 |
Vegetables: What Are We Really Eating? |
By Robert Cox, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent
Botanically speaking, a fruit is a fertilized ovary of a flower, containing seeds protected by a fleshy cover. So tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, green beans, squashes, pumpkins and all types of melons are really fruits, although we may refer to them as vegetables.
- With peas, limas and corn, we are eating the seeds.
- Root crops include onion, radish, turnip, beets and carrot.
- Stem crops include asparagus and celery.
- We eat the leaves of spinach, lettuce, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
- We eat the immature flowers of broccoli and cauliflower.
Photograph courtesy of Judy Sedbrook.
