50 interesting facts about vegetables

Wed include a list of drugs you shouldnt eat grapefruit while taking but its a fairly comprehensive list. We eat them raw, cooked, chilled and frozen - in ever increasingly creative combinations. 7. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, has virtually no calories, no fat, no cholesterol, and it even fills you up. It took a ruling by the Supreme Court in 1893 to make the tomato a vegetable for taxation purposes. And the leaves, which most people throw out, have some nutrients not found in either the stem or the florets. To learn more, click on the seal or go to www.kidsafeseal.com. Because they are so widespread and come in many different varieties, they are able to cure us from many Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Factmonster is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students. You may think of vegetables as cancer fighters, but theres more evidence that they protect your blood vessels. And unlike the cool drink, figs are also a great source of fiber. Protein, however, is the first nutritional value to be lost. In the United States, more tomatoes are consumed than any other single fruit or vegetable! The creamy fruit also helps your body absorb nutrients in other produce, like tomatoes. We drink them in juices and in the case of things like orange peel, we even use them as seasoning for other foods. However, if youre finding yourself a little low on energy during the afternoon then consider eating an apple in the morning with your coffee. A good source of vitamins A, C, K, and fibre, are green beans. On many fruits and veggies such as carrots, apples, and cucumbers, a good percentage of the nutrition is actually stored in the skin. Because of their versatility in terms of cooking (we can eat them raw, boiled, cooked, and dried), wide array of cultivation techniques, untold ways they can help us in daily problems that dont require us eating them, and high nutritional values, vegetables represented extremely important commodity for humankind. The potato was originally cultivated by local tribes in South Americas Andes Mountains. Thats a new global record! The dislike is generally likened to a bitterness in the taste of certain veggies Brussels sprouts are often cited. Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological kingdom fungi, are also commonly considered vegetables. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in America and diet plays a big role in helping keep your heart healthy. The expression "cool as a cucumber" comes from the cucumber's amazing ability to cool down the body and add hydration. The fruits commonly considered vegetables by virtue of their use include cucumbers, eggplant, okra, corn, squash, peppers, and tomatoes. They have a lot of fat, but it's the good kind that lowers cholesterol. Okay, its actually a pretty big stigma because grapefruit can kill you. But dont overdo it. Vegetables are low in calories. This fear was shared in the American colonies and it was years before the tomato gained widespread acceptance. Kale has more vitamin C than oranges. Tons ofvitamin Acan be found in spinach, over half of the recommended daily amount in a portion! Pineapple is a fruit and that means its great for you, but you should probably let a freshly sliced pineapple sit in the fridge for a bit before eating it so the enzymes can break down. If its good for Popeye then you should consider adding this leafy green to your diet. You can also find anthocyanins in high quantities in blackberries. 105: 219, 2013.3 JAMA Ophthalmol. Potatoes found their way to Europe during the 16th century by the end of the 17th century, the potato had become an important crop in Ireland. One of the traits of nightshades is that they produce substances known as glycialkaloids like many other plants but one of them is a nasty little thing known as solanine. Pumpkin seeds are also a good choice as they have more protein than a similar amount of ground beef. 10. This can wreck your palate for the rest of the day until your mouth can heal itself. We're asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported or downvoted, By using our services you agree to our use of cookies to improve your visit. One of the most enjoyable parts of United States culture are the faces of awe you get when you tell someone that tomatoes are actually fruit because they have seeds. more. In Egypt, onions were considered to be an object of worship. 4. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This page was last modified on November 13, 2021. Theres no doubt in anyones mind that eating fruits and veggies are required for a truly healthy diet. Penn State College of Medicine | Accessibility | Non-Discrimination | Privacy The term vegetable usually refers to the edible portions of certain herbaceous plants roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, or seeds. Europeans were first aware of the tomato in the 16th century when explorers brought back seeds from Mexico and Central America. They are the only carotenoids in the lens and the retina, where they absorb damaging light and protect against oxidation. Botanically there are a few different types of true vegetables. Vegetables are full of vitamins, nutrients and minerals. Carbohydrates in common fruits, vegetables and berries. 