Classification of Vegetables According to Chemical Composition Quiz

Study Notes

Vegetables

Vegetables are plants or parts of plants like leaves, fruits, tubers, roots, bulbs, stems, shoots, and flowers used in dishes either raw or cooked.
Vegetables give color, texture, and flavor to meals and provide vitamins and minerals.
Eating vegetables provides health benefits, such as:
- Reduced risk of some chronic diseases, including heart attack and stroke
- Protection against certain types of cancers
- Reduced obesity and type 2 diabetes
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced risk of developing kidney stones
- Help in decreasing bone loss

Nutrition

Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including:
- Potassium
- Dietary fiber
- Folate
- Vitamin A and C
A diet rich in potassium may help maintain normal blood pressure.
Dietary fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease.
Fiber helps in reducing constipation and diverticulosis.
Folate helps the body form red blood cells.
Vitamins A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
Vitamins C helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Classification of Vegetables

According to parts:
- Gourd family
- Seeds and pods
- Roots and tubers
- Cabbage family
- Onion family
- Leafy greens
- Stalks, stems, and shoots
- Mushrooms
According to chemical composition:
- Carbohydrates-rich vegetables: seeds, roots, tubers
- Protein-rich vegetables: legumes, peas, beans
- Fat-rich vegetables: nuts, olives, avocado
- High moisture content: mushrooms, tomatoes, radish, green leafy vegetables
According to nutritive value:
- Vitamin A-rich vegetables: green leafy and yellow fruits and vegetables
- Vitamin C-rich vegetables: yellow vegetables
- Vitamin B (complex)-rich vegetables: legumes, peas, beans

Chemical Components

Sugar (Fructose): the natural sugar that provides sweetness in vegetables
Glutamic Acid: found in large amounts in young and fresh vegetables, forms a product called monosodium glutamate when combined with salt
Sulfur compounds: give the characteristic strong flavor and odor of some vegetables like onions, leeks, garlic, chives, cabbage, and broccoli

Color Components

Chlorophyll: a fat-soluble compound responsible for the green color of plants
Carotenoids: the yellow, orange to red soluble pigments found in plants
Flavonoids:
- Anthoxanthin: responsible for the yellow pigment
- Anthocyanins: responsible for red and blue to violet pigments

Factors to Consider in Choosing Good Quality Vegetables

Freshness: crisp and bright color, absence of decay or insect manifestation, no mechanical damage or injury
Right degree of maturity
Variety: different varieties differ in color, shape, texture, and sometimes flavor

Kitchen Cuts

Chopping: done with a straight, downward cutting motion
Chiffonade (shredding): making very fine parallel cuts
Dicing: producing cube shapes
Diamond (lozenge): thinly slicing and cutting into strips of appropriate width
Mincing: producing very fine cuts usually for onions and garlic
Julienne and baton net: making long rectangular cuts
Pays Anne (Fermi ere): making curved or uneven cuts of the same thickness
Rondelle: making cylindrical cuts
Bias: making diagonal cuts
Oblique, or roll cuts: making diagonal cuts by rolling the long cylindrical vegetables

Hand Tools and Equipment

Tool: a handheld device that aids in completing a task
Equipment: the implements used in an operation or activity
Importance of learning different tools, equipment, utensils, and their uses to make the process easier and more efficient

Description

This quiz covers the classification of vegetables based on different criteria such as parts (seeds and pods, roots and tubers), chemical composition (carbohydrates-rich, protein-rich, fat-rich, high moisture content), and nutritive value. Test your knowledge on how different vegetables are categorized according to various characteristics.