More Fun Food Facts – 3/31/2023

Sometimes its fun to take a break and shake things up a bit. I don’t know about you, but I love to learn new things, no matter how trivial they may seem. In fact, sometimes, it is the trivial things that are the most fun. I will be busy baking in the kitchen later, but for now, I thought I would share some more fun food facts with you once again.

1. We are always told to eat our vegetables. We’ve all grown up with our parents telling us this. But not all vegetables are the same. Did you know that a lot of vegetables are actually mostly water? It’s true. Cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, celery, bok choy, radishes, zucchini, green bell peppers, and asparagus are all vegetables that are about 95% water.

2. Figs. Are they fruit or flowers? Most of us think they are fruit, but they are actually flowers. They are inverted flowers. Fig trees have flowers that bloom inside the pod, which then matures into the fruit we eat.

3. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Almonds. We all think of them as nuts, but are they? Nope. They are really the seeds of the almond fruit.

4. Something is “berry” suspicious here. Watermelons and bananas are berries, but strawberries are not. WHAT????? Berries, by definition, are fruits that come from a single ovary with multiple seeds, so bananas and watermelon fall into that category. Berries, as we know them, are actually from the aggregate fruit family, meaning they are a bunch of little fruits all grouped together. Strawberries aren’t technically even fruit, but are fleshy receptacles instead. The “fruit” parts are the little speckles found all over the strawberries that are called achenes.

5. Rhubarb, once again, not a fruit, but is a vegetable because it is actually the stalk of the plant that we eat. If you listen hard enough, you can actually hear the rhubarb grow. As the buds crack open, they makes a sound. Some people say there’s a constant creaking during growing season.

So I hope we all learned something new about the foods we eat. Are you totally confused yet? I know I sure am. I hope you have all enjoyed your fruit and food lesson for the day. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Step out of your comfort zone and learn something new. It keeps us young and on our toes. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.