Tomato vs Cucumber – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing tomato to cucumber, we picked the tomato.

Why?

Both are certainly great, but there are some nutritional factors between them:

In terms of macros, everything is approximately equal except that tomato has more than 2x the fiber, so that’s a win for tomato.

When it comes to vitamins, tomatoes have more of vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, B9, C, E, and choline, while cucumber has more of vitamins B2, B5, and K. In short, an 8:3 victory for tomatoes.

In the category of minerals, tomatoes have more copper, potassium, and manganese, while cucumber has more calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. So, a win for cucumber this time.

Both have useful phytochemical properties, too; tomatoes are rich in lycopene which has many benefits, and cucumbers have powerful anti-inflammatory powers whose mechanism of action is not yet fully understood—see the links below for more details!

All in all, enjoy either or both (they make a great salad chopped roughly together with some olives, a little garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a twist or three of black pepper), but if you have to pick just one (what a cruel world), we say the tomato has the most benefits, on balance.

Want to learn more?

You might like to read:

• Lycopene’s Benefits For The Gut, Heart, Brain, & More
• Cucumber Extract Beats Glucosamine & Chondroitin… At 1/135th Of The Dose?!

Take care!