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List of vegetables facts for kids

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A vegetable is a part of a plant that people eat as food. When we talk about "vegetables" in cooking, it's often different from how scientists (botanists) define them. For example, a tomato is actually a fruit in science, but we use it like a vegetable in our kitchens! This list focuses on plants we commonly call vegetables in cooking. It doesn't include herbs, spices, or most fruits and nuts that are usually eaten sweet.

Leafy and Salad Vegetables

These are vegetables where we eat the leaves! They are often used in salads, stir-fries, or cooked as greens. They are packed with vitamins and minerals.

Img 0717 garden cress
Garden Cress
Iceberg lettuce in SB
Iceberg lettuce growing in a field.
Spinacia oleracea Spinazie bloeiend
Spinach plants.
Claytonia perfoliata 2003-05-19
Miner's lettuce.
Species name
Arrowhead elephant ear Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Arugula Eruca sativa
Beet (greens) Beta vulgaris vulgaris
Bok choy (白菜) Brassica rapa (chinensis)
Broccoli (leaves / stalks) Brassica oleracea
Brussels sprouts Brassica oleracea (gemmifera)
Cabbage Brassica oleracea (capitata)
Celery Apium graveolens
Chicory Cichorium intybus
Collard greens Brassica oleracea
Cress Lepidium sativum
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Endive Cichorium endivia
Kale Brassica oleracea (acephala)
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Malabar spinach Basella alba
Miner's lettuce (Winter purslane) Claytonia perfoliata
Mizuna greens Brassica rapa (nipposinica)
Mustard Sinapis alba
Napa cabbage Brassica rapa (chinensis)
New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides
Papaya leaves Carica papaya
Radicchio Cichorium intybus
Rapini (broccoli rabe) Brassica rapa rapa
Spinach Spinacia oleracea
Sweet potato leaves Ipomoea batatas
Swiss chard Beta vulgaris cicla (flavescens)
Taro leaves Colocasia esculenta
Turnip greens Brassica rapa (rapifera)
Watercress Nasturtium officinale
Water spinach Ipomoea aquatica

Fruits Used as Vegetables

Even though these are botanically fruits (meaning they grow from the flower of a plant and contain seeds), we often cook and eat them like vegetables. Think of how you use a tomato in a salad or a pumpkin in a savory dish!

Species name
Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis
Butternut squash Cucurbita moschata
Bitter melon / Bitter gourd Momordica charantia
Calabash / Bottle gourd Lagenaria siceraria
Chayote Sechium edule
Corn/Maize Zea mays
Cooking banana / Plantain / Green banana Musa × paradisiaca
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Eggplant / Aubergine / Brinjal Solanum melongena
Jackfruit (unripe) Artocarpus heterophyllus
Kabocha Cucurbita maxima
Kiwano / Horned melon Cucumis metuliferus
Luffa Luffa cylindrica
Olive fruit Olea europaea
Papaya (unripe) Carica papaya
Pumpkin Cucurbita
Squash Cucurbita
Tinda Praecitrullus fistulosus
Tomatillo Physalis philadelphica
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Water melon Citrullus lanatus
Winter melon Benincasa hispida
Zucchini / Courgette / Marrow Cucurbita pepo

Chili Peppers

Chili peppers are fruits from the Capsicum plant. They are known for their spicy flavor, which comes from a chemical called capsaicin. They come in many shapes, sizes, and heat levels!

Species name
Bell pepper Capsicum annuum 'Bell'
Cayenne pepper Capsicum annuum 'Cayenne'
Habanero Capsicum chinense 'Habanero'
Jalapeño Capsicum annuum 'Jalapeño'
Pimiento Capsicum annuum 'Pimiento'

Edible Flowers

Some flowers are not just pretty, they're also delicious! These flowers can add unique flavors and colors to dishes.

Flores de calabaza
Calabaza flowers.
Species name
Artichoke Cynara cardunculus / scolymus
Banana flower Musa × paradisiaca, Musa acuminata,
usa balibisiana, other bananas
Broccoli Brassica oleracea
Calabaza flower Cucurbita moschata
Caper Capparis spinosa
Cauliflower Brassica oleracea
Pumpkin flower Cucurbita
Daylily Hemerocallis fulva
Moringa Moringa oleifera
Courgette flowers Cucurbita
Squash blossoms Cucurbita

Podded Vegetables

Podded vegetables are plants where we eat the seeds or the pods that contain the seeds. These include many types of beans and peas. They are a great source of protein and fiber.

