Resembling mini-Chinese lanterns hanging on the plant, tomatillos are actually a staple of Mexican cuisine, particularly as part of salsa verde. Though considered a culinary vegetable, tomatillos are technically a fruit (berries). If you’ve never seen them before, they are small (~2 inches or 5 cm), round, green, yellow, or purple fruit, which look like tiny tomatoes, housed within an inedible paper-like husk (aka the lantern). As the fruit ripens, the husk turns from green to brown and splits open revealing the fruit inside. Purple and red varieties are sweeter, while green varieties have a tart flavor. In fact, this fruit is often harvested early when still unripe to capitalize on its characteristic sour flavor, key to creating famous South American green sauces. When fully ripe, the sweeter fruit can be used to make jams and preserves or as a substitute for tomato – they can even be dried to further enhance their sweetness, akin to dried cranberries. Talk about versatile!
Tomatillos belong to the Solanaceae family, whose members are known as ‘nightshades’. These plants have certain characteristics in common, like the shape of the flower and how the seeds are arranged within the fruit. There are more than 2,000 species in this family, the vast majority of which are inedible and many of which are highly poisonous (like deadly nightshade, aka belladonna, and jimsom weed). Other edible members include potatoes (but not sweet potatoes), tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Members of this family don’t always get the best reputation because of their association with inflammatory compounds, but for those who can tolerate them, they can be a worthy dietary addition!
Tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica and Physalis ixocarpa) are also known as husk tomato, Mexican husk tomato, Mexican green tomato and miltomate and have several Spanish nicknames as well. The word tomatillo comes from the Nahuatl word, tomatl, and literally translates to ‘little tomato’ in Spanish – a very fitting name indeed. This fruit is native to Mexico and Central America and was domesticated in Mexico prior to European contact, where they featured more prominently in Mayan and Aztec culture than their currently more popular cousin, the tomato. But they’ve been around a lot longer than that! Analysis of a tomatillo fossil found in Argentina dated to 52 million years BP, which is the earliest known evidence of the Solanaceae plant family ever discovered! There are many members of the Physalis genus growing in the wild but only a few species have been cultivated for both dietary and medicinal purposes, including goldenberry and groundcherry, in addition to tomatillos. All members in the genus Physalis are recognizable by their papery outer husks, which probably evolved to aid in seed dispersal and/or as a means of protection. Tomatillo plants are prolific producers, with a single plant providing 60 to 200 fruits within a single growing season! Today, Mexico is still the largest producer of this food, with the US as the largest importer. Throughout most of the world this fruit turned veggie is relatively unknown and widely under-utilized. Perhaps, education regarding their nutrient density, will convince more people to experiment with this “packaged” fruit allowing them to discover the “prize” inside!
Nutrivore Score for Tomatillo – 621
Tomatillos have a Nutrivore Score of 621, making them a high nutrient-dense food! Plus, they are a low-carb and low-calorie-density food; the calorie count of tomatillos is just 42 calories per cup!
Per serving, tomatillos are a best source (>50% daily value) of polyphenols; and a good source (10-20% daily value) of copper, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin C, and vitamin K.
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Tomatillo Nutrition Facts
One serving of tomatillos is standardized to 1 cup, diced or about 132 grams (4.7 ounces). A typical medium-sized tomatillo weighs 34 grams, which means: one serving of tomatillo is roughly equivalent to 4 tomatillos.
