If you're looking to add more healthy foods to your diet, consider incorporating some fresh fruits into your meals and snacks. Not only are they delicious and satisfying, but many fruits also pack a powerful nutritional punch.
For example, avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats, blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, watermelon is a great source of hydration, and strawberries contain vitamin C. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Whether you prefer them fresh, juiced, or in smoothie form, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy these nutritious fruits.
Classification of Fruits
A fruit is the ripened ovary—together with seeds—of a flowering plant. In botany, a fruit is also defined as the mature ovary of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. Fruits are typically eaten as food for humans and animals.
Many common terms for seeds and fruit do not correspond to the botanical classifications. For example, in culinary terminology, a fruit is usually any sweet-tasting plant product, especially a botanical one that can be eaten fresh, like apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, oranges, and strawberries. On the other hand, in botanical jargon, "fruit" specifically means the reproductive structures of plants that have seeds and are capable of propagating themselves vegetatively (typically just by budding or rooting), or sexually (generally by producing flowers, which are then fertilized by pollen).
Some common fruits that people eat are:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Berries
- Cherries
- Dates
- Figs
- Grapes
- Lemons
- Melons
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papayas
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapples
- Plums
Here is a handy glossary table showcasing the various fruits in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi
English | Hindi | Marathi | Tamil | Kannada |
Apple | Seb, Safarchand |
Safarchand | Apple | Sebu |
Mango | Aam | Amba | Mampalam | Mavu |
Banana | Kela | Kela | Vazhaipazham | Balehannu |
Musk melon | Kharabooja | Kasturi | Kasturi | Kharbooja |
Papaya | Papeeta | Papai | Pappali | Parangi |
Custard apple | Shareepha | Sitaphala | Kastart appil | Sitaphala |
Watermelon | Tarabooj | Tarabuja | Tarpucani | Kallangadi |
Apricot | Khubaanee | Jardalu | Perunkayam | Eprikat |
Avocado | Makhanphal | Evokedo | Venney | Benne Hannu |
Cherry | Cheree | Ceri | Cerri | Cerri |
Coconut | Nariyal | Naral | Tenkay | Tenginkayi |
Figs | Anjeer | Anjir | Atti | Anjurada hannugalu |
Grapefruit | Angoor Khana phal | Draksaphala | Tiratcaippalam | Drakshihannu |
Jackfruit | Kathal, Katahal |
Phanas | Palapazham | Halasina hannu |
Indian gooseberry | Amla | Avala, Awla | Nellikkay | Nellikayi |
Grapes | Angur, Angoor |
Drakse | Tiratcai | Draksigalu |
Guava | Amarood | Peru | Koyya | Perala hannu |
Kiwi fruit | Keevee phal | Kivi phala | Kivi palam | Kivi hannu |
Lemon | Neemboo | Limbu | Elumiccai | Nimbe |
Lychee | Litchee | Lichi | Laichi pazham | Lici |
Orange | Santara | Santra | Arancupalam | Kittale |
Peach | Aadoo phal | Pica phala | Pic pallam | Pic Hannu |
Pear | Nashapaatee | Nasapatice phala | Perikkay pallam | Piyar Hannu |
Pineapple | Anaanaas | Ananasa | Annaci | Ananas |
Sapota | Chikoo | Chikku | Perikkai | Sapota |
Pomegranate | Anaar | Dalimba | Matulai | Dalimbe |
Sweet lemon | Meetha Neemboo | Goda Limbu | Inippu elumiccai | Moosambi |
Strawberries | Stroberee | Stroberi | Straperi | Straberi |
Fruits are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They can help you stay healthy and look good too! Here are some tips on how to choose and store fruits so that they retain their nutrients:
- The best way to eat fruits is as nature has intended. Just enjoy them as is. This way you get all the nutrition benefits including the fiber from that fruit. Peel the fruit if they have inedible or hard peels. Remove and discard any inedible seeds or stones from the fruit.
- When choosing fruits, look for ones that are brightly colored and have a fresh, pleasant aroma. For some fruits like mangoes, avocados, and sapota, the skin should yield when you press it lightly.
- When it comes to fruits, there are a few things you can do to make sure they're as fresh and healthy as possible. For one, always rinse them thoroughly before eating. You can also soak them in a mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda or salt for 5 minutes to help remove any pesticide residue. If possible, buy organic fruits or grow your own to ensure they're free of harmful chemicals. By following these simple tips, you can enjoy fresh, delicious fruits without worry.
- While pairing fruits in any dish like smoothies, drinks, salad, desserts, etc, don’t mix acidic fruits like oranges, and lemon with sweet fruits. Also, avoid mixing melons with any fruits.
- Don’t consume fruits after a meal. If you want to eat fruits then have them at least 2 hours before your meal or 2 to 3 hours after your meal o create space for proper digestion of your meal.
- Fruits are nature’s way of providing us with the essential nutrients our bodies need to function properly. When we eat fruits as intended – whole, unprocessed, and without adding any other ingredients – we get the most benefit from them. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are all found in abundance in fresh fruits, and these nutrients are essential for good health.
- Processing fruits – such as juicing, pureeing, or dehydrating – can remove some of the beneficial aspects of the fruit. For example, juicing a fruit removes the fiber, while pureeing it removes both the fiber and much of the water content. Dehydrating a fruit concentrates the sugars and can make them more damaging to teeth.
- So, if you want to enjoy the healthiest form of fruit, eat them whole and unprocessed! This way, you’ll get all the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nature intended.
- Drinking water immediately after eating fruits can dilute their nutrients, so it’s best to wait 30 minutes to an hour before having a drink. And always eat fruit fresh – as soon as you’ve finished chopping it up, put it in your mouth! Don’t let it sit for a few minutes or hours – this will cause it to lose nutrients. Refrigerating chopped fruit is also not advised, as this can further diminish its nutritional value.
- So remember, choose brightly colored fruits with a fresh aroma, eat them soon after chopping, and don’t refrigerate them!
By following these simple tips, you can make sure that you’re getting the most out of your fruit consumption.
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