Vegetables
Creative Foods
Vegetable Classifications
 Roots
 Bulbs
 Tubers
 Stems
 Leaves
 Flowers
 Fruits
 Seeds
Roots
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Roots grow deep into
the soil.
Roots store and provide
food to their plants,
making them rich in
nutrients.
Quality roots are firm,
unwrinkled,
unblemished, and have
good color.
Roots

Beets

Carrots

Parsnips

Radishes

Rutabagas

Sweet potatoes

Turnips
Bulbs

Bulbs: vegetables which bulb flesh is edible.

Bulbs are often used for seasoning and flavoring.

Most of these vegetables have a strong taste and odor.

Garlic: strong-smelling multi-cloved bulb.

Onion: strong tasting vegetable, a variety of garlic.

Leek: plant with a small edible bulb.

Quality bulbs are firm, fresh-looking, and have a good color.
Bulbs
 Garlic
 Onion
 Leek
Tubers


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Tubers are large, round,
underground stems that grow
just below the surface of the
soil.
They store and provide food to
their plants, making them rich
in nutrients.
Quality tubers are firm,
unwrinkled, unblemished, and
have good color.
Tubers
 Potatoes
 Jerusalem
artichokes
Stems



Vegetables in this category
produce edible stems, stalks,
and shoots.
They are picked when young
and tender.
Quality stems, stalks, and
shoots are firm, unblemished,
and have no browning.
Vegetables - stalk: vegetable
with an edible stem.
Celery: vegetable with edible
petioles.
Asparagus: vegetable with
edible shoots.
Swiss chard: white beet.
Rhubarb: stem-vegetable with
edible petioles.
Stems
 Asparagus
 Celery
Leaves




Vegetables in this category can be served raw or
cooked.
They shrink when cooked because of their high
water content.
Flavors of leafy greens range from mild to spicy.
Quality greens have crisp, bright leaves without
and brown spots.
Leaves
 Brussels
 Cabbage
 Lettuce
 Spinach
sprouts
Flowers



These vegetables grow
quickly in cool weather.
They are served raw as
well as cooked.
Quality cauliflower and
broccoli are firm, heavy for
their size, and have a good
color.
Flowers
 Artichokes
 Broccoli
 Cauliflower
Fruit - Vegetables




Vegetables that are often called
fruit-vegetables come from flowering
plants and contain at least one seed.
Therefore, they are technically the
fruit of the plant.
For the purpose of commercial
kitchens, however, they are
categorized as vegetables since they
are savory rather than sweet.
Quality fruit-vegetables have
smooth, unblemished skin.
Fruit - Vegetables

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Okra

Peppers

Pumpkins

Squash
Seeds



This category consists of
vegetables with edible seeds.
Some of the pods are also
edible, but the seeds are more
nutritious.
Quality seeds and pods are
firm, well-shaped, and without
blemishes.
Seeds
 Peas
 Corn
 Beans
Nutritional contribution of
Vegetables
Vegetables are
excellent sources
of many vitamins
and minerals.
At least 5 servings
should be included
in your diet daily
Carbohydrates
Main source of
energy for the
body
Seeds, roots, tubers
Fiber
Form of complex carbohydrate that the
human body can not digest.
 Provides bulk in the diet.
 Linked to the prevention of heart disease
by lowering cholesterol levels
 Bulk may dilute carcinogens
Men – 38 grams
Women 25 grams

Vitamins A, D, E, K
 Fat
soluble vitamins
 Stored in the liver
 If taken in large quantities for a long
period of time, can accumulate and
cause disease
Vitamin A
Protects eyes and
enables night
vision
 Keeps skin and hair
healthy
 Strengthens
immune system

Vitamin E
Antioxidant
 Helps create
muscles and red
blood cells

Water soluble vitamins
 Dissolve
in water and must be
consumed every day.
 Body
flushes excess in waste fluids
B Vitamins/ folate
Assists in building
red blood cells
 Helps prevent
damage to the
brain and the
spinal cord

Vitamin C
Strengthens
immune system
 Helps heal wounds
 Collagen formation
 Keeps gums
healthy

Cruciferous
 Cabbage
family vegetables contain
compounds that may help to block
the development of cancer
Resources
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
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cookwithaloha.com/o
nions.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cookwithaloha.com/all_about_onionsSept2
005.htm&h=227&w=280&sz=14&tbnid=rpDqBml9zsDgKM:&tbnh=88&tbnw
=109&hl=en&start=169&prev=/images%3Fq%3Donions%26start%3D160%
26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.allcreatures.org/recipes/images/i-onionsyellow_small.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes/ivegetables.html&h=206&w=200&sz=5&tbnid=Fuz_wgwfL4zJvM:&tbnh=100
&tbnw=97&hl=en&start=10&prev=/images%3Fq%3Donions%26svnum%3D
10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG
http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/general.html

http://www.shakeoffthesugar.net/article1056.html

http://www.wegmans.com/kitchen/ingredients/produce/