Tomatillo Nutrition Facts Per Serving
Tomatillo, raw | Nutrivore Score: 621 | Nutrient Density: High |
---|---|---|
Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (132 grams) | Protein: 1.3 grams | Net Carbohydrates: 5.2 grams |
Calories: 42 | Total Fat: 1.3 grams | Dietary Fiber: 2.5 grams |
VITAMINS | ||
---|---|---|
Vitamin A | 7.9 μg RAE | 1% DV |
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | 58.1 μg | 5% DV |
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 46.2 μg | 4% DV |
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 2.4 mg | 15% DV |
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | 0.2 mg | 4% DV |
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) | 73.9 μg | 4% DV |
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) | ~ | ~ |
Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 9.2 μg | 2% DV |
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) | 0.0 μg | 0% DV |
Vitamin C | 15.4 mg | 17% DV |
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.0 μg | 0% DV |
Vitamin E | 0.5 mg | 3% DV |
Vitamin K | 13.3 μg | 11% DV |
Choline | 10.0 mg | 2% DV |
Myo-Inositol | ~ | ~ |
CoQ10 | ~ | ~ |
FUNCTIONAL FATS | ||
---|---|---|
MUFA | 0.2 g | 1% DV |
ALA | 21.1 mg | 1% DV |
EPA + DHA | 0.0 mg | 0% DV |
CLA | ~ | ~ |
Linoleic Acid | 0.5 g | 3% DV |
MCT’s | 0.0 g | ~ |
MINERALS | ||
---|---|---|
Calcium | 9.2 mg | 1% DV |
Copper | 104.3 μg | 12% DV |
Iodine | ~ | ~ |
Iron | 0.8 mg | 5% DV |
Magnesium | 26.4 mg | 6% DV |
Manganese | 202.0 μg | 9% DV |
Phosphorus | 51.5 mg | 4% DV |
Potassium | 353.8 mg | 8% DV |
Selenium | 0.7 μg | 1% DV |
Sodium | 1.3 mg | 0% DV |
Zinc | 0.3 mg | 3% DV |
PHYTONUTRIENTS | ||
---|---|---|
Carotenoids | 712.8 μg | ~ |
Polyphenols | 970.2 mg | ~ |
Phytosterols | ~ | ~ |
Glucosinolates | ~ | ~ |
Thiosulfinates | ~ | ~ |
Betalains | ~ | ~ |
AMINO ACIDS & PEPTIDES | ||
---|---|---|
Taurine | ~ | ~ |
Ergothioneine | ~ | ~ |
Surprised tomatillos are THAT nutritious? Maybe your friends will be too!
Health Benefits of Tomatillo Nutrients
Let’s take a closer look at all of the best and excellent source of nutrients found in a 1-cup serving of tomatillo and see how they benefit our health.
Tomatillos Provide 970.2 mg of Polyphenols
Tomatillos are a best source of polyphenols, providing 970.2 mg of polyphenols per 1-cup serving!
Polyphenols play a huge role in protecting against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions associated with oxidative stress. In fact, a major reason foods like red wine and olive oil (as well as diets rich in both, such as the Mediterranean diet) show up as so beneficial may be due to their high polyphenol content! Along with chronic diseases, supplementing with polyphenols has been shown to protect against infections and reduce the signs of aging. Polyphenols exert their most potent effects by acting as antioxidants—preventing cellular damage by neutralizing hazardous oxygen radicals and improving cellular health as a result (which, in turn, benefits virtually every system in the body). As a result of their antioxidant properties, polyphenols also boost the immune system and protect against both chronic and acute diseases. In addition, polyphenols can help regulate enzyme function, stimulate cell receptors, modulate the functions of inflammatory cells (including T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, platelets, and natural killer cells), alter adhesion molecule expression, affect nerve cells and cardiac muscle cells, and exert antiviral effects. Learn more about polyphenols here.
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How Much Tomatillo Should We Eat Per Day?
Members of the nightshade family are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients but may be problematic to some due to the presence of inflammatory compounds.
Every serving of fresh, whole vegetables or fruit we eat daily reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 5% to 8%, with the greatest risk reduction seen when we consume five or more servings per day. In fact, consuming 800 grams of vegetables and fruits daily reduces all-cause mortality by 31% compared to eating less than 40 grams daily. A 2017 meta-analysis showed that 2.24 million deaths from cardiovascular disease, 660,000 deaths from cancer, and 7.8 million deaths from all causes could be avoided globally each year if everyone consumed 800 grams of veggies and fruits every day.
Eating vegetables and fruit in abundance lowers risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis and bone fragility fractures (including hip fracture), cognitive impairment and dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), neurodegenerative diseases, asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, depression, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory polyarthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and lowers markers of inflammation. Learn more in Importance of Vegetables and Fruit.
Covering half of your plate with a variety of vegetables (and three quarters of your plate if your starchy food is a root vegetable or winter squash) at each meal is a simple way to easily achieve the goal of 5 or more servings of vegetables daily.
Just remember, it’s always best to mix up the veggies you eat day to day (aiming for a wide variety of different vegetables and fruits throughout the week), and tomatillos definitely have a place at the table.
cITATIONS
Expand to see all scientific references for this article.
González-Mendoza D, Ascencio-Martinez D, Poox AH, Mendez-Trujillo V, Grimaldo-Juarez O, Hernandez JFS, Diaz LC, Marin SMA. Phenolic compounds and physiochemical analysis of Physalis ixocarpa genotypes. Scientific Research and Essays. 2011(6):3808-3814. doi: 10.5897/SRE11.370.
USDA Food Central Database: Tomatillos, raw