Fruits and Vegetables: The Cornerstone of Nutrition

As appeared in The Crown on Feb 11, 2025

By: William Grace, MSND Program 

Fruits and vegetables are two parts of a complete meal, providing vibrant colors to your plate, as well as many essential vitamins and minerals. From a nutritional standpoint, both fruits and veggies are great sources of water, potassium and fiber. As well as great sources of vitamins A and C and folate and are low in sodium.  This is why it is important to consume about five cup equivalents of fruits and vegetables daily.  One cup is equal to one cup cooked or canned, two cups raw or leafy greens, one medium-sized piece of fruit, one cup of one hundred percent juice or ½ cup dried fruit. You should eat five fruits or vegetables each day.

Due to how fruits and vegetables are used in the kitchen, some people may be confused on what food falls into which category. Tomatoes are botanically categorized as fruits because they are seed-bearing and come from the flower of a plant (like apples), but due to their flavor they are used as vegetables in the culinary world. True vegetable come from non-seed bearing parts of a plant, such as roots, bulbs or leaves.

One common holdback on buying fresh fruits and vegetables is their shelf life, or how long they last before going bad. Depending on what fruit or vegetables you are dealing with, they should be stored differently. For starters, do not wash fruits or vegetables until you are about to use them for cooking or eat them, as the moisture can encourage mold growth. Fruits like bananas, watermelon, grapefruit and citrus fruits should be stored on the counter unless they have been cut. Vegetables like potatoes, squash and onions should also be stored on the counter unless cut or prepared. Fruits and vegetables that we purchase underripe should be stored on the counter until they become ripe. This would include most fruits that have a pit, like peaches, as well as mangos, papayas, avocados and kiwis. Fruit that should be stored in the fridge would include different berries, grapes, apples and cherries. Vegetables that should be stored in the fridge are leafy greens like Brussel sprouts, as well as peas, carrots and leeks.  

Regardless of what type of fruit or vegetable you are dealing with, after it has been cut and or cooked, it should be stored in the fridge. The bottom drawer of most fridges can be used as a “crisper,” as it is slightly cooler and moisture-controlled compared to the rest of the fridge, which helps produce to keep its crisp texture. If fresh fruits and vegetables are out of your budget or just too inconvenient, you can always opt for frozen or canned to ensure you are consuming “five-a-day” to meet your nutrient requirements.   

Thank you all for taking time out of your day to read this article. Stay happy and stay healthy. Roll Narchs.