Official Kids Mag

Fruits and vegetables both come from plants, and they're both part of a healthy diet, but the difference is that they are different parts of the plant. VeGetaBles Vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seeds. So vegetables are the roots, stems, leaves, and even the unopened flower buds. Did you know that broccoli and cauliflower are just clusters of unopened flower buds? Things like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, and beets are root vegetables. Celery and green onions are the stems of the plant that we eat. Lettuce and spinach are examples of leaf vegetables. Fruits Since vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seed, fruits are any part of the plant that does contain the seed. This means that many things that we usually consider vegetables – like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, avocados, and even peas, green beans, and nuts – are really fruits! It gets confusing!! Seedless fruits (like watermelons and grapes) are still considered fruits. Fruits without an obvious seed (like bananas and pineapples) are still fruits. Corn is technically a fruit, because the corn cob contains all the seeds (the kernels). But corn is also a grain! Even sunflower seeds are technically fruits! the great tomato debate…is it a fruit or a vegetable?? In 1883, the tomato made an appearance in the United States Supreme Court. The Tariff Act of 1883 had placed a tax on imported vegetables, including tomatoes, so a knowledgeable importer challenged that the tomato is botanically a fruit and not subject to these taxes. However, the Supreme Court ruled that even though the tomato is technically a fruit, in practical terms it is eaten as part of meal like other vegetables and that fruits are usually eaten on their own or as a dessert. Therefore by ruling of the Supreme Court …the tomato is a vegetable!!! So when asked if a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, the answer is, "Both!" This definition applies to many 'fruits' in our diet. Both fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and fiber, but, in general, fruit is the sweeter treat whereas vegetables tend to be less sweet. You can find fruits and veggies in ALL colors of the rainbow at your local Harps Market. Fruits & vegetables, what's the diFFerence? Warm strawberry Milk Ingredients • 1 cup milk • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • Pinch salt Directions 1. In a blender, mix all the ingredients. 2. Pour mix in a small saucepan. 3. Heat until the milk is steaming and just about to start simmering. 4. Pour into a mug, and enjoy! You can also make this with almond, soy or oat milk Most apples need pollen from a different variety of apple to make fruit. This process is called "cross-pollination" and orchardists work hard to make sure that different varieties of apples are planted near each other so their trees will produce juicy and sweet apples. Bees are the main pollinators of apples. The smell and color of the apple blossom signals to bees there is tasty nectar waiting inside. When a bee flies from one flower to the next, pollen sticks to their hair and is carried to the next flower, helping the pollination process. Without different kinds of apple trees, and bees, a lonely apple tree will produce little to no fruit at all. sugarbee ® apples One sunny spring day, a honey bee was buzzing through an orchard, collecting nectar and cross-pollinating apple blossoms along the way. The honey bee stopped at an unknown tree and collected nectar and pollen from a blossom. As the day went on, the little honey bee passed that pollen onto a Honeycrisp tree. Little did this bee know its cross-pollination between a Honeycrisp and an unknown variety had just resulted in a new apple! Months later, when apples of every shape and color began to grow, the orchardist discovered this all new variety of apple in his orchard! It was large and round, with bright red and yellow coloring. He took a bite…. "Yum!" The apple had a crispy firm texture and was unbelievably sugar-sweet. He was thrilled and spread word far and wide of a new delicious apple variety! Because this apple formed from the cross-pollination of a honey bee and has a sugary-sweet flavor, they decided to call it SugarBee ® ! httP://www.harPsfood.COM HARPS H O M E T O W N F R E S H Who doesn't love strawberries? Strawberries aren't growing right now in Arkansas, but strawberries at your local Harps market come from strawberry farms in Florida, where it's warm and sunny! Did you know that strawberry farmers often have hives of bees that live on the farm to pollinate the strawberries? Here are some other fun facts about strawberries: - Native Americans were eating strawberries way before Europeans landing in North America. - Ancient Romans used the berries to treat everything from depression to fever and sore throats. - The average strawberry has 200 seeds...and you can eat them all! www.officialKidsMag.com • February 2022 • 7

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