The differences between vegetables and greens

It is important to know the difference between vegetables and greens to know what we should consume. It usually happens that in some diet we are told that we must increase the consumption of certain foods.

But if they talk to us about vegetables and we don't know the difference, we can make mistakes and not eat what we require. So as not to make mistakes again, we explain the differences between vegetables and greens.

What are the differences between vegetables and greens?

Vegetables and vegetables are not the same. Although in reality, the term vegetable includes a broader concept that includes many types of food. The confusion arises because it is common to call the same food indistinctly a vegetable or vegetable.

Vegetables are edible plants that are grown in gardens. This means that all vegetables are vegetables, but not all vegetables are vegetables. In fact cereals and fruits are outside the vegetable classification.

So, understanding the meaning of the word vegetable, we can understand that although vegetable and vegetable are not the same, the confusion arises because the vegetables are part of the set of vegetables that we can find.

"Vegetable" refers to those vegetables that are green and can be eaten cooked or raw.. More than a botanical classification, the term vegetable refers to a nutritional term. Here we present the types of vegetables that exist, including vegetables.

• It may be of interest to you: "Lettuce: 10 properties and benefits of this vegetable"

1. Vegetables

As already mentioned, vegetables are a type of vegetable. They are the green portion of the vegetables that exist in a garden. Although some tender stems are also considered as vegetables.

The clearest examples of vegetables are spinach, lettuce, or chard. But also aubergines, pumpkins, peppers and carrots, the latter which despite being roots are a type of vegetables found in vegetables.

2. Bulbs

Bulbs are round-shaped vegetables that grow underground. This type of vegetable refers to those that, in addition to their peculiar shape, contain reserve substances inside. There are not many types of bulb.

The clearest examples are onion and garlic. Both grow underground, revealing a plant on the surface that is not used for food.

• You could also read: "Vegan Recipes: 8 Easy Dishes for Beginners"

3. Edible stems

Not all vegetable stems are edible. Those that can be used as food to add to dishes,they are also known as tubers. They are very thick stems that serve to feed the plant that protrudes above the ground.

Sweet potato, potato, ginger, are some of the most common edible stems or tubers within vegetables. It is common especially for the potato to be confused with a vegetable, however it is not.

4. Edible roots

As with stems, not all roots are edible. Within the vegetables there are also roots that are eaten on a daily basis and that are often confused with fruits or vegetables. In reality it is the roots of a plant that are also the part that can be eaten.

The carrot, the turnip or the radish, are clear examples of edible roots which are also used very commonly in various recipes. It must be remembered that it is about roots and not vegetables as such.

5. Fruit

The fruits of vegetables are different from fruits. As already mentioned, fruits are not part of vegetables. The fruits refer to the part of the vegetables that protect the seeds and that are also edible.

Tomato, eggplant and pumpkin are very obvious examples of vegetable fruits. So it can be more clear that it is not the fruits that we commonly know, because as it was well explained, these are not part of the vegetables.

Why are vegetables confused with vegetables?

The confusion between vegetables and vegetables is common even in specialized gastronomic means. As vegetables are a global concept that includes both vegetables and roots, one or the other is often mentioned interchangeably.

Vegetables are all those foods that are harvested in orchards. Hence its name. And when it comes to vegetables, their subcategory may or may not be mentioned, which is what really makes the difference between one or the other.

Nevertheless, a good way to avoid further confusion is to remember that vegetables refer exclusively to leafy greens, but that the term vegetables is correct to speak of this part of the plant, as well as of the edible stems and roots.

So the next time in a recipe or some diet suggestion you find that it is suggested to you increase the consumption of vegetables, it will be easy to understand that it refers to everything that comes from a vegetable patch. But if it refers specifically to vegetables, surely it does not include more than those with green leaves.