Reading: Fruit and Veges (Monday W6, T3)

 

Fruit and Vegetables

Source: kids.britannica.com

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect on your blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.

Fruit

Fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain many minerals and vitamins.A fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains the seeds. The skin of a 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. For example, cucumbers, squashes, and tomatoes are all fruits. They contain seeds, while true vegetables do not. True vegetables are the stems, leaves, or roots of plants.

There are two main types of fruit: fleshy fruits and dry fruits. In fleshy fruits, the part of the fruit around the seeds is juicy and soft. Apples, berries, oranges, and other fleshy fruits contain many seeds. Some fleshy fruits—for example, cherries and peaches—contain only one seed, or pit. These are called stone fruits. Dry fruits are not as juicy as fleshy fruits. Dry fruits include beans and nuts.

Vegetables

Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain water, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. People eat many fresh vegetables raw. They drink the juice of some raw vegetables, especially carrots. People also eat baked, boiled, fried, steamed, and grilled vegetables. They often add vegetables to soups, stews, and casseroles. Most fresh vegetables spoil quickly, but they can be canned or frozen for later use

What makes vegetables different from fruit?

Vegetables are the leaves, stems, roots, or other parts of certain plants that people eat. Vegetables usually come from herbaceous plants (like the word “herbs”. Plants which do not have wood) . Herbaceous plants have stems that are softer than the woody stems of bushes and trees.

Many vegetables grow above the ground. Lettuce, spinach, brussels sprouts, and cabbage are the leaves of plants. Broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are flowers.

Other vegetables grow underground. Root vegetables are the roots of plants. These include carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, and sweet potatoes. Tubers are a kind of underground stem. Potatoes are the most commonly eaten tuber. Garlic and onions are plant bulbs, which are underground buds. Some foods that people call vegetables are really fruits. Cucumbers, squashes, eggplants, and pumpkins are all fruits. They contain seeds, while true vegetables do not.