A Roma tomato can be used in many different ways, from sauces, stews, and pastes, or on their own, as they can add a tanginess to any recipe you use them with and are also known as plum tomatoes, and you can get a lot of sweetness from them as well.
Find out more about this delightful tomato which includes its nutrition, and you may find this fruit becomes your new favorite ingredient.
Roma Tomato: Nutritional Values
These types of tomatoes and in general, are made up of around 90% of water, and the values below represent a 62-gram tomato:
- Calories- 11.2 ( 1.1 from fat)
- Sodium- 3.1mg
- Fiber- 0.7g
- Carbohydrates- 2.4g
- Fructose- 0.8g
- Glucose- 0.8g
- Protein – 0.5g
- Sugar- 1.6g
- Potassium- 146.9mg
Vitamin And Mineral Content
- Vitamin A- 26μg
- Vitamin C- 8.5μg
- Vitamin E- 0.3mg
- Vitamin K- 4.9μg
- Calcium- 6.2mg
- Magnesium- 6.8mg
- Phosphorus- 14.9mg
- Zinc- 0.1mg
- Lycopene- 1595μg
- Niacin- 0.4mg
- Folate- 9.3μg
- Choline- 4.2mg
- Water- 58.6g
What Are The Health Benefits?
As you can see from these values, a lot of nutrients are packed into a Roma tomato, which can be surprising, seeing how small they are.
Still, health benefits are full of goodness that can help prevent certain diseases, regardless of how you prepare them.
An example of this goodness is carotenoids, which are antioxidants that work best when absorbed by fat, and as you cut and chop foods that are rich in them can even increase the strength of the nutrients as they enter your bloodstream.
You can find that they benefit the eyes, the cardiovascular system, and the immune system and prevent cancer, specifically lung and skin cancer.
As for potassium, this is vital to many functions in the body and ensures that these work correctly.
It manages things like regulating your heartbeat, synthesizing protein, metabolizing carbohydrates, and allowing the proper functioning of muscles and cells.
Some Recipes You Can Make With Roma Tomatoes
One of the best things you can do with a Roma tomato is preserve it by making it into a sauce or canning them.
Roma tomatoes have roughly 25 calories and 1 gram of protein for every quarter cup of sauce. We have a wonderful recipe for canning or making your tomatoes into a sauce here.
Suppose you want to keep the Italian theme going. In that case, you could make a Panzanella salad with some tomatoes that make a fuller flavor and work with the vinaigrette dressing, so this one is perfect for those who love intense tomato flavors with a good amount of protein.
This sauce works its best, though, when used in a bolognese or to serve with pasta but to cut down on the calories, aim for whole wheat pasta, or you could use them with veggie noodles, like spiralized carrots, cucumbers, radish, and even butternut squash.
Suppose you want something more warming and filling. In that case, you could try a Roma tomato soup or a beef and tomato stew with a good selection of vegetables, including onion, carrot, peas, and celery, but this can be 329 calories per serving, so you might want to limit your amounts.
How To Use Roma Tomatoes In A Meal Plan
The first thing you can do is look at your snacking options, and if you find you are consuming more than you’d like, try swapping in a cup of Roma tomatoes, as they can be just as tasty on their own and are ideal for those who want to lower their blood pressure.
If you mix them with cheese, basil leaves, salt, and pepper, alongside other veggies, but as Roma tomatoes are a low-energy fruit, you can add some beans, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, raisins, and almonds into your diet so you can make up for this shortcoming.
And the best part is, you can do many things with a Roma tomato, so you can grill them, saute them, bake them with light cheese over the top, and for the bigger varieties, you can stuff them with your favorite herbs and even minced meats.
The Bottom Line
There are many ways you can use a Roma tomato, and for the best flavors, you’re looking for plump kinds that don’t have any blemishes or cracks in them and avoid buying refrigerated ones, as this can damage them and spoil the ripening process.
With that out of the way, you can get some pleasant aromas from these tomatoes and use them in recipes that can be low in calories and give you the essential nutrients you need.
I decided to start TodayInDietzville because I wanted to share all of the tips, tricks and information that I’ve learned over the years as a nutritionist.
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