Wondering how many calories are in a handful of tomatoes? This tomato calories per handful calculator gives you a quick, honest estimate for fresh cherry tomatoes, raw salad tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, tomato purée, and calorie-dense sun-dried tomatoes. Pick your tomato type, choose a small, medium, or large handful (or enter an exact weight), set how many handfuls you are eating, and press Calculate.
Tomatoes are naturally low in calories, but the type and weight of your handful change the numbers: a 100 g handful of cherry tomatoes delivers roughly 25 calories, while the same weight of sun-dried tomatoes jumps to about 258 calories. Beyond calories, the tool breaks down carbs, protein, fiber, and sugar, which makes it handy for meal prep, diet planning, or everyday portion control. All values come from standard USDA nutrition data.
Tomato Type
Handful Size
Number of Handfuls
Quick Start
Select the tomato type you are actually eating, then choose a handful size. The Small (70 g), Medium (100 g), and Large (130 g) preset buttons set the weight instantly, or type any exact weight and pick Custom. Enter the number of handfuls (half a handful works for a small snack), then press Calculate Calories. The result shows total calories, calories per handful, and the main macros for your exact portion.
Formula Explained
Every result starts from standard USDA nutrition values per 100 g of each tomato product. The tool scales those values linearly to your total weight: calories per 100 g × total grams ÷ 100. Protein, carbs, fiber, and sugar scale the same way. The formula assumes plain tomatoes with no added oil, salt, or dressing — if you cook them in oil or add dressing, log those calories separately.
Reference Data (Per 100 g)
| Tomato type | Calories | Carbs | Protein | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh raw tomato | 18 | 3.9 g | 0.9 g | 1.2 g | 2.6 g |
| Cherry / grape tomato | 25 | 3.9 g | 0.9 g | 1.2 g | 2.6 g |
| Canned diced tomato | 21 | 4.4 g | 1.0 g | 1.2 g | 2.5 g |
| Tomato purée | 38 | 8.4 g | 1.7 g | 1.6 g | 4.6 g |
| Sun-dried tomato | 258 | 55.8 g | 14.1 g | 12.3 g | 37.6 g |
Values compiled from USDA FoodData Central.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Counting fruit instead of weighing — cherry tomatoes range from about 8 g to over 25 g each, so a "handful" can vary by 50% or more.
- Treating sun-dried tomatoes like fresh ones — at roughly 258 kcal per 100 g, they are closer to a dried fruit or condiment than a free snack.
- Forgetting added fats — a drizzle of olive oil can easily double or triple the calories of a fresh tomato salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a handful of cherry tomatoes really only about 25 calories?
Yes for a 100 g handful. A small 70 g handful is about 18 kcal, and a large 130 g handful about 33 kcal.
Do cooked tomatoes have more calories than raw ones?
Not by themselves. Cooking evaporates water and concentrates nutrients, so the same weight of cooked tomato has slightly more calories per gram. Added fats are what really raise the count.
Why do cherry and raw tomatoes have different calorie values?
Cherry tomatoes are a bit denser and less watery than large slicing tomatoes, so they average about 25 kcal per 100 g versus 18 kcal for raw. For hand-sized portions the difference is small, but it adds up over a season of snacking. See Wikipedia's tomato article for more background on varieties and nutrition.