SH1614

Fruits and Vegetables

(Gisslen, 2009)

I. Fruits are fleshy juicy products of plants that contain seed. When ripe, they are edible even
without cooking.

A. Types of Fruits (Study.com. 2003-2015)

Fruits can be eaten raw, frozen, stewed, cooked, or dried. All fruits may be classified into
three (3) major groups: simple, aggregate, or multiple.

1. Simple Fruits - a fruit that has developed from the ovary of a single flower. Simple fruits
may either be fleshy, like plums and peaches; or dry, such as walnuts and hazelnuts.
2. Aggregate Fruits - a fruit formed from several ovaries of one (1) flower that produces
many tiny fruits clustered tightly together.
3. Multiple Fruits - a fruit formed from the fusion of the ovaries of many different flowers
that developed closely together to form a bigger fruit.

Note: False fruits or accessory fruits are another kind of fruits that are not formed from the
ovary, but from a different part of the flower. These fruits may be simple, aggregate, or
multiple fruits. For example, strawberries would be considered an aggregate fruit, as well as
an accessory fruit since much of the fleshy fruit part does not come from the ovary.

II. Vegetables are plants or parts of a plant such as roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, shoots, leaves, fruits,
and flowers. They can be used or eaten raw or cooked, served generally with entrees or as
salads.

III. Nutritive Value of Fruits and Vegetables

1. Fruits and vegetables are high in water content.

Water is one of the essential nutrients to life. You cannot live long without water. There are
many ways to get water without having to drink it every day, plain from the tap, or from a
store-bought bottle, including fruits and vegetables.
2. Fruits and vegetables have fair to excellent sources of calories that give us energy.
Fruits and vegetables contain the highest form of calories needed by the body. They contain
natural sugars that do not harm the body, just make sure to consume them in moderation
because anything taken in excess is bad.
3. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which aids in the digestive process.
Digestion is the body’s process for breaking down foods that you have eaten. Some elements
of these foods are used to produce energy and the remaining waste is prepared for excretion.
4. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.
The human body requires various nutrients on a daily basis, so that it can meet its day-to-day
demands. Vitamins and minerals are essential for the proper functioning of the body.
Therefore, most dieticians, doctors, and health experts recommend that the food we eat on a
daily basis should be good sources of vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are known
to contain essential minerals and vitamins.

References:
Gisslen, W. (2009). Professional cooking, 5th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.Study.com. (2003-2015). Retrieved on October 27, 2015, from http://study.com/academy/
esson/fruit-definition-types-benefits-examples.html

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