Beets vs. Tomato
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Tomato
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
tomato
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and tomato:
- Both beets and tomato are high in potassium.
- Beet has more folate.
- Beet is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Tomato has 58% less calories than beet.
- Tomato has 61% less sugar than beet.
- Tomato is a great source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Tomato (Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Tomato has 58% less calories than beet - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and tomato has 18 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to tomato for protein. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for tomato, 17:75:9 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 75% |
| Fat | 3% | 9% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beets and tomato contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in beets are made of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 69% sugar and 31% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Beet is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 133% more dietary fiber than tomato - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tomato has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Tomato has 61% less sugar than beet - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and tomato has 2.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Beets and tomato contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and tomato has 0.88g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beets and tomato are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tomato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tomato is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 180% more Vitamin C than beet - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tomato has 13.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Tomato has 20 times more Vitamin A than beet - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tomato has 42ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Beets and tomato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tomato has 0.54mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beets and tomato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tomato has 7.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beet has more folate. Both beets and tomato contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.019 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.594 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beets and tomato contain similar amounts of calcium - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and tomato has 10mg of calcium.
iron
Beet has 196% more iron than tomato - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and tomato has 0.27mg of iron.
potassium
Both beets and tomato are high in potassium. Beet has 37% more potassium than tomato - beet has 325mg of potassium per 100 grams and tomato has 237mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds, beet has more luteolin than tomato per 100 grams, however, tomato contains more quercetin than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 0.58 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.09 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.13 mg |
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 20 UG | 449 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 101 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 2573 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 123 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and tomato contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.003 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beets and tomato contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beets | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.08 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.08 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Tomato g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does beets or tomato contain more calories in 100 grams?Tomato has 60% less calories than beet - beet has 43 calories in 100g and tomato has 18 calories.
Does beets or tomato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beets and tomato contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in beets are made of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does beets or tomato contain more potassium?
Both beets and tomato are high in potassium. Beet has 40% more potassium than tomato - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and tomato has 237mg of potassium.