FOOD SCIENCE AND PROCESSING 3 (2+1)

Lesson 14 : Vegetables

Classification

Vegetables are classified according to the parts of the plant consumed or colour of the vegetable or according to the nutritive values.

Table: Botanical classification of vegetable

Group	Examples
Roots	Carrot, beet root, radish, turnip, colocasia
Tubers	Potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca
Bulb	Onion, garlic, leeks
Leaves	Cabbage, lettuce, spinach, amaranth, fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, mint leaves.
Flowers	Plantain flower, cauliflower, neem flower, broccoli
Fruits	Tomatoes, brinjal, lady’s finger, pumpkin, cucumber gourds ( ash gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd), capsicum, drumstick, plantain.
Legumes ( pods and seeds)	Peas, beans, chowli, broad beans, French beans, double beans, Bengal gram tender, red gram tender.
Stems	Plantain stem, ginger, amaranth stem, celery stem, lotus stem.
Seed sprouts	Grean gram, Bengal gram, soyabean sprouts
Fungi	Mushrooms
Algae	Spirulina

Vegetables are called protective foods as they are rich in minerals and vitamins. Nutritionally they are classified into 3 groups. They differ in their chemical composition.

Other classification

Vegetables are classified mainly as

• Green-leafy vegetables
• Roots and tubers
• Other vegetables.