The main differences between greens and vegetables

Sometimes we use interchangeable terms, when they really are not. This can cause confusion and avoidable errors, which we can solve by learning to differentiate the correct terms each time. This would be the case of vegetables and vegetables.

Despite being terms that are commonly used interchangeably (which is a common process in several languages ​​and is part of their natural evolution), these nouns have different meanings and it is worth knowing what differentiates them . In this article we will focus on the differences between vegetables and vegetables, to have them clear from now on.

What is a vegetable?

The etymology of the word vegetable tells us its meaning, since it comes from orchard. Vegetables are all those vegetables that can be grown in gardens for use as food for people . In fact, the term vegetable is used more to define the part of the plant that we consume than the plant itself, although this distinction is not usually made on a day-to-day basis.

This meaning does not include items such as fruits or cereals (although some fruits can be grown in gardens, such as tomatoes). This adds complexity to the matter, since the limit of the term “vegetable” itself is diffuse. To understand it better, we can see some types of food that we consider vegetables.

• It might interest you: “The 10 types of vegetables that exist (and their nutritional properties)”

1. Edible stems

We consider edible stems to be those vegetables of which we consume a part of the stem, which is thicker than the rest and is usually found underground. This edible stem serves a function of feeding the rest of the plant , being a reservoir of energy that they use to overcome the winter months.

Surely the term tubercle sounds more familiar to you than that of edible stem, despite the fact that they are synonyms. These edible stems also sometimes fulfill the function of allowing the plant to reproduce asexually, as in the case of the potato (probably the most famous tuber).

Other notable examples of tubers would be yams or sweet potatoes , also known as sweet potatoes in some South American countries.

2. Fruits

Fruits, (not fruits, which we have already ruled out from the vegetable category earlier in the article) are those structures that are responsible for protecting, feeding and propagating the seeds . They differ from fruits only in name and flavor characteristics, since the structure is the same and it fulfills the same function.

This confusion between fruit and fruit is because the term vegetable excludes fruits with a sweet or acid taste (such as apples or oranges). But there are other fruits that grow in orchards and are traditionally considered vegetables, such as pumpkins, aubergines or tomatoes . All these examples are fruits, but they are also fruits and vegetables.

• You could also read: “Broccoli: 10 properties and benefits of this vegetable”

3. Bulbs

The bulbs are, like the edible stems (tubers), energy storage structures and asexual reproduction of some plants. Unlike tubers, bulbs are not enlarged stems, but rather the base from which the leaves of the plant come out, and also the roots at the opposite end.

As an example of edible bulbs, we would find garlic and onion. There are also inedible bulbs, which are not called vegetables, such as those that develop tulips.

4. Edible roots

Edible roots are, as the name suggests, any root whose consumption is fit for human consumption. They are also known as food roots or root vegetables. We have as an example of edible roots carrots, radishes or turnips .

In addition to these classifications of vegetables, there is one last category that will remove our doubts about the real differences between vegetables and vegetables. As we have seen, the term vegetable does not have a scientific origin and its use is simply to refer to the different varieties of vegetables that we can get from a garden.

5. Inflorescences

Within the vegetables, we will also find those that come from plants from which we only consume the flower, as would be the case with the artichoke.

Differences between vegetables and vegetables

Vegetables are the last category of vegetables that we will discuss in this article. Indeed, vegetables are just another type of vegetable . According to the RAE, vegetables are defined as “vegetables, especially those with green leaves”.

Strict vegetables will be considered those with tender stems and edible leaves, but there are also plants such as broccoli, which are considered vegetables despite the fact that what we consume from them are the flowers. Other examples of strict vegetables would be Swiss chard or lettuce.

What has happened with the term vegetable is that its common use has surpassed the use of the word vegetable in many Spanish-speaking cultures. The term vegetable may have started as a subcategory of vegetable, but today virtually any edible part of a plant other than fruit, grain, or legume is considered a vegetable.

The confusion with these terms is also due to the fact that “vegetables”, rather than specific plants, refer to the different foods that we can extract from plants grown in gardens.

Regardless of how you refer to them, greens or vegetables, plant elements are essential for a balanced diet and contain a multitude of beneficial elements for our health. If you are interested in knowing some of the benefits of consuming vegetables, in this same portal we have several articles about it that you can consult to improve your knowledge about nutrition.

Bibliographic references

• Van Duyn MA, Pivonka E. (2000). “Overview of the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption for the professional dietetics: selected literature”. J Am Diet Assoc (Review) 100 (12): 1511-1521.
• Slavin, J.L., & Lloyd, B. (2012). Health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 3(4), 506–516. doi:10.3945/an.112.002154.