If you have recently started doing the keto diet, or are someone who is already on the keto diet and looking for foods that are keto friendly, you came to the right place!
As we all know, the keto diet feels like you’re walking on a tightrope when it comes to food, and if you eat one wrong food item, you will fall out of ketosis. Having said that, dropping out of ketosis is just as good as not doing the diet at all!
It is primarily the state of ketosis which switches the fuel of the body from carbs to fats, which leads to the monumental weight loss. That means you can’t have a Sloppy Joe or a whopper the next time you go out to eat.
You will have to look for healthy and keto friendly foods to replace your normal diet food items. The case we are going to make today is that of cherry tomatoes, and the question naturally comes to mind.
“Are cherry tomatoes keto friendly?” This article aims to answer all questions related to this food item, and we will answer the question about cherry tomatoes being keto friendly or not. So, stick around until the very end.
What are Cherry Tomatoes?
Surprisingly cherry tomatoes originate back to Mexico, which can also be called the home and birthplace of all kinds and different types of exotic and unique tomatoes.
This is used as a snack and in day to day cuisine as well, that's how much tomato is used in Mexico. The earliest civilization known to have used or consumed tomatoes was the Aztecs, who used to eat tomatoes of all kinds of sizes and shapes.
However, the subject matter today is that of cherry tomatoes, and these modern day tomatoes were a breed that was grown by Israeli and British scientists’ way back in the 1970s.
These tomatoes can be found in the markets and on the shelves of supermarkets all year-round, and these tomatoes are used all over the world, in different cuisines which include raw as well as cooked dishes.
The shape of these tomatoes resembles the shape of a cherry, which is why the name gained a lot of popularity and fame. This vegetable is normally sold while it is still on the vine, and the size can vary from a small cherry tomato to almost double, a big cherry tomato.
Much like normal tomatoes, these are also bright red in color, but they even come in colors such as orange, yellow green and almost back as well, how fascinating!
Chefs often use this juicy tomato and its thin skin in many dishes, and these are best grown in the summertime, in small sheds and greenhouses. You can eat this vegetable right after you wash it, no need to peel or remove the seeds either!
Are Cherry Tomatoes Keto Friendly?
Well, if you came here looking for good news, we have great news for you! Indeed, cherry tomatoes are keto friendly! These tomatoes, just like the other normal tomatoes, are low in carbs, and low enough to be used within the daily macro limit.
How exciting! Are cherry tomatoes low in carbs you might ask? The answer is yes, definitely, they are very low in carbs! This doesn’t just make them suitable for the keto diet, but for a general diet as well!
These cherry tomatoes have a low amount of net carbs, which suits the needs and requirements of a person who is on the keto diet.
The net carbs are calculated by subtracting the total amount of carbs from the fiber, and reducing the daily consumption of carbs to a limit of twenty grams (20 grams) a day, which keeps the person in the state of ketosis.
One added benefit of using the cherry tomatoes on the keto diet is that they are very healthy, as they are processed very minimally and are free from substances that can harm human health, such as pesticides, insecticides etc.
These tomatoes are low in fats, which mean you will have to find an alternative to complete that quota of healthy fats in your diet!
The Nutritional Profile: Cherry Tomatoes
Now that we have established that the Cherry Tomatoes are in fact keto friendly, we shall take a deeper look into the nutritional profile of these tomatoes, so that we have a clear idea of what exactly is the reason that these tomatoes are low in carbs.
Also, we will look at the other types of nutrients and minerals this vegetable possesses. They are as follows for a serving size of one (100 grams):
| The Nutrients | The Daily Value % |
| Calories | 25 calories & 0% of the daily value |
| Total Fat | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Saturated Fat | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Trans Fat | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams & 0% of the daily value |
| Potassium | 0 milligrams & 0% of the daily value |
| Sodium | 4 milligrams & 0% of the daily value |
| Total Carbs | 6 gram & 0% of the daily value |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Sugar | 4 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Protein | 1 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Vitamin C | 3% of the daily value |
| Iron | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Vitamin B6 | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Magnesium | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Calcium | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Vitamin D | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
| Vitamin A | 0 grams & 0% of the daily value |
These results are based on a daily percentage value for a diet that is based on the consumption of no more than 2,000 calories per day. The daily value can defer, and be higher or lower, which varies from person to person (depends on your calorie needs for the day).
These cherry tomatoes are sweet and they serve as an excellent snack as well, since they are rich in flavor, they are used in a variety of food items which include dishes that are of a sweet nature and a savory nature as well! This is used as a vegetable, and sometimes as a fruit as well!
These were firstly grown in South America and then they found their way inside the gardens of Israel and Europe as well.
It was the British that started selling these tomatoes in markets and the first grocery chain that sold these tomatoes was Marks & Spencer in the 20th century. These tomatoes are loved all over the world, and for good reason as well!
What are the Health Benefits of Cherry Tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes are powerhouses of minerals and vitamins that are essential for health. The most beneficial nutrient, Vitamin C is found in this vegetable, this is very important in different parts of the body. There are more benefits, and they are mentioned below:
- Stroke Prevention:
There is an abundance of lycopene in cherry tomatoes, which makes it a great combatant against the likes of inflammation and the clotting of blood. Lycopene reduces the risk of strokes.
- Prostate Cancer Prevention:
Cherry tomato is linked to be the type of vegetable that has different compounds which reduce the risk of many diseases, which include reducing the risk of cancer as well.