Phaseolus vulgaris seed
Different types of common beans.
Soybeanvarieties
Varieties of soybeans.
Species name
Asparagus bean Vigna unguiculata (sesquipedalis)
Azuki bean Vigna angularis
Black-eyed pea Vigna unguiculata unguiculata
Chickpea Cicer arietinum
Common bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Drumstick Moringa oleifera
Fava bean Vicia faba
Green bean (French bean) Phaseolus vulgaris
Hyacinth bean Lablab purpureus
Lentil Lens culinaris
Lima bean Phaseolus lunatus
Mung bean Vigna radiata
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
Pea Pisum sativum
Peanut Arachis hypogaea
Pigeon pea Cajanus cajan
Runner bean Phaseolus coccineus
Snap pea (sugarsnap, mangetout) Pisum sativum (macrocarpon)
Snow pea (mangetout) Pisum sativum (saccharatum)
Soybean Glycine max
Winged bean Psophocarpus tetragonolobus

Bulb and Stem Vegetables

This group includes vegetables where we eat the underground bulb or the above-ground stem. These parts often store nutrients and have a unique crunch or flavor.

Garlic
Garlic bulbs and individual cloves.
Species name
Asparagus Asparagus officinalis
Cardoon Cynara cardunculus
Celeriac Apium graveolens (rapaceum)
Celery Apium graveolens
Chives Allium schoenoprasum
Florence fennel Foeniculum vulgare (dulce)
Garlic Allium sativum
Heart of palm Cocos nucifera, Euterpe spp., Sabal spp.,
Bactris gasipaes, Deckenia nobilis, other palms
Kohlrabi Brassica oleracea (gongylodes)
Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus
Leek Allium porrum
Lotus root Nelumbo nucifera
Onion Allium cepa
Spring onion / Scallion Allium wakegi
Shallot Allium cepa (aggregatum)
Welsh onion Allium fistulosum

Root and Tuberous Vegetables

These vegetables grow underground. We eat their roots or tubers, which are swollen underground stems that store food for the plant. They are often starchy and filling.

CarrotDiversityLg
Carrots come in many colors and shapes.
Various types of potatoes for sale
Different types of potatoes.
Species name
Arracacha Arracacia xanthorrhiza
Bamboo shoot Bambusa vulgaris, Phyllostachys edulis
Beetroot Beta vulgaris vulgaris
Carrot Daucus carota
Cassava Manihot esculenta
Daikon Raphanus sativus (longipinnatus)
Ginger Zingiber officinale
Horseradish Armoracia rusticana
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus
Jícama Pachyrhizus erosus
Parsnip Pastinaca sativa
Potato Solanum tuberosum
Radish Raphanus sativus
Rutabaga (Swede) Brassica napus (napobrassica)
Sweet potato (Kumara) Ipomoea batatas
Taro Colocasia esculenta
Turmeric Curcuma longa
Turnip Brassica rapa (rapifera)
Ube (Purple yam) Dioscorea alata
Ulluco Ullucus tuberosus
Wasabi Wasabia japonica
Water caltrop Trapa natans, Trapa bicornis
Water chestnut Eleocharis dulcis
Yacón Smallanthus sonchifolius
Yam Dioscorea

Sea Vegetables

These are plants that grow in the ocean, also known as seaweed. They are often used in Asian cuisine and are full of unique flavors and nutrients from the sea.

Caulerpa prolifera
Caulerpa is a type of edible seaweed.
Species name
Aonori Monostroma, Enteromorpha
Arame Eisenia bicyclis
Dulse (Dillisk) Palmaria palmata
Gim Monostroma, Porphyra, Ulva
Hijiki Hizikia fusiformis
Kombu Laminaria japonica
Nori Porphyra, Pyropia
Sea grape Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemosa
Sea lettuce Ulva lactuca
Wakame Undaria pinnatifida

See also

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