Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?

— By Laurie Colton, EFNEP Community Education Assistant in Northern Aroostook County, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

This blog post is a part of our “Ask EFNEP” series where members of UMaine Cooperative Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) answer questions they are asked when delivering food and nutrition programs.

Question: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

When I am teaching in a school about the fruit and vegetable groups, students are confused whether tomatoes and avocados are a fruit or a vegetable. I usually answer that question this way: scientifically tomatoes and avocados are fruits, but according to USDA’s MyPlate, they are considered vegetables (MyPlate).

Confusion over what is a fruit and what is a vegetable is not new. According to David Handley, University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Vegetable & Small Fruit Specialist, “It’s all about context; in terms of marketing and culinary use, “vegetables” historically include many fruits (tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, etc.), and are used for nutritional and savory purposes. Whereas “fruit” is marketed and purposed as dessert items, i.e. valued for their sweetness and not as a main course. However, if you are discussing things from a botanical perspective, then yes, seed-bearing organs are indeed fruit. So, some vegetables are fruit, but not all fruits are vegetables.”

Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it is seed-bearing. However, tomatoes are often used in savory recipes and meals like tomato sauce or salad. So tomatoes are typically used as a vegetable. Avocados are another example of a fruit that is used in a savory dish, such as guacamole or in a salad.

An image of a tomato plant with text labeling parts of a plant. Lines pointing to the flower, leaf, tomato fruit, stem, root, and seed of a tomato cut in half.

Looking at the figure above, you can see there are multiple parts of a plant. There is the flower, leaf, fruit, stem, root, and seed. Fruit grows from the flower of a plant and contains seeds, while vegetables consist of roots, stems, and leaves. When you break down what fruits and vegetables are botanically you might be surprised, here are some examples.

Flowers Leaves Fruit Stems Roots Seeds
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Beet Greens
Cabbage
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Acorn Squash
Apples
Bell Pepper
Berries
Cucumber
Melons
Pears
Squash
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Zucchini
Asparagus
Celery
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Beets
Carrots
Parsnips
Radishes
Rutabaga
Turnip
Corn
Peanuts
Peas
Sunflower Seeds

Overall, if it’s served with a meal, it’s typically considered a vegetable. If it’s sweet or tart and eaten as a dessert, it’s typically considered fruit according to USDA’s guidelines (USDA).

For some great recipes using tomatoes and avocados check out the Mainely Dish videos and Cooperative Extensions publication below.

Resources