31: 1743, 2016. However, women who ate the most vegetables (at least 14 oz. In the 1950's, a disease called the Panama Disease all but wiped out an entire species of banana which motivated farmers to use the Cavendish banana which we all eat today. One stalk of celery is about ten calories. Incidentally, the first documented use of the phrase cool as a cucumber was in the poem A New Song by English poet and playwright John Gay in 1732. This is how they make orange chicken in Chinese restaurants. The worlds heaviest beetroot weighed in at a whopping 23.4 kg back in 2001. According to experts, you can sprinkle some cayenne pepper into a wound where it will act as gauze. Bear this in mind when cooking there are plenty of ways to cook vegetables without boiling them. To make fruit and vegetables a bit more fun, here are 15 weird facts and tips about produce you eat every day, but probably don't know -- like how to choose the best avo, how many seeds a pomegranate has, and what was the first vegetable to grow in space. Bring it along, it can keep you from getting dehydrated! Originally cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D., the tomato is native to the Americas. A fun fact that a lot of people throw around that the enzyme bromelain is used in meat tenderizer. Broccoli. Here you can learn some of the most interesting vegetable facts. Theyre low in calories, high in nutrition, high in fiber, and most of them taste pretty good. WHOS WITH MEH???!!! The modern day orange carrot wasnt cultivated until Dutch growers in the late 16th century took mutant strains of the purple carrot and gradually developed them into the sweet, plump, orange variety we have today. In 2010 worldwide production of Potatoes reached 324 millions of tons, tomatoes 145 million, sweet potato 106 million, dry onions 74 million, and spinach The A380 has a top speed of Mach 0.89 (about 680 miles per hour or 1,100 kilometres per hour). The tomato is in the same family as the potato, pepper, eggplant, and petunia. Among the edible tubers, or underground stems, are potatoes. The eroplane has a maximum takeoff weight of 1.2 million pounds (560,000 kilograms), which is equivalent to the weight of approximately 100 elephants making it one of the heaviest aircraft in the world. In strictly botanical terms, bananas are berries! One of the most basic facts about vegetables everyone should know is the effect of preparing and cooking them. When harvested properly, the whole beetroot plant is actually entirely edible. Nine out of 10 Americans fall short. . . Vegetables are parts of plants that we use as food. In other circumstances however, I wouldnt be including tomatoes in my facts about vegetables. 19. ima start using boredpanda for a lot of my projects and just fun facts. But, according to law, theyre vegetables. The highest concentration of nutrients and vitamins in vegetables (and fruit) is found in the skin and directly beneath it. Potassium helps lower blood pressure, and it may also make blood vessels less stiff. Aside from tomatoes, other secret fruits include eggplant, olives, peas, avocado, cucumber, pumpkin, capsicum and zucchini. So, what are you waiting for, start preparing your veggie menu for the day! 12. King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889, as the story goes. In 3rd millennium BCgarlic was used not only by nobility, but also in medicine, religious rituals and was given to the slavesas a powerful source of strength. Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Lets not forget all of the other awesome nutrition it provides. Bananas are a favorite fruit around the world. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics), Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million, Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out, 30 Y.O. Bananas are berries. Tomatoes quickly became popular in the Mediterranean countries but received resistance as they spread north. It was however, declared a vegetable by a ruling of the Supreme Court in 1893. California produces almost all of the broccoli sold in the United States. You can use that to season all sorts of foods. If however, you come across a green potato, this is a clear indication that the tuber contains a high concentration of solanine and you should trash it, not boil and mash it. Potato has 322 kJ per 100 grams, Red. They can be whole, cut-up, or mashed. The leaf and leafstalk vegetables include brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, lettuce, rhubarb, and spinach. Scientists at Cornell University have identified two cancer-fighting substances in the tomato: P-courmaric and chlorogenic acids. For example, potato is an excellent source of Vitamin C Onions are super-healthy and an essential source of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals. Copyright 2022, Center for Science in the Public Interest. I hope you have enjoyed my facts about vegetables. Your email address will not be published. Before you start planning todays menu, here are some interesting facts about vegetables thatll might help you decide what to include in your vegetable servings Bon appetite! Scientists define fruit as the part of a plant that develops from a flower and has seeds. A good indicator is if you gently press the top of the avocado and it's quite firm, it will need a couple of days to ripen.". Interesting facts about Peter Paul Rubens. The rare European white truffle is the worlds most expensive vegetable (if we considered mushroom as vegetables), with a price tag that can exceed 2,200 euros ($2,400) per 0.45 kilograms (1 pound). If youre on medications, be sure to check with a medical professional before drinking or consuming any grapefruit because it could end very badly for you. According to the USDA, the