“Are bananas berries?”… Plus Other Fun Food Trivia!
This month, Knowledge Channel celebrates National Nutrition Month with fun and interesting facts about fruits and vegetables! Well… they’re not exactly the most popular bunch in the world of food. But hey, fruits and vegetables can actually provide some wonderful benefits for our body.
Aside from exercising and doing physical activities, eating healthy and choosing the right food (like the ones below) play an important role in keeping our bodies strong and immune against sickness.
Vegetables not mentioned in a popular Filipino song
We all know the song “Bahay Kubo” sings about some common farm vegetables. But, there are actually more vegetables not mentioned in the song!
Cauliflower – Shaped like a little flower, this vegetable is actually related to broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage!
Carrots – Boiling carrots actually increases its “anti-cancer” nutritional powers!
Broccoli – Hate it as much as you want but this tiny “tree-like” vegetable actually became a favorite amongst 6th Century Ancient Romans!
Bitter gourd – It maybe bitter but this wrinkled veggie is said to help in the health of diabetics.
Cucumber – This “cool” vegetable can actually cool you down due to its ability to lower your blood temperature!
Mung beans – They may be small but these tiny beans are actually a good alternative source of protein aside from meat! It’s a handy tip to keep should you decide to go vegetarian!
Malunggay – This so-called “miracle vegetable” is packed with iron, calcium, thiamin, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B and C, lipoprotein, and phytochemicals!
Sweet Potato Leaves – They may look like a regular bunch of leaves but they can actually help beat dengue, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer!
Okra – also called “lady’s finger” in Africa, this slimy veggie contains potassium, vitamins B, C, folic acid, and calcium!
Water spinach – Eating water spinach can actually lower your cholesterol levels, while helpingy yiou maintain good eyesight!
Malabar spinach – This “curing”vegetable can actually help alleviate diarrhea by cooking its roots, while its stem and leaves are used as a natural laxative.
Try our Vegetable Roulette!
So… are bananas berries?
Yes! Bananas are berries! Seems strange since most berries are round and have fleshy edible exteriors. Bananas actually share the same characteristics as berries (see below) but differ in shape and it’s fleshy exterior is not eaten. Also, peanuts are legumes and tomatoes are actually fruits!
For more trivia and fun information: visit our Facebook page or download our printable cards that you can use in class!