Fruits And Vegetables

Question: Which fruits/vegetables are the best to consume on a daily basis? I'm trying to improve my general health and I want to get my vitamins and nutrients naturally by the consumption of fresh fruits/vegetables . I want to avoid multivitamins. I want the nourishment from the fruits/vegetables. Which fruits/vegetables would be best to consume on a daily basis to get a well balanced dose of vitamins? Thanks for any suggestions or help.

Answer: A variety. If your diet is varied you will get all the vitamins and nutrients you need. Try eating a rainbow- red- tomatoes, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, beets, radishes White-green- bananas, garlic, brown pears, dates, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, turnips Blue-purple- blackberries, blueberries, dried plums, purple figs, red cabbage,raisins Yellow-orange- apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons,, papayas, pumpkins, sweet potatoes Yellow-green- avocados. green apples, honeydew melon, lies, asparagus, celery, okra, peas, zucchini.

Question: What fruits and vegetables grow well in limited sunlight? I'm planting a garden at my Michigan home and the space that I have has limited sunlight. What fruits, vegetables and spices/herbs grow well in limited sunlight?

Answer: rocket lettuce,radish,and any other quick growing vegies

Question: What are some of the most and least beneficial fruits/vegetables to eat? I don't really like eating many fruits or especially vegetables, so the ones that I do eat I'd like to know are best for me. So if someone could list some of the most healthy fruits/vegetables and some of the ones that aren't very health beneficial, that would be of great help to me! Thanks!

Answer: Depends. It is best to avoid vegetables that have a high percentage of carbohydrates, especially the sugary and starchy ones. Potatoes, Corn, Carrots are some examples. Peas, Cauliflower, broccoli, Kidney beans are vegetables that contain significant amount of protein, and are considered to be very good. Beans is a fibre rich food, but it really counts as a source of carbohydrates because the protein-carb ratio is about 1:4. Spinach, lettuce and cabbage are leafy vegetables, and are excellent sources of protein and fibre, not to mention other minerals. As to the fruits, bananas and mangos are high in sugary carbs, and are not to be eaten a lot. But they are excellent foods if you need immediate energy. So are grapes. Apples and oranges have a significant amount of fibre (about 15%) in them compared to other fruits, and are good for health. Other fruits that I would recomment for healthy living are Apricots, Strawberries and Avocados.

Question: How to find out when fruits & vegetables are in season? I've recently heard that in-season fruits & vegetables are fresher, healthier, cheaper, and better to cook/prepare with in general. All of the information that I've read up on it, however, says that "in season" defines anything that is produced regionally/locally and is thus able to be offered fresher and at lower prices. So then, how do I find out what is "in season" according to where I live? I found a list somewhere that listed the seasons of different vegetables, but isn't it relative to where you live? What may be out of season in one place may be in season in another place, and vice-versa... isn't that a correct assumption? Anyway, I live in Houston, TX, so if anyone knows where I can find information on the seasons nearest me, I'd most appreciate it. Thanks!

Answer: The links have information about when they are available

Question: What are two good fruits or vegetables/fruits and vegetables to cross breed. Why? State the positive and negative effects; why you picked those particular fruits/vegetables. If applicable, please put sources.

Answer: Bananas and Kiwis because I like fuzzy slippers. Sorry, I can't come up with a real answer for you but thought this was cute! I gave you a star because I think it is a fascinating question.

Question: What are some of the best gardening forums for fruits, vegetables and tropical plants? I'm looking for a gardening forum that has many people and provides quick answers. I mainly garden fruits, vegetables and tropical plants.

Answer: Garden Web.... they've got forums for everything and the advice from their 'regular' folks is pretty darned good!... http://www.gardenweb.com/ clik on 'gardenweb forums' to get started....

Question: How to make chocolate drinks with raw fruits & vegetables made with vitamix? I once went to a Sam's Club and a sales person made a drink where he cut up fruits and vegetables (skin and everything). By the time this person blended everything together, this drink tasted like hot chocolate. If anyone knows recipe, please let me know!

Answer: I own a Vita mix and the power of the motor heats the food, It can't be made in a regular blender. vita mix.com has recipes you can get online.

Question: What kind of fruits and vegetables can guinea pigs eat ? I love my guinea pig but im tired of feeding it the same thing and not too long ago i heard you could feed them fruits/vegetables what kind is okay for them, what kinds arent ?

Answer: We feed our guinea pigs (and rabbit) cans of mandarin oranges. They actually NEED vitamin C to be healthy, so you, as an owner are doing them a great favor by feeding them fresh fruits high in vitamin C. Besides the oranges, you can pretty much feed them whatever they will eat. Apples, oranges, pears, apricots, peaches, broccoli, spinach (has lots of vitamins)... anything soft enough for them to eat through. I don't think I'd do a banana because of the messiness of it, but I don't think it would hurt to try. FYI- Cans of mandarin oranges can be cheap on sale, so just buy a box of them and it will last your guinea pig(s) a long time! :) Good luck!

