Can Tomatoes Help You Lose Weight? An Analysis of Tomato Weight-Loss Benefits

Many people know about the tomato diet, but eating only tomatoes is just too monotonous! So what are the ways to eat tomatoes for weight loss? Tomatoes are rich in fiber, easy to fill you up, and taste great, which makes them a great helper for losing weight.

Can eating tomatoes help you lose weight?

Whether red or yellow, tomatoes are the best weight-loss fruit. This is because tomatoes are rich in pectin and other dietary fiber, which makes it easy to feel full. The fiber not only cannot be digested by the intestines, but also absorbs excess fat and carries it out of the body. In addition, tomatoes are low in sugar and low in calories, with only 16 kcal per 100 grams. Eating one medium-sized tomato before a meal can reduce how much you eat and prevent fat from being absorbed.

Nutrition and Benefits of Tomatoes

1. Extremely low in calories

Tomatoes taste good and easily make you feel full, and each 100 grams contains only 16 calories. A medium-sized 250-gram tomato has only 40 calories in total. By comparison, an apple of the same size has 107 calories.

2. Rich in vitamin A, C and other nutrients

Vitamin A keeps the skin healthy. A single tomato already contains the vitamin C an adult needs for a day (50 mg), which can strengthen the body's resistance. At the same time, the iron, citric acid and other substances in tomatoes can also help prevent anemia, relieve fatigue and strengthen blood vessels.

3. Can act as an antioxidant

The lycopene in tomatoes can help the body exert its antioxidant function.

4. Especially strong at removing oil

Tomatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which can absorb excess fat in the intestinal tract and then expel it from the body. Eating one tomato before a meal can further prevent the fat in food from being absorbed by the body and help burn fat.

Tomato Weight-Loss Recipes

Recipe 1: Chilled Tomato Soup

Method: Cut 5 medium-sized tomatoes and put them in a blender, add half a deseeded cucumber, half a cup of green pepper, 1/4 cup of onion and one spoon of olive oil. Blend for 20 minutes, then put it in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.

It can be divided into four servings, each containing 76 calories. 4 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.

Recipe 2: Pickled Tomatoes

Method: First heat the olive oil in a pan, then add one spoon of garlic, 1/2 spoon of fennel and 1/2 spoon of red chili powder. Pour the vinegar and sugar into the pan, heat for 3 minutes until the sugar is completely melted, then let it cool for a while.

Put the sauce you just made into a jar, then add three tomatoes that have already been cut into pieces, and then put it in the refrigerator to freeze for 4 hours.

It can be divided into six servings, each containing 77 calories. 3 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber.

Recipe 3: Tomato Steak Shaved Ice

Method: Prepare 250 grams of lean steak meat, pour two spoons of vinegar, one spoon of olive oil and 1/4 spoon of salt onto the steak, and slowly mix well. Then cut four tomatoes into pieces, add them to the steak, steam for 20 minutes and then add two spoons of low-fat ice cream.

It can be divided into eight servings, each containing 17 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Recipe 4: Tomato Seafood Soup

Method: Take 2 large tomatoes, blanch them, peel them and blend them into juice. Prepare 2 shell-on shrimp, 2 slices of squid, 5 clams, 2 slices of sea bream fillet, an appropriate amount of basil, 1/4 of a lemon, half an onion cut into fine pieces, 1 small teaspoon of sea salt and 3 bowls of water.

Add three bowls of water, the tomato juice and the chopped onion to a soup pot and wait until it boils, then turn to low heat and cook for another 10 minutes so the soup absorbs the flavors. After that, turn the heat to high, put all the seafood into the soup and bring it to a boil, add the basil and it is ready to serve. When eating, you can squeeze the lemon juice into the soup, which gives it a distinctive flavor.

Recipe 5: Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant

Prepare the butter and olive oil, and get ready to turn on the oven.

Cut the tomatoes crosswise into thin slices, then add half a spoon of salt, mix well and set aside for ten minutes. Then put them in the oven, spread olive oil evenly on the eggplant, and roast for four minutes. Turn them over and continue roasting for another four minutes until completely cooked through.

Bake the eggplant in the same way.

Then add a light layer of butter to the tomatoes and eggplant, and let them cool for 5 minutes so the butter fully blends into the tomato and eggplant juices.

It can be divided into four servings, each containing 155 calories, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber and 7 grams of protein.