What classifies a food as a vegetable?

More specifically, a vegetable may be defined as “any plant, part of which is used for food”, a secondary meaning then being “the edible part of such a plant”. A more precise definition is “any plant part consumed for food that is not a fruit or seed, but including mature fruits that are eaten as part of a main meal”.

What determines a fruit vs a vegetable?

What is the difference? Fruits and vegetables comprise different parts of the plants from which they grow. Fruits come from the flowering part of a plant and contain seeds. In contrast, vegetables are the edible parts of a plant, such as the leaves, stem, roots, and bulbs.

Is a cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?

The botanical classification: Cucumbers are fruit. A botanical fruit would have at least one seed and grow from the flower of the plant. With this definition in mind, cucumbers are classified as fruit because they contain tiny seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of the cucumber plant.

How many different vegetables are there?

How Many Varieties of Vegetables Are There? A recent study by Biodiversity International scientists identified a total of 1097 vegetable species cultivated worldwide.

Is anything actually a vegetable?

According to botanists, there is no such thing as a vegetable. Wolfgang Stuppy, a research leader in comparative plant and fungal biology at the U.K.’s world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Wakehurst Place, told the BBC, “The term vegetable doesn’t exist in botanical terminology.”

Is broccoli a fruit or veg?

The head, or flower, vegetables include artichokes, broccoli, and cauliflower. The fruits commonly considered vegetables by virtue of their use include cucumbers, eggplant, okra, sweet corn, squash, peppers, and tomatoes. Seed vegetables are usually legumes, such as peas and beans.

Did you know facts about vegetables?

Vegetables: Fun Facts

• Bell peppers are usually sold green, but they can also be red, purple or yellow.
• Tomatoes are very high in the carotenoid Lycopene; eating foods with carotenoids can lower your risk of cancer.
• Other vegetables high in carotenoids are carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and collard greens.