After today, you will be
able to select, prepare,
and store vegetables
safely and properly
Let’s get started!
Defining
Vegetables
Vegetables are colorful, flavorful and
nutritious.
Hundreds of different kinds can be
prepared in many different ways.
You need 3-5 servings from the Vegetable
Group each day.
Forms of Vegetables
Fresh
Frozen
Canned
Fresh veggies have the most
nutrients.
Buying Vegetables
Signs of freshness:
– Solid-should feel heavy in relation to its
size.
– Good color- not too pale or too dark.
– Crisp or firm.
– In good condition-no decay, soft spots or
damage.
Fresh vegetables are sold loose or in packages.
Buying for the Season
Saves money and Fresher Food
 FALL- squash, cauliflower,  SPRING- artichokes, asparagus,
carrots, chives, fava beans,
garlic, ginger, mushroom,
fennel, mustard greens,
pumpkin, sweet potatoes
potatoes, spinach, lettuce,
sugar snap peas and onions.
 WINTER- kale, leeks,
radishes, rutabaga and
 SUMMER-beets, broccoli,
turnips
cabbage, corn, cucumber,
eggplant, green beans, squash,
tomatoes and zucchini
Storing
Most vegetables should be refrigerated as soon as
you bring them home.
If they’re wet, shake off the excess water. Too
much moisture can make it spoil faster.
Don’t wash them until you are ready to prepare or
eat
Potatoes and onions should be stored separately in
a cool, dry, dark area.
Frozen vegetables are available to buy
packaged individually or mixed.
Canned vegetables are available whole,
sliced, or in pieces.
Already cooked. Only need to be
reheated according to directions.
Preparing Raw
Vegetables
Wash them to remove dirt and harmful bacteria.
Using cold water, and sometimes a brush.
Cut damaged spots and parts that can’t be eaten.
Cooking Vegetables
Cooking makes them easier to chew and digest.
Lose few nutrients
Stay bright in color
Are tender and crisp
Have a mild, mellow flavor.
• Steaming- One of the most healthy ways to cook,
because fewer nutrients are lost since vegetable is not
in water
-Vegetable is cooked over, not in, water to help
prevent nutrient loss
• Simmering- about ½ cup of water in saucepan, cover
and bring to a boil. Add veggies, cover and simmer
until tender
-Do not use aluminum or copper pans (minerals react
with sulfur compounds in veggies, resulting in loss of
vitamin C, E and Folic Acid)
• Microwaving- Cooks food quickly, using only a small
amount of water. Keeps nutrients, color, texture and
flavor.
-pierce skinned vegetables with a fork, to avoid
vegetable from bursting
-Always cover containers to keep in moisture
• Baking- Vegetables with a high moisture
content bake in an oven.
• Winter squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Pared whole vegetables such as carrots, onions, and
potatoes can be baked in the same pan as a roast,
but adds fat
• Frying- Most vegetables are capable of being
sautéed, stir fried, and deep fried.
• Sautéed- sometimes done before a recipe to
bring out the flavor
Both of these methods (frying and sauté)are
used with oil, which adds fat and calories to
the vegetables. Especially with deep fried
vegetables.
Parts of the
Plant
Fruit
Flowers
Roots
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Leaves
Flower
Stem
Fruit
Seeds
Roots
What Part Of
The Plant Do
You Eat???
Roots
They are the
pathways for water
to travel from the
soil to the plant;
they store nutrients.
They also anchor
the plant in the
ground.
Two categories
* BULBS- onions,
radishes and garlic
*TUBERS- carrots
and potatoes
High in starch and
calories.
Ex: Onions, Carrots,
Potatoes, Radishes,
Garlic, Turnips, and
Beets
Stems
They support the
plant.
Slender stalks are
more tender.
They are high in
water and low in
calories
Ex: Celery and
Asparagus
Leaves
They capture the
sunlight to make the
food for the plant
(photosynthesis)
The darker the leaves
the higher the
nutrient content.
They are high in
water and low in
calories.
Ex: Spinach, Lettuce,
Cabbage, Brussel
Sprouts, and Sprouts.
Flowers
These are the blooms
of the plant.
Ex: Cauliflower,
Broccoli and
Artichoke
They are high in
water and low in
calories.
QUICK DEBATE!
Is a TOMATO a Fruit or a
Vegetable!?
Let’s Think…
It has a thin layer of smooth skin and seeds
inside like a pome…
It has a fragile cell structure like a berry…
Sometimes it has a sweeter taste than most
vegetables do…
The answer is…
Technically…it’s BOTH!
Scientifically speaking…the tomato is a fruit due to its
structure and physical characteristics as well as the part of
the plant it comes from (the fruit of the plant). It can be
classified as a berry because of its fragile structure and
amount of seeds inside.
In the culinary world…a tomato is classified as a vegetable
because it is used in savoury dishes rather than sweet ones.
Savoury is defined as salty or spicy which represents the
tomato's flavor in most foods.
So technically speaking, the tomato IS the FRUIT of the
tomato plant but it is used as a VEGETABLE in cooking.
Do you know other fruits that
are mistaken as vegetables?
-Avocado
-Eggplant
-Cucumber
-Squash
-Peppers
-Olives
-Pumpkins
Fruit
They contain the
seeds of the plant.
They are not sweet
like the foods we call
fruit.
They are high in
water and low in
calories.
Ex: Tomatoes,
Cucumbers, Eggplant,
Bell Peppers, Other
Peppers, Pumpkin,
Squash, and Green
Beans
Seeds
They store nutrients
so that other plants
can be grown.
They are high in
starch and high in
calories.
Ex: Peas, Corn,
Sunflower Seeds, and
Lima Beans
Create a
Vegetable!
Using your notes about the different parts of the
plant, create a new or hybrid vegetable
Ex: Cucumber plus a Carrot = Cu-arrot
Make sure you use class time wisely! The winner will be
determined on who used time in class best as well!!
Be creative! Make it colorful!! The pair with the best
creation will win a prize!
…it’s a surprise