tomato
Vegetables
Trigger checker for tomato
See tomato rated across every trigger — FODMAP, histamine, salicylate, oxalate, tyramine and more — plus diet compatibility, all in one quick ingredient profile.
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Serving size, prep, and portion notes for tomato
Tomato is flagged on more independent axes than almost any other everyday vegetable, and the mechanisms are constantly mistaken for each other. It is a nightshade, our highest grade there, carrying the glycoalkaloids that concentrate in unripe green fruit, stems and leaves. Separately it is one of the richest natural sources of free glutamate, which is exactly why it tastes savoury and why it turns up in MSG-sensitivity reports. Separately again it grades high for histamine and high as a histamine liberator, and high for salicylates, with moderate oxalate and high lectin content in the seeds and skin. What it is not is a FODMAP problem: it rates only moderate there and clean on fructans, lactose, gluten, nickel and sulfites. And despite the nightshade reputation, tomato grades strongly anti-inflammatory, so nightshade avoidance is an individual sensitivity question rather than a general claim that tomato is inflammatory.
Watch for
A nightshade at our highest grade, and not compliant with autoimmune protocol. The glycoalkaloids concentrate in unripe green fruit, stems and leaves, so under-ripe tomatoes carry more than fully red ones / One of the highest natural free-glutamate foods there is. Reducing tomato into paste, passata or sun-dried pieces concentrates it further, which is why a rich sauce reads far more umami and MSG-like than a fresh slice / High for histamine and a strong liberator on top of that. Cooked, tinned and jarred tomato products grade worse than fresh fruit, with tomato sauce reaching our top histamine grade / High in salicylates, moderate in oxalate and high in lectins. The lectins sit in the seeds and skin, so deseeding and peeling reduce the load without removing it / Only moderate on FODMAPs and clean on fructans, gluten, lactose, nickel and sulfites, so if tomato reliably bothers you the cause is nearly always one of the nightshade, histamine, glutamate or salicylate routes rather than fermentation / Rates strongly anti-inflammatory in its own right, largely from lycopene, so a nightshade reaction is a personal sensitivity rather than evidence that tomato is an inflammatory food
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FAQ
What does the FODMAP rating mean for tomato?
Medium FODMAP: portion size matters more than the ingredient itself.
Is tomato generally well tolerated?
Nightshades (Avoid) and Glutamates (Avoid) Start with those if you react.
What should I check next?
Compare within the Vegetables group.