Fruit & Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are an important part of your daily diet. They are naturally nutritious and contain vitamins and minerals that can help to keep you healthy. Research shows they can also help protect against some diseases. Most of us will benefit from eating more fruit and vegetables as part of a well-balanced, regular diet and a healthy active lifestyle.

There are many varieties of fruit and vegetables available and, if you buy them in season, they need not be expensive. Fruit and vegetables may be dried, canned, frozen or fresh. They can be prepared, cooked and served in a variety of ways. Eat five kinds of vegetable and two kinds of fruit every day for good health.

Types of fruit
Fruit is the sweet, fleshy, edible portion of a plant. It generally contains seeds. Fruits are usually eaten raw, although some varieties can be cooked. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and flavors. Common types of fruits that are readily available include:

Pome – apples and pears
Citrus – oranges, grapefruits, mandarins and limes
Stonefruit – nectarines, apricots, peaches and plums
Tropical and exotic – bananas and mangoes
Berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwifruit and passionfruit
Melons – watermelons, rock melons and honey dew melons
Tomatoes and avocados.

Types of vegetables
Vegetables are often cooked, although some kinds (salad vegetables) are eaten raw. Vegetables are available in many varieties and can be classified into biological groups or ‘families’, including:

Leafy green – lettuce, spinach and silverbeet
Crucifer – cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and broccoli
Curcurbits – pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini
Root – potato, sweet potato and yam
Edible plant stem – celery and asparagus
Allium – onion, garlic and shallot.