average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes each year, including over 50 pounds of French fries! Not bad for a part of the fruit that almost everyone simply throws away. During the Age of Sail that lasted between 1500s and 1800s, all modern vegetables were finally able to reach all four corners of the earth, providing better nutrition and medicinal help to everyone. Or swap your white flour wrap for one made of lettuce. Thats about the same drop youd get from some drugs that lower blood pressure. Please use high-res photos without watermarks. Florida Fun Facts. A lot of people knew this one already but what they dont know are the benefits of fiber. I recommend looking up some recipes where sprouts are sauted. How do you like them apples? to our plate today, and every day. Eating cayenne pepper can also help equalize blood pressure and promote clotting from the inside. And 30 People Deliver Sincere Answers, Clueless Director Calls For A Meeting Over Mass Resignation After Company Cancels WFH, Employee Explains It In A Way He Would Understand, Employee Maliciously Complies To Work Only His 8 1/2 Hours, Makes The Company Lose $85k Per Year, Guy Puts In His "Notice Of Immediate Resignation" After Boss Disregards Their Verbal Agreement, Warns Others To Always Write Things Down, Woman Buys Ex-Hoarder's Home With All Of Their Belongings, Spends 4 Years Cleaning When Relatives Start Demanding Heirlooms They Didn't Want, AITA? In October 1995, NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison collaborated to help grow the first vegetable to be grown in space: potatoes. We calculated a score for each vegetable by adding up its percentage of the recommended daily intake for eight nutrients, lutein (plus zeaxanthin), and carotenoids other than lutein. So, no madness, just stomachache. Yes - there are eight types, on the whole - orange vegetables, beans, starch, leafy, pod, tuber, flower, and miscellaneous! Well, we hate to say it but that story your mum and dad told you about carrots helping you see better in the dark? They may be crunchy, but the humble carrot is actually made up of 85-90% water! They actually do these things for valid reasons. They boost your potassium for hardly any calories. Aside from the usual nutrition one garners from eating veggies, broccoli in general has a great deal of protein. Apples, pears, cherries, and plums are just some of the fruits that come from the same family tree as the rose. And for lutein (plus zeaxanthin) and other carotenoids, we devised our own recommended intakes from available research. Educate, entertain, and engage with Factmonster. They have a lot of fat, but its the good kind that lowers cholesterol. 12) Spinach Does Not Have That Much Iron. Stem vegetables include asparagus and kohlrabi. Our site is COPPA and kidSAFE-certified, so you can rest assured it's a safe place for kids to grow and explore. Penn State PRO Wellness is committed to educating and inspiring youth and their families to eat well, engage in regular physical activity, and become champions for bringing healthy choices to life. Part of HuffPost World News. This enzyme breaks down proteins in your mouth, namely your taste buds. I bet you didn't and there are many more interesting facts about vegetables waiting for you below. If you find some purple veggies, give them a try because theyre pretty awesome. The potato disease Late Blight was the principal cause of the Irish Potato Famine, which killed a half million people. Phew, thats a lot! Made a writing or drawing mistake youre desperate to correct? You can change your preferences. Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups based on their nutrients: dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables. And levels are 100-fold higher in the macula (the center of the retina)which lets us see the finest detail and is exposed to the most lightthan elsewhere in the eye. Getty "Hass avocados change colour as they ripen. In many countries around the world, Brussels sprouts reign as the least enjoyable vegetable out there. Hone your math skills with our flashcards! In 1767, the word was specifically used to mean a plant cultivated for food, an edible herb or root.The year 1955 saw the first use of the shortened, slang term veggie. Lets kick off with the fact that tomatoes are the most consumed vegetable in the US (source ers.usda.gov). 5. Once upon a time, celery was considered a medicinal herb rather than a vegetable. If you replace meat with mushrooms it will positively affect your body weight and overall health. For example, half a cup of cooked spinach has 320 percent of our target for lutein and 178 percent of our target for other carotenoids, 10 percent of the RDA for calcium, and 350 percent of the DV for vitamin K, 31 percent for folate, 18 percent for magnesium, 17 percent for iron, 9 percent for vitamin C, 8 percent for potassium, and 7 percent for fiber. Cucumbers dont just grow in the ground they can be grown in water, too! the seed bearing part, technically, all peppers and all plant fruits are hermaphrodites, having both male and female parts. 18. "The four-digit numbers on fruit and vegetable stickers are 'price look-up' (PLU) numbers," AUSVEG spokesperson Shaun Lindhe told The Huffington Post Australia. Florida produces 70% of the country's oranges. The extra weight comes from seeds, so pound for pound, there is greater benefit to buying lighter, even-noded peppers as you get more flesh for your money. The Egyptians saw eternal life in the anatomy of the onion because of its circle-within-a-circle structure.