How Many Calories Does 1 Tomato Have? | Quick Fresh Facts

Tomatoes are light on energy and big on flavor, which is why they land in salads, sauces, and snacks all day long. The count shifts with size and prep, so a clear yardstick helps. Use two anchors: per medium tomato (123 g) and per 100 g. With those, you can size up any tomato on your cutting board for simple daily tracking.

How Many Calories In One Tomato (By Size)

A single tomato can mean a cherry, a chunky slicer, or anything in between. Here are reliable ranges based on standard weights used in nutrition databases.

Serving	Weight (g)	Calories
Cherry tomato (1)	17	3
Medium tomato (1)	123	22
Large tomato (1)	182	33
Slice, medium thickness (1)	20	4
Cherry tomatoes (1 cup, whole)	149	27

Those numbers line up with USDA-linked nutrition tools and reflect raw red tomatoes. If you prefer a grams-first view, 100 g of raw tomato sits around 18 calories. That’s an easy baseline when you have a kitchen scale.

Why The Numbers Vary

Tomatoes are 94–95% water. When varieties get meatier (think Roma) or when cooking drives off water, the energy per mouthful creeps up. Seeds and gel pockets change the density a bit too. Ripeness matters as well; more sweetness doesn’t change calories much, but it can shift grams of sugar inside the same weight.

Tomato Calories Per 100 Grams And Per Cup

Per 100 g, raw tomato averages about 18 calories. Per cup, the story depends on what’s in that cup. A cup of cherry tomatoes (149 g) lands near 27 calories. A cup of chopped tomato (about 180 g) lands closer to the low 30s. If you like firm numbers for tracking, weigh a typical serving once, note it, and reuse that number.

Fast Estimating Without A Scale

• 10 cherry tomatoes ≈ 170 g ≈ 30–31 calories.
• Half a large slicer (about 90 g) ≈ 16 calories.
• Two Roma tomatoes (about 120–130 g total) ≈ low 20s in calories.

For a tighter number, match the size terms used by data sources. “Medium” commonly maps to 123 g, “large” to 182 g, and “small” to 91 g. That makes swapping brands and varieties pretty painless.

Raw Versus Cooked: What Changes The Count

Heat squeezes out water and concentrates flavor. The tomato itself doesn’t magically “gain” energy; the serving just gets denser. That’s why a spoon of paste feels much richer than a spoon of chopped tomato. Oil and sugar add more change than heat does, so cooking method matters a lot.

Sauce, Paste, And Sun-Dried

Tomato sauce usually sits in the mid-20s per 100 g when no salt or sugar is added. Tomato paste jumps to the 80s per 100 g because it’s concentrated. Sun-dried tomatoes climb higher still. If they’re packed in oil, the count rises again because oil brings 9 calories per gram.

Add-Ons That Change Tomato Calories

Tomatoes by themselves are lean. Toppings and cooking fats do the heavy lifting. Here’s what common add-ons look like:

• Olive oil: 1 tsp adds about 40 calories; 1 tbsp adds about 120.
• Fresh mozzarella: 1 oz adds about 80–85 calories.
• Balsamic glaze: 1 tbsp adds about 30–35 calories.
• Pesto: 1 tbsp adds about 80 calories.
• Mayonnaise: 1 tbsp adds about 90 calories.
• Breadcrumbs: 2 tbsp add about 50 calories.

Those tiny pours and pinches add up fast, so measure once and then eyeball later with the same bowl and spoon you used to measure.

Product (per 100 g)	Calories	Notes
Raw tomato	18	Baseline for fresh
Tomato sauce, canned, no salt	24	Low, watery
Tomato paste, canned	82	Thick, concentrated
Sun-dried tomatoes	~258	Very dense; higher if packed in oil

Protein, Fiber, And Vitamins At A Glance

A medium tomato brings roughly 1 g of protein, 1.5 g fiber, and solid vitamin C plus a little vitamin A and K. Potassium sits around 290 mg per medium. Tomatoes also carry lycopene, the red carotenoid that stays stable when heated. That’s why roasted tomatoes and paste can be handy for getting more of it. If you like to check numbers, trusted sources such as MyFoodData and USDA tools list full nutrient breakdowns by size.

