Tomato Facts for Kids

Tomatoes on a table
  • Name: Tomato, Tomatoes
  • Type of Food: Fruit (Botanically)
  • Produced From: Tomato Plants
  • Total Calories: 22 (medium tomato, 123 grams)
  • Total Fat: none (medium tomato, 123 grams)
  • Total Protein: 1 gram (medium tomato, 123 grams)
  • Total Carbohydrates: 5 grams (medium tomato, 123 grams)

26 Tomato Facts for Kids

  1. A tomato is a fruit (botanically), but commonly considered a culinary vegetable due to its low sugar content.
  2. The reason tomatoes are botanically considered a fruit is because they contain the seeds inside of them.
  3. Tomatoes are grown on the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum).
  4. It’s estimated there are around 7,500 varieties of tomatoes worldwide.
  5. Tomatoes are divided into nine different categories based on their size and shape.
  6. The nine different categories of tomatoes are beefsteak tomatoes, Campari tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, globe tomatoes, grape tomatoes, oxheart tomatoes, pear tomatoes, plum tomatoes and tomberries.
  7. Tomatoes come in a wide variety of colors, including but not limited to red, orange, yellow and green.
  8. According to FAOSTAT, the world produced over 195 million tons of tomatoes in 2016.
  9. According to FAOSTAT, the largest producer of tomatoes in 2016 was China with over 62 million tons.
  10. According to FAOSTATE, the United States of America produced over 14 million tons of tomatoes in 2016.
  11. Tomatoes are made up of 95% water, 4% carbohydrates and less than 1% of both fat and protein.
  12. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 22 calories.
  13. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains no fats.
  14. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains no cholesterol.
  15. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 6 milligrams of sodium.
  16. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 5 grams of carbohydrates.
  17. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 2 grams of dietary fiber.
  18. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 3 grams of sugar.
  19. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 1 gram of protein.
  20. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 12 milligrams of calcium.
  21. One medium tomato (123 grams) contains 291 milligrams of potassium.
  22. Buñol, a city in Spain is known for their annual Tomatina festival. This is a gathering of around 40,000 people who throw tomatoes at each other. The Tomatina festival goes through more than 250,000 pounds of tomatoes every year.
  23. Since 1965, tomato juice has been the official beverage of the U.S. State of Ohio.
  24. According to the Guinness World Records, the heaviest tomato plant on record weighed 9 pounds and 10 ounces. This world record was set on September 20th, 2019 by Steve and Jeanne Marley in the United States of America.
  25. According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest tomato plant on record reached a height of 65 feet. This world record was set on October 12th, 1999 by Nutriculture Ltd in the United Kingdom.
  26. According to the Guinness World Records, the tomato plant on record with the largest amount of tomatoes harvested produced a yield of 1,151.84 pounds of tomatoes. This world record was set on April 20th, 2006 by the Walt Disney World Company in the United States of America.

Additional Resources on Tomatoes

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