Are Tomatoes Keto? Carbs In Tomatoes & Recipes

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Keto and tomatoes: Do the two mix? Learn how this staple for salsa, salads, and sauces affects your low carb diet, including carbs in tomatoes, how many tomatoes you can eat on keto, and more. While my guide to carbs in potatoes made those a clear “no” for keto, tomatoes are not quite so clear cut.

Need help finding other keto-friendly foods? Grab this keto food list with over 200 items, or reference my keto diet guide.

Are Tomatoes Keto Friendly?

Can you eat tomatoes on keto? Yes! Although tomatoes are technically a fruit, and the keto diet limits most fruits, they are low enough in carbs to enjoy regularly.

How Many Carbs In Tomatoes?

Do tomatoes have carbs? They do — but the amount depends on the type of tomatoes you enjoy, and how many.

Carbs in tomatoes

The number of carbs in tomatoes depends on the size [*]:

• An average large whole tomato contains 5 grams net carbs
• A medium whole tomato has 3.3 grams net carbs
• A small whole tomato contains 2.5 grams net carbs

Carbs in cherry tomatoes

What about cherry tomatoes? You can enjoy these tomatoes on keto, too. A 1-cup serving contains 4 grams net carbs. [*]

Carbs in grape tomatoes

You guessed it: You can have grape tomatoes on keto, too. A 1-cup serving contains 5.2 grams net carbs. [*]

Carbs in tomato sauce

Is tomato sauce keto? Since it concentrates the sugars in tomatoes, you may want to enjoy it less frequently, but it’s usually fine to use as part of a recipe. 1/2 cup of plain canned tomato sauce contains 4.7 grams of net carbs. [*]

Beware of canned and jarred tomato sauces that contain added sugars, since these will increase the carb count more. Many spaghetti, marinara, and other tomato-based sauces add extra sugar!

Carbs in sun-dried tomatoes

Since sun-dried tomatoes remove most of the water from the fruit, they contain more carbs per serving. 1/2 cup of plain, sun dried tomatoes contains nearly 12 grams of net carbs. [*]

However, you would not normally eat 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes in one sitting. Sun-dried tomatoes on keto are okay in moderation as part of a recipe. Often times, you can use just a tiny bit (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup in an entire recipe with multiple servings!), chopped finely, to add flavor without adding too many carbs per serving.

I like to make my own homemade sun-dried tomatoes in the oven!

How many tomatoes can you eat on keto?

Let’s do the math. Those following a strict keto diet (limiting themselves to 20-30 grams of net carbs per day) could still safely enjoy 1-2 large whole tomatoes per day, and people following a low carb diet could have even more. Of course, it will depend on what else you’re eating – just factor it in.

(I know, who wants to do math, right? 😉 Check out my keto meal plan app that will calculate for you how much you can have.)

Keto Recipes With Tomatoes

Keto and tomatoes are the perfect pair. See how with some of these delicious keto tomato recipes:

1. Avocado Caprese Salad – All the flavor of traditional caprese, with a boost of healthy fats.
2. Baked Greek Stuffed Tomatoes (Gemista) – An herbacious recipe using whole tomatoes!
3. BLT Stuffed Avocados – Who needs the bread?
4. Easy Baked Ratatouille – This recipe layers tomatoes with other keto veggies.
5. Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken – Amp it up with homemade sun-dried tomatoes!
6. Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa – Tastes straight out of a restaurant.
7. Rice-Free Keto Cabbage Rolls – Makes the most of the rich flavors in tomatoes.
8. Cauliflower Lasagna – Beefy and cheesy, without the noodles.
9. Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore – Tomatoes stew in the slow cooker for richer flavor.
10. Sugar-Free Ketchup – You can make ketchup more keto with this easy recipe!

So, are tomatoes keto? Yes, keto and tomatoes are a winning combination — just keep an eye out for processed tomato products with higher net carbs or added sugar.