10 Juicy Fun Facts About Fruits & Veggies
From interesting histories to surprising attributes, these fun facts are sure to make you a little smarter than when you woke up this morning, and hopefully spark your curiosity to learn more! And while you might think you learned a bunch about fruits & veggies from your favorite teacher in school or from your parents while growing up, after sharing some of these fun facts with them they will be the one's coming to you to get a better education on the building blocks of nutrition.
Kiwis Contain More Vitamin C Than Oranges: This fuzzy fruit packs one of the biggest nutritional punches of any fruit in your produce aisle - often being categorized in the super-food group. Kiwis have twice the vitamin C of an orange, and they're also high in potassium while having low-salt content. They’re also packed with other very impactful vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy nutrients.
Tomatoes Were Once Considered Poisonous: In the 18th century, tomatoes were thought to be toxic due to their relation to nightshade plants. Nightshade plants include potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. For most people, there's no need to avoid nightshades, as studies haven't linked them to negative health consequences. According to legend, US President Thomas Jefferson wanted to prove that the tomato wasn't poisonous, so he took that bite one day in Lynchburg and, by virtue of not dying, introduced the tomato to America!
Figs Have As Much Calcium As Milk: If you’re not someone who likes milk, but would like more calcium in your diet, it may interest you to find out that a cup of dried figs has as much calcium as the same amount of milk. This fruit also contains bone-friendly minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus.
Blackberries Aren’t Really Berries: Don't let the name fool you! In the plant world, blackberries, raspberries, and even strawberries aren't berries at all, but rather clumps of tiny individual fruits that just grow together. A true berry is a simple fleshy fruit formed from the ovary of one flower with seeds embedded in the flesh. Some examples of true berries are blueberries, gooseberries, cranberries, grapes, tomatoes, bananas and peppers.
Cherries Can Help With Sleep: Cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, making them a great bedtime snack. More specifically, tart cherries are great for this health benefit. You'll also find vitamin A, vitamin C and magnesium in cherries, making it a good option to incorporate into your diet on a regular basis.
The World's Heaviest Fruit: The jackfruit, native to South Asia, holds the title for the world's largest fruit. It can reach weights of up to 80 pounds! Jackfruit has a stringy, meaty texture similar to that of beef or pork. This texture, along with the fruit's neutral flavor to accommodate whatever it's being cooked in or seasoned with, makes jackfruit a popular meat alternative.
Potatoes Top Bananas In Potassium: We need potassium to help strengthen our muscles and control our blood pressure. Bananas are high in it, but they aren't the best source. Potatoes have even more potassium than bananas. They don't have any fat, and are a good source of vitamins and iron, too.
A Pomegranate Can Hold Up To 1400 Seeds: An average sized pomegranate can contain anywhere between 200 to 1400 seeds! Now there’s a counting challenge the next time you purchase one of these fruits from a farmer's market or grocery store.
Apples Give You More Energy Than Coffee: Trust us, we’re not crazy! If you’re finding yourself a little low on energy during the afternoon just try eating an apple in the morning instead of reaching for the coffee machine. Thanks to its high carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral content, apples have the perfect storm of nutrition to help you stay energized.
Tomatoes Are Fruits And Veggies: Tomatoes are technically fruits. But, according to law, they're vegetables. Here's the backstory: In the 1800s, New York’s port taxed veggies but not fruits. An importer who wanted to cut costs went to court saying their tomatoes were fruits. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, which ruled that, in “common language,” produce often served with meats (like on a sandwich) or fish is a vegetable. So, the man had to pay tomato a tax.