Buying, Storing, And Serving For Best Flavor

Buying Tips

Pick fruit that feels heavy for its size with a little give near the stem. Skip bruises and cracks. Cherry and grape types keep their snap longest; big slicers shine when ripe and used soon after purchase.

Storing

Keep ripe tomatoes on the counter away from direct sun. The fridge dulls the aroma, but can slow down over-ripe fruit. If you chill them, let them sit at room temp before serving to wake the flavor back up.

Serving Ideas With Calorie Notes

• Caprese: tomato + basil + 1 oz mozzarella + 1 tsp olive oil ≈ tomato calories + ~125.
• Sheet-pan roast: wedge tomatoes, roast with garlic; if you add 1 tbsp oil, tack on ~120 calories for the whole pan.
• Chunky salsa: tomato, onion, cilantro, lime; near-zero add-ons unless you load avocado.
• Broiled halves: sprinkle with herbs; brush with 1 tsp oil if you want sheen (+40).

Calorie Math For Everyday Plates

Here are tidy ballparks you can use at the table or stove:

• Greek salad with 1 cup cherry tomatoes ≈ 27 calories from the tomatoes.
• BLT with two medium slices of tomato (about 40 g total) ≈ 7–8 calories.
• Burrito bowl with 1/2 cup fresh pico de gallo (about 75 g tomato) ≈ 13–14 calories from the tomato portion.
• Simple marinara using 125 g canned tomato sauce ≈ 30 calories before oil and cheese.
• Shakshuka simmered in 2 cups of tomato sauce adds roughly 120 calories from the tomatoes; eggs and oil do the real lifting.

Tomato Varieties And Typical Uses

Cherry and grape types are snack-friendly. Roma holds shape in the pan. Big beefsteak tomatoes are slicer kings for burgers and toast. If you’re counting, weigh once and then keep using the same piece-based estimate for that dish.

Label Tips For Tomato Products

Scan tomato products for added sugar and oil. Plain canned sauce without salt sits near the mid-20s per 100 g and keeps sodium in check. Tomato paste is far denser, so you only need a spoon or two to build body in a pot of soup. Sun-dried tomatoes pack a punch; a small handful can shift both flavor and energy in a hurry, and oil-packed jars include the oil unless drained well.

Lower-Calorie Cooking Tips

Roast on parchment with a light spray instead of a pour. Toss wedges with minced garlic and dried oregano, then bake hot until edges brown. The flavor pops without a big bump from fat.

Building a skillet dish? Start with a dry sauté to pull water from the tomatoes, then swirl in just 1 tsp oil at the end. You’ll coat the pan and herbs, keep sticking at bay, and still hit that fresh gloss people love.

Craving creaminess? Swap part of the cheese for a spoon of low-fat Greek yogurt off the heat. Stir gently so it doesn’t curdle. You’ll get body and tang without leaning only on oil or heavy dairy.

When You’re Tracking Calories

Pick one method and stick with it. Either weigh tomatoes or save a piece-based note for your go-to salad and sandwich. Consistency beats perfect precision, and it keeps logging fast daily.

Quick Checks

Do Green Tomatoes Have The Same Calories?

Pretty close. A large green tomato around 182 g lands near the low 40s because it carries a touch less water than ripe red fruit.

Do Grape Tomatoes Count The Same As Cherry?

They’re similar. Most single grape tomatoes land in the 3–4 calorie range. The weight per piece is the driver.

What About Heirloom Beefsteak Tomatoes?

Big and juicy, so per piece they carry more total calories, yet per 100 g they’re still around 18. The size of the slices is what moves the number in your bowl.

Quick Takeaways

• Use “Medium = 22” and “Per 100 g = 18” as your anchors.
• Count pieces when you can’t weigh: cherry × count, slices × thickness.
• Watch the oil and cheese; they change the story far more than heat does.
• Roast or sauté with measured fat for bold flavor and easy math.