I’ve always loved the flavor sun dried tomatoes add to various dishes, but I shy away from using them on a regular basis because they are usually soaked in oil.
I was excited when Bella Sun Luci wanted to send me their new oil-free sun dried tomato varieties to try out.
Let’s take a look at the nutrition of sun dried tomatoes and see how these new oil-free varieties compare.
Nutrition of Sun Dried Tomatoes
The best thing sun dried tomatoes have going for them is their high lycopene content. This antioxidant is believed to protect the health of the eye and possibly has cancer preventing properties. Tomatoes are the highest lycopene containing vegetable and sun dried tomatoes have 12 times more lycopene than the same amount of fresh tomatoes.
Here’s how oil-free and oil-packed sun dried tomatoes compare.
| Serving size: 14g or .5oz | Oil Free | Oil Packed |
| Calories | 35 | 70 |
| Fat | 0g | 5g |
| Sodium | 35mg | 10mg |
| Total Carbs | 6g | 6g |
| Fiber | 1g | 1g |
| Sugar | 4g | 3g |
| Vitamin A | 2% DV | 6% DV |
| Vitamin C | 8% DV | 10% DV |
| Calcium | 0% DV | 2% DV |
| Iron | 6% DV | 10% DV |
While oil prepared sun dried tomatoes are slightly higher in vitamins and minerals, they are double the calories of the oil-free variety. Bella Sun Luci’s oil variety (used above) is made with 100% olive oil, but many brands on the market would use other vegetable oils since they are cheaper. This could make them high in omega-6 if oils such as sunflower or soybean are used.
Bella Sun Luci’s oil-free tomatoes contain sulfites as a preservative and these are known to cause allergic reactions in some people.
Verdict
Overall, this product is a refreshing alternative to the oil-laden variety of sun dried tomatoes. They are great on sandwiches, as an addition to salads, and even tasty right from the bag, which makes them a nutritious snack on their own.The only thing that bothered me was the use of sulfites (to retain color) as they are counted as one the 9 highest food allergens.
Bella Sun Luci has 4 varieties of oil-free sun dried tomatoes; Halves, Julienne-Cut, Zesty Peppers, and Italian Basil. They are healthy low-calorie alternatives to the standard oil-packed varieties.
Do you eat sun dried tomatoes as part of your healthy diet? If so, how do you use them?
You’re right, Al. I apologize. I support your opinion.
like=THINK
i completely respect your opinion losinandlovinit but i do think you should have more respect towards my opinion.
I must disagree with Al. I absolutely adored the dried tomatoes! They worked wonders for the topping to my homemade Italian tomato sauce! Thumbs up!
i know everyone is saying happy comments like “didn’t like i would but i loved these!” but i thought a negative comment should be said as well. i honestly did not like these at all and would not purchase them again, in my opinion they were not to sweet, not to sour, or not too salty. there is honestly no good way for me to describe them, sorry.
I grabbed these at the grocery store after reading this article. Had some on my salad today and holy cow…TASTY! Just the right amount of sweet and a slight acidic punch. So good.
These look pretty tasty. I might have to give them a try. Snacking too much has been my down fall but I recently found some great low calorie snacks which has helped the waist line along with exercise.
I also found some other low calorie healthy foods that really work well for me. They are out there you just need look. I lost almost 39 pounds by eating healthy so it does work!
@spectra doesnt that make it heavy on calories??
Nice Info.
@ spectra -would love to give it a try,,
Generally, I make dried tomatoes in the oven–I slice them very thin, lay them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with a little salt and some minced garlic and rosemary leaves. I then put them in a low oven (around 200F) for about 8-10 hours or until they’re totally dried out. Then I store them in baggies and use them for snacking/cooking. Bonus: they don’t have preservatives and they’re very cheap.