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Can French fries really be a fruit dish? What about guacamole? Pickles? If you were convinced potatoes, avocados, and cucumbers were veggies, don't sweat it. Conventional wisdom is often inaccurate. Remember when Arnold was considered an "actor"? Anyway, whether you call your produce fruits or vegetables, there are always more important labels to consider: whole and unprocessed, organic, local, and nutritious. Not to mention, delicious.
There's one more label everyone loves: free. Whether you choose to dumpster dive, glean fallen fruit, or indulge in some free samples, don't let food go to waste.
Finally, since more than a few of the covert fruits on the list below fall under the category of "nightshade," it's important to mention a group of substances found in these foods--alkaloids--which are believed to impact nerve-muscle function, digestive function, and joint function in some people. The folks at WHFoods suggest that any individual with existing joint or nervous system problems try a temporary 2-3 week elimination of nightshade foods to determine if these foods could be contributing to your health issues. In addition, even those without existing health problems should take the following precautions when handling potatoes:
- Store potatoes for 1-3 weeks in a dark cupboard, preferably in a cool and dry part of the house.
- Wash all potatoes before cooking so you'll be better able to spot the green areas that usually correspond to an increased alkaloid content.
- Thoroughly cut out all green areas, especially green areas on the peel, before cooking and cook the rest for safe eating. If you're sensitive to nightshades in the first place, it's best to discard the whole potato. After cooking, if the potato tastes bitter, do not eat it.
- Do not purchased potatoes that have been waxed, or apply wax to potatoes yourself. Waxes do not help reduce greening and can increase potato decay by cutting down on gas exchange in and out of the potato.
Whether you call them fruits or veggies, pronounce it po-tay-toe or po-tah-toe, it's time to unravel the mysteries of...
8 Sneaky Fruits Expose Their True Identity and Their Green Credentials
1. Avocados
Sometimes called the Alligator Pear, avocados are the fruit from the Persea Americana, a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 65 feet in height. They are a good source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, copper, and contain more potassium than a medium-sized banana. Blend your avocado with two other mystery fruits--bell pepper and tomato--to make everyone's favorite dip: guacamole.
2. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are high-water fruits that belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and other types of squash. A very good source of vitamin C and molybdenum, cukes are also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber, magnesium, and silica. Tasty suggestion: turn those cucumbers into dill pickles.
3. Eggplant
One of the aforementioned nightshades, eggplants are available in a variety of colors: lavender, jade green, orange, and yellow-white. They also range in size and shape from that of a small tomato to a large zucchini. Eggplant is a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper, and thiamin (vitamin B1); a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, and niacin; and also contains phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid. Have you ever tried breaded eggplant cutlets?
4. Okra
Immature okra pods are used for soups, canning, and stews or as a fried or boiled vegetable. This seed-filled green capsule is high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, protein, riboflavin, niacin, iron, zinc, and copper. Roasted okra is highly recommended.
5. Potatoes
Another nightshade, potatoes are also the most widely cultivated vegetable, I mean, fruit in the world. They provide vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. They also provide the main ingredient for home fries.
6. Peppers
Plump, bell shaped nightshade fruits that come in purple, green, red, yellow, and orange. An excellent source of vitamins C, A and B6, try them marinated.
7. Squash
Summer squash comes in three varieties--zucchini, crookneck, and pattypan--and is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C. Wash your summer squash under cool running water, cut off both ends, and then cut it to fit the needs of your particular recipe. Winter squash--e.g. butternut, acorn, hubbard, and pumpkin--provides an abundance of vitamin A. Before cooking winter squash, wash it and then cut it in half and remove the seeds and fibrous material in the cavity
8. Tomatoes
This nightshade fruit is popular, versatile, and comes in over a thousand different varieties. Tomatoes are loaded with nutrients: an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K; a very good source of molybdenum, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, chromium, and vitamin B1; a good source of vitamin B6, folate, copper, niacin, vitamin B2, magnesium, iron, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, vitamin E, and protein. When I think of tomatoes, I think: sauce.
