Vegetable

Vegetable, the edible product of a plant. The term is sometimes restricted to products of herbaceous plants, that is, plants with a soft stem, to distinguish them from the edible nuts and fruits produced by shrubs and trees, but this distinction has no botanical basis.

Vegetables can be grouped according to the edible part of each plant: stems (for example, asparagus), leaves (lettuce), leaf stalks (celery), roots (carrot), tubers (potato), bulbs (onion), and flowers (broccoli). In addition, fruits such as the marrow and tomato, and seeds such as the pea are commonly considered to be vegetables. However, there are similar plant products that are not considered to be vegetables, such as rhubarb (leaf stalk) and sago (stem pith).

Most vegetables are valuable sources of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre, and are low in fat and calories. With cereals and legumes, they are important to a healthy diet (see Nutrition, Human).

See also articles on individual vegetables.