What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Cherry Tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes usually are available year-round, giving you a never-ending supply of health benefits from these sweet little veggies. They’re super low in calories and packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium and several other nutrients. Cherry tomatoes aren’t just a salad topper -- they fit easily into many of your favorite recipes.

Cherry tomatoes are loaded with insoluble fiber, the type of fiber that sweeps out your gut and helps you have regular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber has been known to relieve bouts of constipation as well. Ideally, you should be getting 14 grams of fiber in your diet for every 1,000 calories, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. So if a 2,000-calorie per-day diet is normal for you, you’ll need 28 grams of total fiber. One cup of cherry tomatoes, weighing about 150 grams, provides 1.8 grams of total fiber, roughly 90 percent of which is insoluble.

Cherry tomatoes are one of the richest sources of vitamin C. You need vitamin C to keep your immune system in tip-top shape, but it also works as an antioxidant. Vitamin C, along with other antioxidants, neutralizes damaging free radicals that destroy healthy cells. When you have an abundance of free radicals lurking around in your body, oxidative stress goes up, increasing your chance of developing chronic disease. In order to keep your body as healthy as possible, women need 75 milligrams of daily vitamin C and men need 90 milligrams per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. If you smoke, you’ll need another 35 milligrams above your recommendation, as smoking causes free radicals to form in your system. A 1-cup serving of cherry tomatoes has around 20.5 milligrams of vitamin C.

You may not think of cherry tomatoes as helpful to your heart; however, they’ll add some potassium to your diet, which is an electrolyte mineral that keeps electricity flowing throughout your body. That steady stream of electricity keeps your heart beating at a regular pace. Not enough potassium in your daily diet can lead to cardiac arrhythmia, more commonly known as an abnormal heartbeat. You need 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. You’ll easily get more than 350 milligrams just by enjoying a cup of cherry tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes have fewer than 30 calories per cup, so you won’t have to worry about ruining your waistline. Slide them onto skewers, drizzle with a touch of olive oil and place them on the top shelf of the grill while you have chicken breasts cooking below. They’re perfectly enjoyable as a side dish on their own after grilling, or you can mix them in with sautéed spinach or toss them into a fresh salad. If you’re looking for a quick snack, spread a spoonful of nonfat cream cheese on a few wheat crackers, add a fresh basil leaf, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on top. Cherry tomatoes are also perfect for omelets, bruschetta, pasta dishes and as a pizza topper. You can simply dip them in hummus, or enjoy them all on their own.