What Foods are in the Vegetable Group?

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

What are the Basic Food Groups?

Vegetables, 5 Sub-Groups

 


This food group is so gargantuous and filled with so many different varieties of foods that it requires five different sub-groups.

Shopping Tip: Vegetables are available in many forms - dried, canned, frozen, raw and juiced. Take note that when you're shopping for juice, make certain that you purchase the 100% vegetable juice rather than a bottle or can of colored water.

Sub-Group: Dark Green Vegetables

This group contains the following selections: bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark leafy green lettuce, kale, mesclun, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, and water cress. Some are known for fighting diseases related to the digestive system.

Coniferous vegetables are among the best choices and many of the vegetables listed as Dark Green are also classified as coniferous.

Coniferous Vegetable List

Horseradish, land cress, kale, collard greens, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoflower, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, broccoli rabe, flowering cabbage, rutabaga, mustard seeds - black, white or brown, arugula, field pepperweed, garden cress, watercress, radish, wasabi, maca, daikon, turnip root, turnip greens, komatsuna and mizuna.

Sub-Group: Starchy Vegetables

 


Cassava, corn, fresh cowpeas, field peas, black-eyed peas [excludes dried form], green bananas, green peas, green lima beans, plantains, potatoes, taro and water chestnuts.

Note that bananas are mentioned; the USDA recognizes them in this group due to their green state.

In fact, many selections which are classified as vegetables by the USDA are commonly known to the public as fruits or vegetables, yet botanically speaking they fall in other groups.

Example: The tomato is a true fruit, as is the avocado. Yet both are commonly considered as vegetables.

Sub-Group: Red & Orange Vegetables

Several varieties of squash, which are nothing more than edible gourds, fall into this sub-group. They include the following species: acorn, butternut, Hubbard, and pumpkin. Other selections include carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomato and carrot juices.

Sub-Group: Peas & Beans

The entire Bean Family resides in this sub-group and the nutritional composite of rich protein can count towards the Protein Group, too. Bean species include: Navy, kidney, black, red, white, adzuki, lima, garbanzo [chickpeas], pinto, Great Northern and soy. Others: peas and lentils.

Sub-Group: Other Vegetables

These don't fit into the other four sub-groups, so the USDA classifies them as 'other'. These include: artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, yellow wax beans, green peppers, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, turnips and zucchini.

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