Are Tomatoes Really Keto? (Everything You Need To Know)

Most fruits are hard to work into the keto diet because many of them contain high sugar content, which is a type of carbohydrate your body uses for energy. As the goal of keto is to get your body to use fat for energy instead of carbs, you want to avoid high sugar foods as much as possible.

If you’re not well-versed in keto, coming up with your own recipes can be a challenge, especially when you’re not sure how many carbs are in the ingredients. Luckily, your solution to this problem can be solved with a meal service that whips up keto meals for you. Otherwise, we’re here to give you tips! Like telling you that tomatoes do in fact, work with keto!

Tomatoes are keto! They're low sugar and have a lot of health benefits.

Table of Contents
Tomatoes Are a Low-Sugar Fruit
Why Eat Tomatoes (Nutrition Facts)
How to Incorporate Tomatoes into Your Diet
– Keto-Friendly Recipes Using Tomatoes

Tomatoes Are a Low-Sugar Fruit

Fruits are usually identified by whether they have seeds within the parts you can eat, and if they develop from a flower. Both are true for tomatoes, technically making them a fruit! Most fruits can also be identified by how sweet they are based on how much sugar they contain, which is where tomatoes differ.

Tomatoes are a low sugar and low-carb fruit.

Tomatoes have low-sugar content and are more savory than sweet. They also have virtually no fat content, making them ideal for even the strictest keto diets. You can eat a whole raw, medium-sized tomato (123g) without breaking the proverbial carb bank:

Net Carbs: 1.3g

Fiber: 1.5g

Fat: 0.2g

Sugar: 3.2g

SUMMARY

Tomatoes, unlike most fruits, are low-sugar, low-carb, and have almost no fat which makes them great for keto dieters.

Why Eat Tomatoes (Nutrition Facts)

They’re high in potassium, Vitamin C, folate, and a compound called lycopene. Lycopene is found in many red fruits which gives them their red hue. But beyond that, lycopene is an antioxidant that can help protect you against UV ray damage caused by the sun, improve heart health, and reduce risk for prostate, digestive, and pancreatic cancers.

In general, tomatoes are great at fighting inflammation that can cause chronic illnesses and helping lower LDL levels (“bad” cholesterol).

One large tomato has about 5 net carbs and 5g of sugar.

SUMMARY

Tomatoes have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities that reduce risk for cancer and heart health problems, and can help protect you from UV damage from the sun.

How to Incorporate Tomatoes into Your Diet

Tomatoes can be used in all kinds of recipes ranging from savory dishes to simple sides. The way you cook them has an impact on its flavor, giving you lots of ways to incorporate them into your diet. Here’s a few ideas for how to add tomatoes into every meal:

Breakfast

Dice tomatoes and add to an omelette
Add crushed canned tomatoes to your egg scramble
Top your breakfast dish with sundried tomato pesto for extra tang

Lunch

Slice tomatoes, top with tuna salad and eat as open-faced “sandwich”
Dice and use as a topping for a salad
Replace your burger bun with sliced tomato halves
Add tomato slices to any sandwich or wrap

Dinner

Sauté cherry tomatoes and serve with riced cauliflower as sides for baked chicken breast
Slice and use as a topping on a keto chicken crust pizza
Add chunks of tomatoes to your soup or stew

Snack

Make your own marinara sauce using olive oil, basil, onion, and spices and use as a dip
Make homemade salsa with extra diced tomatoes
Sprinkle tomato slices with cheese, top with parsley, and bake until crispy
Blend into a smoothie (adding other veggies to disguise the flavor if you need to!)