- Improvement in the health of the bones
the lycopene we mentioned earlier, is also very helpful when it comes to the strengthening of bones, particularly those women who are at the risk of developing osteoporosis.
- The Nutrition
As we said before, this lycopene is a world of good when it comes to health, it is excellent in battling against radicals which are known to cause cancers. Cherry tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Potassium.
Despite how great they are, you should always limit the amount of cherry tomatoes you eat, as eating too many can lead to an acid reflux, and no one likes that!
How to Incorporate Cherry Tomatoes into your keto diet?
As we know cherry tomatoes are very low in carbs, and one cup of tomatoes is only about 5.8 grams total in carbs. This means that we can use these tomatoes in a number of recipes, without having to worry too much about the consequences of the calories kicking us out of ketosis.
The same one cup serving yields only four grams of net carbs, which is a dwarf in front of other vegetables, in terms of net carbs per gram.
There are many ways you can incorporate these tomatoes in your diet, and they are as follows:
The following are keto-friendly recipes you can use for cherry tomatoes, which will incorporate them into your diet.
- The Keto Baked Feta Pasta:
This pasta gained a lot of fame and following on the famous social platform “TikTok”, and about six servings of this pasta have about three hundred and forty three calories, with a total of twenty six point two grams of fat, coupled with fourteen point two grams of protein, with a total of seven point nine grams of total carbs, out of which six point four grams are net carbs.
The ingredients:
To make this recipe, you will need about two cups of cherry tomatoes, two cloves of minced garlic, half a cup of olive oil, eight ounce of solid block feta cheese, three basil leaves, half a cup of Kalamata olives, one cup of shredded chicken, one teaspoon of salt, and nine ounces of heart of palm noodles or you can even use zucchini noodles.
How to make this pasta:
The first step is to preheat the oven to four-hundred degrees Celsius. Then, you will need to add the tomatoes to a large dish, preferably a casserole dish, and you will need to sprinkle the garlic on the top. Next, you will have to put a block of feta cheese, smack in the middle of the dish, and bake the dish for about thirty five to forty minutes, at four-hundred degrees, or just until the feta cheese is creamy.
Finally, once the feta is nice and soft, and creamy, you will remove the dish from the oven and then add in the remaining ingredients. These are basil leaves, olives, chicken, and the noodles.
It has to be said that despite being keto-friendly, not all raw tomatoes or tomato products are keto-friendly.
Therefore, it is very important that you are aware of the things you buy from the store, things such as tomato sauce, tomato paste, salsa, tomato juice, and even canned tomatoes can have sugars added into them, and this is particularly dangerous for someone on a keto-diet.
What this does is, it increases the total number of carbohydrate content, which makes it very difficult to manage into the keto-diet.
It is very crucial that you always check the ingredients list before purchasing anything, and keep an eye out for the sugar content. The tomatoes that are less friendly in the keto-diet are the sundried tomatoes.
That is because they have very low content of water, which makes them high in net carbs which can amount to twenty three point five grams per cup (fifty four grams).
That is why you should be cautious when it comes to adjusting a new food item into your diet, as it could prove costly and kick you out of ketosis!
How to prepare Cherry Tomatoes?
The great thing about this vegetable is that you can find them in the markets all year-round, and you won’t have to wait for any season to get them.
Did you know that you can even grow them in a pot in your garden as well, or even as a potted plant? They just require lots of sun and water, which is what makes them grow properly.
Many of the recipes you find online are using cherry tomatoes raw, but you can saute, roast and even steam them for cooking.
The more you cook them, the less Vitamin C they will retain, but the absorption of antioxidants is boosted, which is readily absorbed by the body. You can try to add cherry tomato into your diet in one of the many ways, they are as listed below:
- You can enjoy these cherry tomatoes as a delicious snack with a keto-friendly dip, such as hummus or spinach dip.
- You can cut up some carrots, celery and slices of bell pepper along with sliced cherry tomatoes to make a nice vegetable salad board.
- You can use cherry tomatoes to cook up a dazzling stir fry as well.
- You can make so many pastas with these tomatoes, but our favorite one has to be the parmesan cheese and olive oil, pesto-flavored pasta!
- You can make delicious breakfast omelets with these tomatoes, and you can even add cheese into it!
- You can mix these cherry tomatoes with jalapenos, lime juice and red onion to make the Pico de Gallo!
- You can add cherry tomatoes into feta cheese and add lemon juice to make a delicious couscous salad as well!
- Finally, you can utilize the heirloom cherry tomatoes to toss up an irresistible fruit salad!
How to store Cherry Tomatoes?
In order to preserve cherry tomatoes, you will need to store them in a place at room temperature, and avoid putting them in the refrigerator. Putting them in a bowl on the counter-top will store them for about three days.
If you live in a place that is warm, putting them in the fridge can be a good idea, which will increase their life for about two more days. Just remember to let them come back down to room temperature before using them, when you take them out of the fridge.
Just don’t freeze these tomatoes at any cost!
Conclusion
Cherry tomatoes are perhaps one of the most readily available and most widely used vegetables all over the world.
These tomatoes are very healthy and contain a lot of nutrition, and they are very low in carbs as well, which make them a good suitor for the keto followers!
Cooking this vegetable is fun, and you can make almost anything using this veggie as an ingredient. Just be careful as to what you mix it with, because if you cross the daily carb limit, it is game over.
Apart from that, there are hundreds of recipes online, but we recommend that you give the one we mentioned above a try!
If you'd like to learn more about keto friendly foods, please click on one of the links below!