Vegetables are classified based on the part of the plant such as root, stem or tuber used for food.
Root Vegetables:- The root group includes beets, carrots, radishes, rutabagas, turnips and yams. Stem Vegetables:- The stem group includes asparagus and kohlrabi.
Tuber Vegetables:- A tuber is an under-ground stem. Edible tubers include girasol or Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes, taro and yams.
Leaf and Leaf-Stalk Vegetables:- The leaf group includes Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, chard, chicory, endive, lettuce, parsley, rhubarb (pie) and spinach.
Bulb Vegetables:- The bulb group includes garlic, leeks and onions.
Immature Inflorescence Vegetables:- This group includes artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower.
Fruits used as vegetables:- Immature fruits are used as vegetables, viz. Cow-pea, Cucumber, Papaya, Jack-fruit (Ichar), Egg-plant (Brinjal), Lima bean, Okra, Pea, Summer squash (Lauki).
Mature Fruit Vegetables:-This group includes Musk-melon, Pumpkin, Tomato and Water-melon.
Dr. S. Davidson has stated, 'Vegetables and fruits have all the nutritive properties. Although 70% or more of their weight is water they still contain vitamin C and carotene, two nutrients which are lacking in cereals. Fresh fruits especially the citrus variety and their juices are usually rich in vitamin C but vegetables are an indeterminate source as this vitamin C is easily destroyed by cooking or heat. Vegetables contain indigestible cellular matters which add bulk to the intestinal contents and are useful in preventing consti-pation. Vegetables also provide calcium and iron but they are destroyed by cooking. Vegetables and fruits taken in their raw state will certainly provide the body with maximum nutrients.'
Dr. M. Pike has stated, 'Food is anything taken into the body which is capable of supplying bodily energy, promoting growth, furnishing energy for tissue repair and bodily heat and aiding in protection against diseases. Man is the only animal who does not instinctively know how to select his right food and hence the science of dietetics has evolved. He is also the only animal who cooks his food which may be less digestible and not so nutritious as they are in their natural raw state. Heat on the other hand destroys the natural vitamins and minerals to a large extent. Green leafy and yellow vegetables like spinach, carrots, beetroot, garlic, onion, taken in their raw state will certainly provide natural vitamins
a lot.
Dr. Lloyd E. Lewis has stated, "Green leafy and yellow vegetables such as spinach, kale, carrots and sweet potatoes contribute vitamin A, riboflavin and iron to the diet when taken raw. Citrus fruits, tomatoes and raw cabbage contribute ascorbic acid, iron and niacin. Green, leafy and yellow vegetables such as spinach and kale contribute ascorbic acid and niacin.
Dr. Benedikt Vast has stated, 'It is controversial to note that a large part of the nutritive value of our foods is lost by irrational preparation, especially over-cooking. The tender leaves and stems of fresh vegetables contain the largest percentage of alkaline bases; they are therefore useful not only as garnishes, but should be included in salads, juices and vegetable dishes.'
Dr. Eva Hill, a cancer specialist at Oakland General Hospital in New York, has stated, 'Man is the sickest animal on earth and the only one who is concerned about food. Eat your food the way God made it. Cancer is only one of the degenerative diseases that is rapidly becoming a major factor in the development of the body. It afflicts people who eat and drink unnatural foods laced with pesticides or grown on degraded soil.'
