What you should know about these unique and nutritious foods!

 Excellent source of many vitamins, minerals, and fiber Leafy green and yellow vegetables – carotene Tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower – folate All vegetables – fiber  Especially fresh vegetables

 How many servings of vegetables is ideal per day?  One serving = 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables ½ cup chopped or cooked vegetables ¾ cup vegetable juice

 Factors that influence overall quality of fresh vegetables:  Temperature  Handling  Other considerations:  Buy only what you can use within a short period of time  Seasonal and local vegetables  Organic

 What to look for: Good color Firmness Absence of bruises and decay Medium sized vegetables  What to avoid: Wilted or misshapen vegetables Especially small or large vegetables

 Canned Can be whole, sliced, or in pieces Most are canned in water or sauces Avoid cans with leaks, dents, or bulges  Bulges can indicate what? Consider the additives  What is one of the more prevalent additives to canned vegetables?

 Cons: Loss of texture Color Changes Different flavor Added sodium Some nutrients leach into liquid Controversy of can lining  Pros?

 Typically cost less than fresh fruits  Usually maintain just as many nutrients or more than the fresh equivalent  Require shorter cook times because they have already been blanched

 Most common form is legumes  Also peppers  Usually high in protein and fiber

 Out of dried, frozen, canned, or fresh vegetables, which option contains the most natural nutrients?

 Where do vegetables come from?  Can be contaminated with dirt, bacteria, and pesticides  Wash in cool, running water  Trim as close to skin as possible Why?

 For most, store on counter until desired ripeness, then refrigerate  Taste best when served cold  Store in covered container in fridge after prepared

 Canned Keep in cool, dry place Refrigerate after opening  Frozen Keep frozen until ready to use DO NOT REFREEZE  Dried Store in cool dry place Refrigerate after rehydrated or cooked

 Changes that occur: Cellulose (fiber) in vegetables swells making chewing easier Starch also swells making digestion easier Change in flavors and color Nutrients may be lost  Crisp-tender texture is ideal

 Use methods with no added water or small amounts of liquid to maintain the most nutrients Minerals, vitamin C, B vitamins are water-soluble  Cooking time should be kept as short as possible  What texture do we want?

 Boiling  Steaming  Pressure-cooking  Baking  Frying  Stir-frying  Broiling  Microwaving

 Classification of vegetables 1. By flavor 2. By color 3. By the part of the plant from which they come

According to the part of the plant they come from

 Grow just below the ground’s surface  Produce fleshy, leafy shoot above ground  Consist of layers of fleshy leaves or clustered segments

 Fennel  Garlic  Leek  Onion  Spring onion

 The edible flowers of certain vegetables  Sometimes includes the stem of the vegetable

 Artichoke  Broccoflower  Cauliflower  Broccoli

 Very fleshy part (the fruit) of the plant  The part of the plant that contains the seeds

 Chilli  Cucumber  Eggplant  Fuzzy melon  Plantain  Pumpkin and squash  Tomato

 The manufacturing area of the plant.  Photosynthesis turns sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into high-energy carbohydrates

 Spinach  Lettuce  Kale  Collards

 Also called legumes, these are the seeds that grow in pods  Part of the plant from which new plants grow  High in carbohydrates and other nutrients

 Beans  Peas  Snow peas  Sweet corn

 Large underground stem (grows on the root of the plant)  Stores nutrients

 Earth gem  Jerusalem artichoke  Kumara (sweet potato)  Potato  Yam

 Potatoes exposed to light may develop a greenish color, which is harmless. However, the green indicates there may be solanine, which is a harmful, bitter tasting compound. Cut away sprouts and green portions of potatoes  Chlorophyll – green color in fruits and vegetables; chemical compound used by plants to turn sun’s energy into food

 Stores the plant’s food supplies  Sends moisture and nutrients to the rest of the plant

 Beetroot  Carrot  Celeriac  Parsnip  Radish  Turnip

 Edible stalk of the plant  Grows above ground  Usually stalk is the main part of these vegetable plants

 Asparagus  Celery

 Some vegetables can fit into more than one category if several parts of the plant are eaten  No matter which category they are from: Antioxidants – Vitamin C, Vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids Phytochemicals – sugars, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants Other nutrients!