We usually eat them fresh, they are so tasty! But we can make juice, smoothies even salads with them. We can eat them dried. They are so rich in vitamins and minerals. Can you guess what are they? Of course, they are fruits! Bananas, strawberries, apples, pears, apricots, oranges, grapes...the list is so long. Actually, there are around 2000 types of fruits around the world! Can you believe it? And what do you think are tomatoes and cucumbers fruits? And what about the peas, are those fruits? Let's find out!
In this lesson, we are going to learn about FRUITS, and we will discuss:
Fruit is a part of a flowering plant that contains seeds. The skin of the fruit may be thin, tough, or hard. Its insides are often sweet and juicy. But some fruits, including nuts, are dry. Fruits develop from a plant's flowers. Some foods that people call vegetables are actually fruits. That is the case with tomatoes and cucumbers. Let's find out why!
Well, scientifically (botanically), fruits and vegetables are classified depending on which part of the plant they come from. Fruits develop from the flower of a plant, while the other parts of the plant are categorized as vegetables. Fruits contain seeds, while vegetables can consist, for example, of roots, stems, leaves, and bulbs.
By this definition, seedy outgrowths such as apples, strawberries, oranges, and melons, are all fruits. The same goes for tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas too. While roots such as carrots, leaves such as spinach and lettuce, or stems such as celery or asparagus are all vegetables. Vegetables are also onions and garlic. Vegetables are broccoli and cauliflower.
But in culinary language, a fruit is the sweet, or not sweet- even sour-tasting produce of a specific plant, like apples, pears, or oranges. Also, nuts are hard, oily, non-sweet plants produce in shells, like hazelnuts, and walnuts. Vegetables are savory or non-sweet produce, like zucchini, broccoli, and tomato.
It is important to know the difference between botanical and culinary, to be able to better understand fruits.
Common types of fruits are pome fruits, citrus fruits, drupes, tropical fruits, berries, and melons.
Pomes are fleshy fruits that consist of an outer thickened fleshy layer and a central core with usually five seeds enclosed in a capsule. Some examples are:
Citrus fruits are many types of fruits, that grow on evergreen trees or shrubs. They have fairly thick skins and pulpy flesh that's divided into segments. They include:
Drupes are indehiscent fruits in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a single shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. Some of the drupes are:
Tropical fruits are edible fruits native to or grown in tropical regions. Examples of tropical fruits are:
Berries are small, pulpy, and often edible fruits. They are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour, or tart. They do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Berries include:
***Fun fact!
Now, let's clarify some things about the berries. Logically, we would say that raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are berries. But are they? Surprisingly, not. They, actually, are not true berries but are aggregate fruits—fruits that consist of a number of smaller fruits. Cranberries, grapes, and blueberries, however, are true botanical berries. And there is one more surprise too! The banana is scientifically a berry! But remember, this is from the botanical point of view!
Melons are any kind of edible, fleshy fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family (the gourd family of flowering plants). Some melons are:
The following are the most important characteristics of fruits:
Fruit and vegetables should be an important part of your daily diet. Fruits are a great source of essential vitamins and minerals. Also, they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories.
Fruits are usually eaten raw, although some varieties can be cooked. According to scientists, the best time to eat fruits is first thing in the morning after a glass of water. Eating fruits right after a meal is not a great idea, because they may not be digested properly, and the nutrients may not be absorbed properly. It is recommended to leave a gap of at least 30 minutes between fruits and a meal. The general recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake is at least 400 grams per day (or five servings of 80 grams).
So eating a variety of foods in recommended amounts can be of big benefit for your overall well-being.
Consuming fruits have many benefits for our health. Considering that fruits are rich in many important nutrients, consuming them has many benefits for our health. Here are some of the benefits:
