List of Fruits
The fruit is an eatable food that is obtained from cultivated or wild plants, but unlike other plant foods (vegetables and cereals) the fruits have an intense flavor and aroma and have different nutritional properties, so the fruit is usually taken as dessert fresh or cooked. It should be eaten when ripe.
As food, fruits have properties very rich in vitamins and minerals, fewer calories and a high percentage of water (between 80 and 95%).
There are different ways to sort the fruit, depending on their type, form of collection or the maturation process.
Depending on the seed that contains the fruit:
- Bone or stone fruits: those that have a large seed and a hard shell, such as apricot or peach.
- Pome fruit are having lots of small seeds and less hard shell as pear and apple.
- Fruits of grain are the fruits that have numerous tiny seeds like figs.
Depending on the time from harvest until it is consumed:
- Fresh fruit: when consumption takes place immediately or within days of collection, directly, without any preparation or cooking.
- Dried fruit or passes: the fruit after artificial drying process can consume months or even years after harvesting, such as raisins or apricots.
- According to the maturation process (in the ripening is an accelerated process of breathing oxygen dependent, which is called climacteric rise and serves to rank):
- Climacteric fruits, those suffering from climacteric rise sharply. Among climacteric fruits are: apple, pear, banana (banana), peach, melon, apricot and custard. These fruits ripening suffer sudden and large changes in color, texture and composition. Normally preclimacteric been collected in and stored under controlled conditions so that the maturation does not occur until bring them to market.
- Non-climacteric fruits, which show a climacteric rise slowly and attenuated. Among non-climacteric are: orange, lemon, mandarin, pineapple, grape and strawberry. These fruits ripen slowly and have no sudden changes in appearance and composition. Higher content of starch. Harvesting is done after maturation because if they do when they are green then do not mature, just get soft.
There are also some list of fruits which are distinguished by certain common characteristics:
- Citrus, that which occurs in large evergreen shrubs or small trees (between 5 and 15 m) with fruit or fruit from the Rutaceae family, have a high content of vitamin C and citric acid, which gives them a taste very characteristic acid. The best known are the orange, lemon, tangerine and lime.
- Tropical fruit, that which occurs naturally in tropical regions, but by extension, applies to fruit development they need to warm temperatures and high humidity, such as banana, coconut, kiwi and pineapple.
- Fruit of the forest, a type of small fruits that are not traditionally grown but bushes grew wild in the forests, such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, blackberries and sloes.
- Dried fruit, one that by its natural composition (without human manipulation) is less than 50% water. Energy-rich foods are high in fat, protein and trace elements. The most popular are almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts.
The fruits belong to Group 5 of the food wheel, rich in sugars, vitamins C and A, and minerals, represented at food wheel with the color green. Because of its high content of vitamins and minerals food belongs to regulators. Fruits are located on the second floor of the food pyramid, ie, recommended intake of 4 servings of fruit in children and 2 pieces per day in adults. Although the general classification groups, vegetables and fruits are in different groups, the nutrients are similar, although in the case of fruit the carbohydrate content is higher and that the food becomes a little more energy. Therefore:
- They are low-calorie foods, and nearly 80% of its composition is water, and is recommended in diets for obesity. It is better to eat a piece of fruit rather than a piece of cake.
- They contain dietary fiber that provides us with many benefits such as anti-constipation and diverticulosis.
- The fruit contains many micronutrients that act synergistically as antioxidants and appear to be cancer protective substances, shown in epidemiological studies of prostate cancer and colon cancer. It also protects multiple chronic diseases such as arteriosclerosis and diabetes mellitus.
The fruit cannot be replaced by other modern desserts without unbalancing our food. Part of our eating habits to eat fruit after the main meals, but today is often replaced by dairy products, it must be said that this substitution is not appropriate if done regularly and should be done only on special occasions.