atherosclerosis), potassium (237mg/100g) supports blood pressure regulation, and folate reduces homocysteine levels (elevated homocysteine is an independent cardiovascular risk factor). A meta-analysis of 25 studies found higher tomato and lycopene intake associated with significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events. The Mediterranean diet's heavy use of cooked tomato sauce is considered a key element of its cardiovascular-protective profile.
Beyond lycopene, tomatoes provide quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin — flavonoids with anti-inflammatory and bone-protective properties. A University of Toronto clinical trial found that a lycopene-restricted diet increased oxidative stress markers in bone, while tomato and lycopene supplementation significantly reduced bone resorption markers. Regular tomato consumption is associated with reduced osteoporosis risk in post-menopausal women in population studies.
⚠️ Who should limit or avoid
Tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae (nightshade) family alongside potatoes, capsicum and eggplant. They contain solanine and other alkaloids that some people with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune conditions find worsen symptoms. The scientific evidence for nightshade elimination improving arthritis is limited and inconsistent, but some individuals do report benefit from reduction. People with inflammatory conditions can trial a 4-week nightshade elimination under dietitian guidance if they wish to test sensitivity.
Tomatoes are one of the most common triggers for gastro-oesophageal reflux (GORD) and heartburn. Their high acidity and content of malic and citric acids can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter and directly irritate oesophageal mucosa. Cooked tomatoes are generally better tolerated than raw. People with active reflux symptoms or oesophagitis should limit tomato intake and observe their personal threshold.
Tomatoes provide 7% of daily vitamin K per 100g — a minor consideration at typical serving sizes. Tomato juice and concentrated tomato products (paste, sauce) consumed in large quantities may provide more meaningful vitamin K. People on warfarin should maintain consistent tomato intake and inform their anticoagulation team.
🛒 How to select & buy tomato
The red colour of a tomato is lycopene — deeper, more uniform red colour means higher lycopene concentration. Pale or orange-tinged tomatoes picked before full maturity have significantly less lycopene. A ripe tomato yields gently to thumb pressure, has a fresh tomato smell at the stem end, and feels heavy for its size (full of juice). Avoid tomatoes that are rock hard (unripe), mushy (overripe) or have cracked or mouldy skin.
Cherry and grape tomatoes: sweetest, best for salads and snacking. Roma/egg tomatoes: low water content, best for sauces, roasting and paste. Beefsteak/large tomatoes: best for sandwiches and fresh slicing. Truss tomatoes (vine-ripened): excellent all-rounder, highest flavour complexity. Heirloom varieties (at farmers' markets): extraordinary flavour diversity — yellow, black, striped, orange — higher antioxidant diversity too. For lycopene maximisation, any dark red variety is good; for sauce, Roma is most efficient.
This is one of the most important and consistently ignored food storage rules: do not refrigerate tomatoes unless they are fully overripe. Cold temperatures (below 13°C) damage the cell membranes and suppress the enzymes responsible for the aromatic compounds that give tomatoes their flavour. A refrigerated tomato will be mealy in texture and bland in taste. Keep tomatoes on the bench, stem side down, at room temperature.
🧊 Storage tips & shelf life
Always store whole tomatoes at room temperature — cold destroys flavour irreversibly. Store stem-side down to prevent moisture loss through the scar. Keep away from direct sunlight which can cause localised softening. Ripe tomatoes: eat within 3 days. Firmer tomatoes continue ripening on the bench.
Only refrigerate if tomatoes are so ripe they need slowing down, or once cut. Cut tomato: place cut face down on a plate, cover loosely, use within 2 days. Even refrigerated, a previously room-temperature tomato will lose flavour. Cherry tomatoes on a punnet: tolerate fridge slightly better than large varieties but still lose flavour.
Raw tomatoes do not freeze well — they become very watery when thawed. However, tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes and puree freeze excellently and retain lycopene perfectly. Make a large batch of roasted tomato sauce at peak season and freeze in 200ml portions — economical, highly nutritious and deeply flavoured.
📖 About tomato — complete guide
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is native to western South America — wild Solanum species still grow in the Andes from Colombia to Chile — and was domesticated by the Aztec peoples of Mexico approximately 500 years before European contact. Spanish conquistadors brought tomatoes to Europe in the early 16th century, where they were initially viewed with suspicion: related to the deadly nightshade family and initially believed to be poisonous. For a century or more they were grown as ornamental plants rather than food in much of Europe. The Italian adoption of tomatoes from the late 17th century onwards was transformative — the combination of tomatoes with pasta, olive oil and garlic created the foundation of modern Italian cuisine and, by extension, one of the world's most studied dietary patterns for health outcomes.
The lycopene research story is nutritionally significant for a specific practical reason — tomatoes are among the very few foods where cooking substantially increases the bioavailability of the active compound. Lycopene is bound within protein-lipid complexes in tomato cell walls in its all-trans form, which is less well absorbed by the gut. Cooking breaks these complexes and isomerises some lycopene to the cis form, which is more bioavailable. Adding fat during cooking (olive oil is ideal) further increases absorption because lycopene is fat-soluble. This creates a clear dietary hierarchy: tomato paste > tomato sauce with oil > cooked diced tomatoes > raw tomatoes for lycopene intake. One tablespoon of tomato paste (approximately 16g) contains about 19mg of highly bioavailable lycopene — the amount associated with significant prostate cancer risk reduction in epidemiological studies. This is the nutritional science basis for why the traditional Italian Sunday sauce represents an extraordinary weekly lycopene dose.