Fruits and Vegetables - Key Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards based on fruits and vegetables, focusing on key concepts such as nutrition, classification, and processing.

Canada's Food Guide

Recommends 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Serving count for juice box

Counts as 2 servings of fruits or vegetables.

Serving size for fresh vegetables

1 medium-sized fruit or vegetable.

Serving size for cooked vegetables

1 cup of salad, or ½ cup cooked, leafy vegetables.

Bulk food crop species

14 species responsible for the majority of food crops globally.

Major food crops

Includes rice, wheat, sorghum, barley, sugar cane, sugar beet, potato, sweet potato, cassava, beans, soybean, peanuts, coconut, banana.

Source of sweetness

Sugar cane and sugar beets.

Source of starch

Rice, wheat, sorghum, barley, and cassava.

Source of oil/lipid

Includes beans, legumes, soybean, peanuts, and coconut.

International Year of the Pulse (2016)

Designated by the UN, highlighting the importance of legumes as a low-cost, high-protein food.

Classification of Vegetables

Based on the type of plant structure they come from.

Bulb vegetable example

Garlic.

Root vegetable example

Carrot.

Tubers vs. Roots

Sweet potatoes are roots, while yams are tubers.

What is a fruit?

Mature ovary of a flower that includes seeds.

Simple fruit

A fruit that develops from a single ovary.

Citrus fruits

Includes varieties such as oranges and lemons.

Drupes

Fruits with a hard stone pit, like cherries and peaches.

Legumes

Products of seed pods of plants, popular in spring.

Aggregate fruit

A single flower producing multiple fruits, like raspberries.

Multiple fruit

A single fruit formed from multiple flowers, such as pineapple.

What defines vegetables?

Includes edible forms of plant tissue other than fruits.

Primary Cell Wall

Contains cellulose and hemicellulose, important for dietary fiber.

Secondary Cell Wall

Composed of lignin, providing a coarse, fibrous texture.

Nutritive Value of Plant Products

Noted for high water content, typically between 75-95%.

Turgor pressure

Pressure exerted by water in plant cells, giving firmness.

Main proteins in plants

Include glutenin and gliadin in wheat.

Soybean proteins

Contain globulins and phytoestrogens.

Lipids in plants

Includes oils high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Organic Acids

Influence flavor in fruits, includes citric and malic acids.

Vitamins in fruits and vegetables

Includes Vitamin C and Vitamin A.

Antioxidants

Compounds that inactivate free radicals.

Effects of Cooking on Chlorophyll

Acid changes chlorophyll to pheophytin, altering color.

Anthocyanins

Responsible for red, blue, and purple colors, pH sensitive.

Enzymatic Browning

Reaction causing browning in damaged tissues when exposed to oxygen.

Ripening process

Involves physiological changes and ethylene gas production.

Controlled atmosphere storage

Manipulates gas mixture to extend shelf life.

Meat proteins

Make up approximately 20% of total caloric intake.

Albumen

Egg white, primarily composed of ovalbumin.

Coagulation in eggs

Process of proteins turning from soluble to gel-like structures when heated.

Milk fat composition

Sourced from mammary glands, includes various components.

Pasteurization temperature

Typically 63°C, modifiable to modern standards of 72°C.

Enzymatic activity in cheese making

Rennin interacts with kappa-casein to result in cheese texture.

Protein structure levels

Includes primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures.

Isoflavones

Phytoestrogens in soy that mimic estrogen activity.

BMI importance

Essential for understanding health and disease risks.

Phytoestrogens' effects on health

May lower risk of certain cancers and osteoporosis.

Soy impact on blood lipids

Can reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels.

Menopausal symptom alleviation

Some evidence suggests phytoestrogens reduce hot flashes.

Meta-analysis significance

Combines data from multiple studies for more reliable conclusions.

Microwave cooking principles

Relies on specific heat and electromagnetic radiation for cooking.

Food safety through heating

Heating reduces microbial load and enhances digestibility.

Cooking method influences

Variations in outcomes based on temperature and method.

Animal welfare impact on meat quality

Involves stress management to improve meat tenderness.

Oxygen's role in meat color

Interacts with myoglobin to affect freshness indicators.

Muscle structure components

Includes connective tissue and myofibrils for contraction.

Processing effects on nutrients

Can alter biochemical compounds and nutritional values.