Many people think that tomatoes are a vegetable. They are actually classified as a fruit, even though they do not taste quite as sweet as other fruits. Tomatoes can be used in a variety of different ways--on sandwiches, in salads or pasta, and even eaten plain or with salt. Tomatoes can be eaten fresh, or purchased canned, year-round. The nutrition varies slightly between the two different types.
Calories
Tomatoes are low in calories and perfect for those who are watching their weight. One medium-sized, fresh tomato, which weighs about 4 oz., has about 22 calories, according to the Calorie King website, a nutritional database. A 3.5-oz. can of tomatoes has just slightly more calories, with 32 calories. There are slightly more calories in canned tomatoes because they are more densely packed and contain less water content.
Carbohydrates
Dietary carbohydrates are an essential part of any person's diet; they provide the body with energy. Yet eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. according to the Calorie King website. In a fresh tomato, there are 4.8 grams (g) carbohydrates in a fresh tomato and about 7.3g carbohydrates in a 3.5-oz. can of tomatoes. Regular canned tomatoes don't have any additives, but stewed tomatoes sometimes have additives like sugar, which can increase the carbohydrate count even more.
Sodium
There are only 6 milligrams (mg) of dietary sodium in a medium-sized tomato, according to the Calorie King website. Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium. Yet canned foods often use sodium, or salt, as a preservative and flavoring agent. The Calorie King website states there are 132mg of sodium in 3.5 oz. of canned tomatoes, and 564mg of sodium in 1 cup of stewed tomatoes. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that the average American eats around 3,436mg sodium every day, when he should be consuming 1,500mg or less, to protect heart health.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are cancer-fighting compounds that are naturally present in fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is the strongest antioxidant in tomatoes. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, whole fresh tomatoes contain more antioxidants than canned tomatoes, despite the fact that canned tomatoes are more concentrated. This is because much of the lycopene content is present in the skin of the tomato, which is most often removed during the canning process.
Safety
According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, it is generally safer to eat fresh tomatoes than it is to eat canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes, and other canned goods, sometimes are contaminated with harmful agents such as botulism. World's Healthiest Foods recommends never buying a can of tomatoes that has been opened or has a dent, and buying tomatoes fresh as often as possible.
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