Vegetables and fruits are the most valuable sources of nutrients, trace elements, vitamins and fiber. They, along with cereals, legumes and some protein products, should form the basis of our nutrition. Contrary to popular belief, a diet consisting primarily of fruits and vegetables can be quite varied (but not full!). At the same time, each individual group is characterized by certain properties, composition, taste, peculiarities of cultivation and consumption.
The classification of fruits and vegetables, which we will consider in this article, will show the diversity of these products and highlight their most significant distinguishing features.
What are vegetables and fruits?
Before you engage in the classification of these groups, you need to understand what it is about. It would seem that there is nothing complicated. Vegetables grow in the garden and are used to prepare main (unsweetened) dishes. Fruits are more like dessert, sweetness, but they grow on a tree (therefore they are called "fruits" in another way). Indeed, the main differences we have indicated. But there are exceptions.
So, pepper grows from the ovary of a flower. But this is a clear sign of belonging to fruits. The scientific definition allows to refer to them and cucumbers, and even bean pods! Vegetables from ancient times called the succulent parts of herbaceous plants. To avoid confusion, we will distinguish between two classifications - scientific and culinary. Thus, if the proposed classification of vegetables and fruits is at variance with your usual view, do not be surprised. Just look at her through the eyes of a nerd, not a cook.
Vegetables
To begin with, vegetables (like fruits) belong to the group of “succulent plant crops,” which is how they differ from grain, beans, and other products of plant origin. Despite their moisture content (up to 80-90% or more), vegetables are rich in valuable nutrients. A wide variety of elements (carbon, nitrogen, mineral salts, etc.) and their dilution make these products easy for the human body to absorb. And this is very important when it comes to rational and nutritious nutrition.
Vegetables: what are
A number of signs allows you to divide all vegetables into two large groups: vegetative and generative. In the second, they eat fruits (inflorescences), in the first - vegetative organs. Consider what kind of classification of vegetables. The table below will help us with this.
Vegetative and generative vegetables| Vegetative group of vegetables | Names of vegetables |
| Tubers | Potato, sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke |
| Roots | Carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, celery, etc. |
| Leafy | Onions (onions and garlic) |
| Cabbage (except broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi) |
| Salad spinach (these are various types of lettuce, sorrel, spinach) |
| Spicy (coriander, tarragon, dill) |
| Dessert (rhubarb) |
| Rhizome | Horseradish |
| Stem | Asparagus, Kohlrabi |
| Generative group of vegetables | Names of vegetables |
| Floral | Broccoli, Cauliflower |
| Fruit | Pumpkin (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, melons and watermelons) |
| Tomato (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) |
| Legumes (beans, beans and peas) |
| Cereals (corn) |
Using this classification, you can properly build your nutrition, depending on the characteristics of each group and the needs of your body for certain nutrients. In addition, some vegetables are better and easier to digest, others require more energy for this purpose.
Calorie content of different groups of vegetables
As you already understood, the classification of vegetables considered allows us to separate them not only depending on what part of the product is consumed. Among the most significant differences is such an indicator as the energy value inherent in a particular group.
Why, for example, are potatoes advised to eat in moderation? This is due to the high calorie content of tubers, to which it also belongs. It reaches 70-80 kcal per 100 grams. And for the portion we use, as a rule, more (200-300 grams). And if you still cook fried potatoes or fries so beloved by everyone, it is better not to start the calculation!
Root crops are less calorie - about 20-50 kcal per 100 grams of these vegetables. In onions, this indicator varies greatly. So, the calorie content of leek is 36 kcal, and in garlic reaches as much as 149 kcal! But do not exclude these healthy vegetables from the diet, in addition, to eat 100 grams of garlic at a time, you still have to try.
The greatest variety and no less benefits are characteristic for a group of fruit vegetables. At the same time, their caloric content is very low - on average, it varies from 15 to 35 kcal. Therefore, vegetable salads (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc.) are advised to include in your daily diet (you can and more than once a day).
Knowing the approximate calorie content of each group of vegetables, it is easy to determine which ones should be consumed more often and in large quantities, and which ones should be more careful. At the same time, to refuse a certain product (the same potato) because of the high energy value is not worth it, because, in addition to calories, it has a lot of useful substances and vitamins. Limit but exclude.
Another classification scheme for vegetables
In addition to our review, there is another classification according to which vegetables can be divided into starchy and non-starchy, green. The first include: carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini, cauliflower, celery and parsley root, etc. When these vegetables are eaten, they should be correctly combined with other products. So, in the company of sugar, they will give you such an unpleasant process as fermentation.
Green and non-starchy include all kinds of greens (parsley, dill, celery, salad, etc.), eggplant, bell pepper, cucumbers, garlic, onions, green peas. This group of vegetables is easily absorbed by the body and combines with almost all products - from animal proteins to legumes and grains.
An intermediate group is the so-called medium-starchy vegetables. It includes turnips, radishes, rutabaga and some others. By combinability, these vegetables are closer to green than starchy. If comfort in your stomach and good digestion are important to you, we recommend that you carefully study each of the groups we represent.
Fruits
The simplest definition of fruit is: it is the edible juicy fruits of shrubs and trees (from lat. Fructus - fruit). Moreover, our philistine view is somewhat different from the botanical, which is actually wider. If the classification of vegetables included only vegetables (in the usual sense for us), then here we will consider all the fruits. So, they are called berries and nuts, which are distinguished by their juiciness and also grow on trees and shrubs. The table below will help us to divide all the fruits into groups.
Fruit classification| Group | Names of fruits |
| Pomegranate | Pears, apples, quince |
| Stone fruit | Peaches, Plums, Cherry, Apricots |
| Berries | Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, grapes, blackberries, etc. |
| Walnut | Hazel, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pinecones, peanuts, pistachios, etc. |
| Subtropical and tropical (allocated in a separate group because of the requirements for certain climatic conditions of their cultivation) | Lemons, oranges and other citruses, pomegranate, persimmon, bananas, figs, dates, etc. |
The classification of fruits and vegetables helps us see how diverse this category of food products is. Each selected group of fruits has its own characteristic features. So, for example, walnut fruit is the most high-calorie. Their energy value can reach 600 kcal or more! Therefore, it is important to limit them in your diet. In addition, nuts are a very difficult product for our body.
Not all fruits are sweet
Another fairly common classification of fruits divides them into sweet, semi-sweet and sour. The latter is the most widely represented in our country.
Citrus fruits, pomegranates, cranberries, pineapples, as well as some varieties of apples, plums, pears, grapes, are called acidic. Half-sour - this is strawberries, raspberries, sweet-tasting cherries, apples, plums, pears. Sweet bananas, melon, watermelons (and some other fruits) should be limited in their diet and, if possible, should not be combined with anything.
Apply knowledge in the kitchen
If you know the classification of fresh vegetables and fruits, then you can easily build your diet according to the principles of proper nutrition. Is it worth it to supplement this salad or is it better to limit yourself to a small portion? Do potatoes garnish with meat or beans?
You can easily answer such questions to yourself. If you learn the knowledge that we shared in the article, then soon you will have your own classification of dishes from vegetables or fruits. Some will become the basis of the diet, others will appear in it less often and in smaller quantities. We hope the information has been useful to you and your health.