Romaine Lettuce vs. Tomato
Nutrition comparison of Romaine Lettuce and Tomato
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
romaine lettuce
versus
tomato
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in romaine lettuce and tomato:
- Both romaine lettuce and tomato are high in potassium.
- Romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than tomato, however, tomato contains more alpha-carotene and lycopene than romaine lettuce.
- Romaine lettuce has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and dietary fiber.
- Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Tomato is a great source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Tomato (Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Romaine lettuce and tomato contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and tomato has 18 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, romaine lettuce is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to tomato per calorie. Romaine lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 22:63:15 and for tomato, 17:75:9 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 22% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 63% | 75% |
| Fat | 15% | 9% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both romaine lettuce and tomato are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 69% sugar and 31% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than tomato - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tomato has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Romaine lettuce and tomato contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and tomato has 2.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Romaine lettuce and tomato contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and tomato has 0.88g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both romaine lettuce and tomato are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g 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 243% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tomato has 13.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 938% more Vitamin A than tomato - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tomato has 42ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Romaine lettuce and tomato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tomato has 0.54mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 11 times more Vitamin K than tomato - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tomato has 7.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Romaine lettuce has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate. Both romaine lettuce and tomato contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.072 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.067 MG | 0.019 MG |
| Niacin | 0.313 MG | 0.594 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.142 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.074 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Folate | 136 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Romaine lettuce has 230% more calcium than tomato - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and tomato has 10mg of calcium.
iron
Romaine lettuce has 259% more iron than tomato - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and tomato has 0.27mg of iron.
potassium
Both romaine lettuce and tomato are high in potassium. Romaine lettuce has a little more potassium (4%) than tomato by weight - romaine lettuce has 247mg 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, both romaine lettuce and tomato contain small amounts of kaempferol.
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.05 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 0.09 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.2 mg | 0.58 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, romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than tomato per 100 grams, however, tomato contains more alpha-carotene and lycopene than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5226 UG | 449 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 2312 UG | 123 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 101 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 2573 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, romaine lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than tomato per 100 grams.
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.113 G | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.113 G | 0.003 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both romaine lettuce and tomato contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Romaine Lettuce | Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.08 G |
| Total | 0.047 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Tomato (Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average) .
Romaine Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Tomato g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 romaine lettuce or tomato contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce and tomato contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and tomato has 18 calories.
Does romaine lettuce or tomato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both romaine lettuce and tomato are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does romaine lettuce or tomato contain more potassium?
Both romaine lettuce and tomato are high in potassium. Romaine lettuce has a little more potassium ( 0%) than tomato by weight - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium in 100 grams and tomato has 237mg of potassium.