It is important to know the difference between greens and vegetables to know what we should consume. It often happens that some diets tell us that we should increase the consumption of certain foods.
But if we are told about vegetables and vegetables and we do not know the difference, we can make a mistake and not eat what we need. In order not to make a mistake again, we explain the differences between greens and vegetables..
What are the differences between vegetables?
Vegetables are not the same thing. In reality, however, the term vegetable is a broader concept that includes many types of foodstuffs.. The confusion arises because it is common to call indistinctly vegetable or vegetable to the same food.
Vegetables are edible plants that are cultivated in vegetable gardens.. This means that all vegetables are vegetables, but not all vegetables are vegetables. In fact cereals and fruits are outside the vegetable classification.
So, understanding the meaning of the word vegetable, we can understand that although vegetable and vegetable are not the same, the confusion arises because vegetables are part of the set of vegetables that we can find.
“Vegetable” refers to those vegetables that are green and can be consumed cooked or raw.. Rather than a botanical classification, the term vegetable refers to a term of a nutritional nature. Here we present the types of vegetables that exist, including greens.
- You may be interested in: “Lettuce: 10 properties and benefits of this vegetable”.
1. Vegetables
As already mentioned, greens are a type of vegetable. They are the green portion of the vegetables that exist in a garden. Although some tender stems are also considered vegetables.
The clearest examples of vegetables are spinach, lettuce or Swiss chard.. But also eggplants, pumpkins, peppers and carrots, the latter being root vegetables.
2. Bulbs
Bulbs are round-shaped vegetables that grow underground. This type of vegetable refers to those that, in addition to their peculiar shape, contain reserve substances inside. There are not many types of bulbs.
The clearest examples are onion and garlic.. The two grow under the ground leaving a plant that is not used for food visible on the surface.
- You could also read: “Vegan recipes: 8 easy dishes for beginners”.
3. Edible stems
Not all vegetable stems are edible. Those that can be used as food to add to dishes,are also known as tubers.. They are very thick stems that serve to feed the plant that protrudes above the ground.
Sweet potato, potato, ginger, are some of the most common edible stems or tubers within vegetables. It is especially common for the potato to be mistaken for a vegetable, but it is not.
4. Edible roots
As with stems, not all roots are edible. Within vegetables there are also roots that are eaten on a daily basis and are often mistaken for fruits or vegetables. In reality, these are the roots of a plant, which are also the part that can be eaten.
The carrot, the turnip or the radish, are clear examples of edible roots that are also very commonly used in various recipes. which are also very commonly used in various recipes. It is important to remember that they are roots and not vegetables as such.
5. Fruits
Vegetable fruits are different from fruits. As already mentioned, fruits are not part of vegetables. Fruits refer to the part of vegetables that protect the seeds and are also edible.
Tomato, eggplant, and squash are very obvious examples of vegetable fruits.. This makes it clearer that these are not the fruits that we commonly know, because as explained, they are not part of vegetables.
Why are vegetables confused with vegetables?
The confusion between vegetables and greens is common even in specialized gastronomic media.. Since vegetables are a global concept that includes both vegetables and roots, one or the other is often mentioned interchangeably.
Vegetables are therefore all those foods that are harvested in gardens. Hence their name. And when we talk about vegetables, we may or may not mention their subcategory, which is what really makes the difference between one or the other.
However, it is a good way to avoid further confusion, a good way to avoid further confusion is to remember that vegetables refer exclusively to leafy greens, but that the term “greens” refers to vegetables.The term vegetables is correct to refer to this part of the plant, as well as the edible stems and roots.
So the next time that in a recipe or in some diet suggestion you find that it is suggested to increase the consumption of vegetables, it will be easy to understand that it refers to everything that comes from a garden. But if you’re referring specifically to vegetables, surely it doesn’t include anything but those leafy greens.