Surprising: these six vegetables are actually fruits

fruits vegetables

These vegetables are actually fruits!

By now, we all know how important it is to eat plenty of veggies. And we always try our best to add a variety of vegetables to our diet. But that gets harder when it turns out that some of the vegetables we’ve been eating aren’t even vegetables at all. Some vegetables are fruits in disguise. Find out more below.

Fruits

Before we list the vegetables – or fruits, we first need to get into the technicalities of the terms ‘fruit’ and ‘vegetable’. What makes something a fruit and what makes something a vegetable? According to Treehugger, a fruit is “the seed-bearing part of a plant that requires pollination to grow and whose dissemination will spread the species further afield.” A vegetable is the stem, leaf, bulb, root or other part of the plant. But there is a lot of misconception about what qualifies as a fruit and what doesn’t. Did you know that tomatoes are actually legally considered to be vegetables? The Supreme Court decided that they were, based on the fact that they’re used as such. And the foods listed below are considered vegetables by many but, according to the definition, turn out to be fruits.

1. Green beans

A very surprising one, but green beans should actually be considered fruits. That is because the green bean contains the seeds that ensures the propagation of the species. Even though they don’t taste sweet and people always call them vegetables, they’re technically a fruit.

2. Eggplant

The same goes for eggplants. Although we wouldn’t really eat egg plants raw, they are considered berries. Just really big ones. They’re not as sweet as berries and might not be a great addition to your morning yogurt, but they are technically a fruit.

3. Olives

Even though it also wasn’t entirely clear to what food group olives belong, we never would have thought they are a fruit. But they are because they come from the flower of the olive tree. And that technically makes them a fruit.

4. Pumpkin

Squashes, like pumpkins or zucchini, grow from a flower. That means that they are technically a fruit. Surprising right?

5. Cucumbers

Even more surprising is the fact that cucumber is a fruit too. Although their taste is a little bit sweeter than the other fruits in this list. So maybe it might be easier to believe that cucumber is a good addition to your fruit salad.

6. Peppers

Yes, even the really hot peppers are fruits. It might not be hard to believe that bell peppers are fruits. Although they are always considered to be a vegetable. But all pepers come from flowers and that means that all peppers (even the very spicy ones) are considered to be fruits.

Read more: Here are 5 vegetables you need to cook before you eat them

Source: Treehugger | Image: Unsplash, Collab Media