Plant Parts Used as Food
Plants Parts used as Food
Several parts of a plant are used for food. these are:
1. Fruits - Most fruits are good sources of vitamin C. vitamin C is good for healing cuts and wounds. Examples of fruits are lemons, lime,pineapple and strawberries.
Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A. white bananas are rich in carbohydrates and potassuim. Cacao is made into chocolate.
2. Seeds - seeds of most plants are also used as food. String beans and soybeans are example of seeds used as food. both have high protein content. Peanuts is used for making mayonnaise and cooking oil, while cashew nuts is a good source of Vitamin D, iron, thiamine and oil.
3. Stems - the stems make up the largest part of the plant. the trunk, branches and twigs are called stems. Most stems grow upward and support the leaves. this enables the leaves to receive sunlight. The stems of some plants, including potatoes are partly grown underground. examples of plant stems which are edible are sugarcanes and young bamboo shoots. Tender stems of leafy vegetables are made salads and garnishing.
4. Leaves - the leaves are chief organs in photosynthesis. The chlorophyll in the leaves absorb light energy from sunlight. The food formed from this process is used for growth and repair. Leaves of edible plants are made into vegetable salads and main ingredients for some recipes. Celery and lettuce are used as salad ingredients.
5. flowers - flowers contain the reproductive parts of flowering plants. They develop from buds on a stem. some plants produce only one flower. Others have large clusters of flowers. banana blossoms, flowers of squash are few examples used as food.
6. grains - Grains used as food are rice and corn which are the staple food of most asians. Bread, waffles ,pancakes and noodles are made from grains. Wheat is rich in protein and gluten.