Vegetables

Foods I: Fundamentals
• Vegetables are edible plants.
The fruits, roots and tubers,
bulbs, stem, shoots, leaves,
and flowers may be
consumed raw or cooked.
They are commonly classified
as green and yellow
vegetables, and other
vegetables
 8 Classifications of Vegetables
• 1. Tubers
– Potatoes
• 2. Roots
– Beets, turnips, carrots, radishes
• 3. Bulbs
– Onions, garlic, leeks, chives
• 4. Stems
– Celery, mushroom, asparagus
• 5. Seeds
– Beans, peas, corn
• 6. Flowers
– Artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli
• 7. Leaves
– Brussel sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, spinach
• 8. Fruits
– Cucumber, eggplant, tomato, peppers, squash
 Fun Fact
Which of the following contains
the
most vitamin C?
A. An orange
B. A red pepper
C. A potato
Answer: B.
a red pepper contains more
vitamin C than both an orange and
potato combined…
 Color Says It ALL!
• Green
– Chlorophyll
• Dark leafy greens (spinach) contain a lot of the b vitamin folate as
well as iron
• Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage) may protect against
cancer
• Cook in small amount of water for short time

• Yellow/Orange
– Carotenoids
• Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes are great source of beta carotene
which is converted to vitamin A which helps eyes
• Cook covered in small amount of water
 Color Says It ALL!
• Red/Purple
– Anthocyanins
• Tomatoes contain LYCOPENE which may reduce the chance of cancer
(especially prostate)
• Red veggies (beets, radishes, cabbage) also contain a lot of vitamin C and
iron
• Antioxidants produced by anthocyanins protect from cell damage.
• Cook covered in small amount of water
• Add acid (VINEGAR) to keep foods red color (beets, red cabbage especially!)

• White
– Flavones
• Potatoes, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, garlic
• Offer vitamin B & C as well as iron and calcium
• Lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease
• Overcooking can cause color change
Nutrients in Vegetables
• Like fruits, vegetables
are made up of a mixture
of water and
carbohydrates.
• Vegetables with a:
– High water content are
crisp, juicy and succulent.
• Ex. Flowers, Stems, Fruits,
Leaves
» Tomatoes, Celery,
Cucumbers, Broccoli,
Lettuce
– High carbohydrate
content are starchy.
• Ex. Roots, Tubers, Seeds,
Bulbs
» Potatoes, Lima Beans,
Corn, Squash
 Nutrients in Vegetables
• Vitamins
– Chlorophyll - green substance of plant cells that gives
their green color.
– Vitamin A - eyes
• Leafy green and deep yellow vegetables contain carotene
which converts to Vitamin A
– Vitamin C -
• Most vegetables contain vitamin C - broccoli, peppers,
tomatoes, cabbage
– Vitamin B
• Lima beans and peas
• Minerals
– Calcium
– Iron
• Carbohydrates
– Cellulose, starch and sugar
• Proteins
– Incomplete protein - dried beans and peas
 Choosing Vegetables
• Canned
• more water, cooked at
processing time
• liquid can be drained
before cooking to
reduce sodium levels
• Frozen
• label information is your
guide
• Dried
• soak beans, peas,
legumes before cooking
• Fresh
• more nutritious,
• look for crisp, firm,
bright color, absence of
bruises
Selecting Fresh Vegetables
 Preparing Vegetables
• Always wash in COLD water before consuming
to remove pesticides & dirt
– Tough-skinned veggies that are dirty can be washed
with a stiff brush.
• Leafy greens should be washed before storage.
– To do this, pull the leaves away from the core and run
under cold water.
• Cut vegetables to the same size so that they can
cook equally throughout
– Cut potatoes can be kept in ice water to prevent
browning.
• Skins contain fiber and added nutrients but may
be pared or peeled away to remove wax coating
 WHOA! Note Overload
• Take a 5 minute break…
 Journal
• Review: Classification Mix-Up
• Match the following veggies to their classification
1. Eggplant A. Bulb
2. Garlic B. Seed
3. Brussel sprouts C. Tuber
4. Corn D. Leaves
5. Squash E. Fruit

Reflection: “Eat Your Vegetables!”

• For decades, vegetables have been portrayed
as the gross food that you have to get through
in order to get dessert. Some are not even
aware that vegetables can be prepared in a
way that makes them appetizing. Truth is that
they can be both tasty and extremely beneficial
to our health. What is your take on vegetables?
Do you enjoy them or have you had bad
experiences with them in the past?
 Fun Facts
True or False

If salad ingredients are

not washed and dried
properly they may dilute
the dressing.

TRUE!
Because nobody likes a
watery salad…
 Cooking Vegetables
• Important Tips:
– Goal to retain color, flavor, nutrient,
texture
– Cooked veggies should be flavorful,
brightly colored and crisp-tender
• Overcooking can:
– destroy vitamins
– dull colors
– mushy texture
» Cellulose structure softens, and they
become less crisp
» Starch absorbs water, swells, and
become more soluble
– unpleasant smell and/or taste
– Water-soluble vitamins (B&C) from
vegetables seep out into the cooking
liquid
– This liquid can be frozen and used for soups
 Cooking Vegetables
• DRY Cooking Methods
– Baked
• wash thoroughly and place on oven rack
• potatoes should be baked between 300-450F
» When wrapped in foil, STEAM causes them to cook
– Fry
• pan or deep fried
– usually battered before frying (except potatoes)
– Microwave
• retain color, flavor, texture, and most nutrients while
using very little water
• require a “standing time” to allow them
to cool and finish cooking
• tender parts of veggies should be
arranged toward the center of the
microwave to prevent overcooking
 Cooking Vegetables
• MOIST Cooking Methods
– Boil
• boil small amount of water, add
vegetables, return to boil, cover pan,
reduce heat to a simmer
• Amount of water……
– Loss of nutrients is reduced when
cooked in small amount of water
– Pan is covered to prevents both
scorching and loss of water due to
evaporation
– Steam
• water in bottom of pan, basket to hold
food, cook over boiling water
• Takes a little more time
• Retains the MOST nutrients
 Fun Facts
True or False…

Potatoes that are stored

in the refrigerator taste
different than ones
stored at room
temperature.

TRUE!!!
Potatoes that are stored
in the refrigerator taste
sweeter because their
starches have turned
to sugar.
 Storing Vegetables
• Refrigerate most
• examine first before putting
away
• make sure they are dry to
prevent mold growth
• cut veggies should be kept in
tightly-sealed plastic
containers
• Roots & Tubers
• store in cool, dry, dark place
• Canned
• on shelf at room temperature,
use within a year
• Frozen
• use immediately when
thawed
The End…