You know the drill: Eat your fruits and veggies! But the produce section is plentiful, and the farmers’ market is bountiful, so which ones should you really focus on if you want to get the most bang for your buck, nutritionally speaking?
We were surprised to learn that one of the best veggies for you is watercress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which provides nutrition-density scores based on vitamin and mineral content in fruits and vegetables. Watercress, a peppery green that grows in freshwater and is a common ingredient in stir fries, scores a perfect 100. Veggies, overall, dominate the top of the list, which features greens like spinach (86) and kale (49), as well as other staples like red bell peppers (41) and broccoli (34).
But when it comes to fruit, the healthiest one is… the tomato. Yes, botanically speaking, tomatoes are considered fruit. They score a 20 on the CDC’s scale, just under carrots and right above lemons.
Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants, which you can think of as having a superhero-like function in your body, helping ward off free radicals that are known to cause oxidative stress and could play a role in the development of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
What Makes Tomatoes So Nutritious?
The CDC’s powerhouse fruit and vegetable categorization (PFV) is based on the amounts of 17 qualifying nutrients in a 100-calorie portion of each fruit and vegetable, explains dietitian Sherri Berger, RDN, from The Plant Strong Dietitian.
Since vegetables are naturally lower in calories than fruit, you would need to eat a much larger amount of vegetables than fruit to equal 100 calories, she says. Since a larger volume is going to pack in more nutrients, this would make the vegetables standout in the PFV scoring system.
Tomatoes, Berger explains, are a low-calorie fruit that have a similar nutrition profile to a vegetable. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrient database, a 60-gram plum tomato contains only 12 calories and less than three grams of carbohydrates. It’s also rich in the important nutrient lycopene, Berger says, which is what gives tomatoes their red color.
So, bring on the tomato-rich salsas and sauces!
“Eating tomatoes and tomato-based products can help protect your body from cancer and heart disease,” Berger says.
She also points to a 2021 umbrella study in the journal Food Chemistry that found tomato and lycopene consumption helps prevent coronary artery disease, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, and cerebrovascular disease, which affect blood flow to your brain like strokes or brain aneurysms.
Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins A and C, which combat inflammation in the body, explains dietitian Sara Riehm, R.D. with Orlando Health.
“Vitamin C is also important for forming blood vessels, muscles, and parts of our bones,” Riehm says. “Vitamin A is needed for eye health and growth and development.”
How Can You Get the Most Nutritional Benefits from Tomatoes?
Here’s a general rule of thumb: “For most flavorful tomatoes, it’s best to buy them locally and keep them on your countertop,” Berger says. “Locally grown tomatoes are allowed to ripen naturally and do not undergo ethylene gas treatments which promotes artificial ripening.”
Also, opt for fully ripe tomatoes, as their lycopene content increases as they mature, says dietitian Kate Ingram, RDN, owner of The Vitality Dietitians.
“Cooking tomatoes can also boost lycopene, so consider adding tomatoes to cooked dishes like stews or making your own tomato sauce,” she says.
You can boost the absorption of lycopene by pairing tomatoes with healthy fats, such as olive oil, Ingram recommends.
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