When deciding what vegetables to include in expert-recommended five a day portions, how does one know the right distinction between a fruit and a vegetable?
At first glance, this seems an easy enough task. That is, until a proper identification is attempted.
Professor Pauline Ladiges of the University of Melbourne's school of Botany says that the categorisation is simple.
"The ovary is the female part of the flower and after pollination (or fertilisation) the seeds develop protected inside the ovary, which swells and ripens. Fruits are often fleshy, coloured and sweet when ripened to attract animals to disperse the seeds."
Other fruits are dry and sometimes woody as in the case of eucalyptus (which are called capsules instead of gum nuts). Banksia and macadamias, which fruits are termed as follicles, are the same.
Therefore, if fruits are simply produce with seeds, then tomatoes, olives, cucumbers and legumes are all also fruits.
The science behind five a day portions of vegetables versus two a day portions of fruits is explained by the lower energy-density contained in vegetables compared to the energy-density of fruits.