Question: What fruits, vegetables, or herbs can I grow in the fall season? When do I harvest them? I am trying to figure out what fruits, vegetables, or herbs I should grow in the fall season. Should I grow basil? Should I grow carrots? And when should I harvest them. In late fall or early spring? Give me some answers!

Answer: It actually depends on which climate zone you are at. For example, if you live in a warm sunny location, you can still grow Basil in the fall because the herb can likely survive the winter. However, if you live in a a place that snows in the winter this is not a good idea because Basil can't survive a frost. Anyway, basil is easy to grow and you can always plant in late spring / early summer for a quick harvest in summer and fall. If you are thinking about herbs, maybe you can try Rosemary because it is an evergreen perennial plant that can grow year after year. Sage and Winter Savory are good choices as well. I have included a couple of links for you for your reference. Cheers Megan

Question: Common Fruits/Vegetables that do NOT need refrigerating? Hey guys, Just a question for people who have some knowledge on storing fruits and vegetables: are there any common ones that do not need refrigerating or refrigerating is bad for keeping them good and fresh? Thanks.

Answer: Fruits: Oranges, Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Pineapple, Lemons, Limes, Tomato etc.. Most fruits just taste better cold which is why we refrigerate them. Sometimes refrigerating slows the aging of the fruit as well. Veggies: Garlic, Onion, Potato(actually a tuber but what the heck), Celery, Carrots, Beans and Peas, etc. Same as the fruits. If it is grown in the dirt or on a tree than it really doesn't need to be refrigerated. It is just an accepted norm of society.

Question: What fruits and Vegetables can Goldfish eat? I would like to know some fruits and vegetables I'd be able to feed my black moor Goldfish. They are perfectly fine, but I thought feeding them vegetables would be even better for them! :) So, I am looking for an accurate list of some fruits/vegetables I'd be able to feed them. Including how often I should feed each vegetable/fruit to them would be even better, and help you out with getting that best answer! *hint hint* Knowing how to prepare each item would be great to know as well! Thank you!

Answer: Apple - chopped into small slices Banana - lumps Blackberries Carrot - shredded Cheddar Cheese - finely shredded Clam - cooked, chopped Grapefruit - sections Grapes - peeled Green Peas - Boiled and Skinned Lime - sections Oat Flakes Orange - sections Raspberries Spinach - boiled, small leaves Tangerine - sections Watermelon - unseeded taken from koko's goldfish world a long time ago, but I can't find it on the site anymore to link to it :\ be sure to be feeding a quality staple food... fruits and veggies can be fed a few times a week as a treat (veggies more often than fruits).

Question: What kind of fruits & vegetables should I feed my parakeets? I just got two young parakeets from Petsmart and I asked the worker who got the birds for me what kind of fruits & vegetables should I feed them and he couldn't even tell me. Please help me...

Answer: I am sorry about your experience with the pet store but that is the norm for most large chain stores. Budgies are grainivores, meaning that grains and seeds are the mainstay of their diets in the wild. You can offer them a wide variety of fresh veggies and some fruits. Also, sprouts are a very good source of nutrition for caged birds and easy to grow yourself. Here is a good link that explains sprouting and how to get started http://www.landofvos.com/articles/sprouts.html I am also including a link to basic care of your budgie as I am sure you didn't get the information you needed from the store. Good luck.

Question: How old was your baby when you started giving them fruits/vegetables? My daughter is 4 1/2 months. She has been on rice cereal for a couple of weeks now. Our doctor and dietician said she was ready. She eats it for breakfast and a little before bed. She still drinks about 30 oz of formula a day. When do you think we should start her on vegetables and fruits? Thanks!

Answer: 5-6 months of age is about right to start strained fruits and vegies. Just be sure to introduce the new food slowly, like one new food every 3-5 days. That way, if she develops a food allergy you can quickly tell which one it was. I usually like to recommend starting with vegies first, because babies usually take to the sweet stuff more quickly. :)

Question: How many glasses of freshly extracted juice does it take to make up one daily serving of fruits & vegetables? When you use a juice extractor, it takes roughly 5 whole fruits to make 1 glass of juice. So does that 1 glass of juice count as 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables or just 1?

Answer: no. 1 glass doesn't count as 5 servings. 1 glass (8 oz) would count as one serving. it just takes more juice because it's only taking the juice and not the pulp. your body needs the pulp because it supplies lots of nutrients and vitamins for your body along with fiber.

Question: Best fruits and vegetables gardening book for beginners? I'm gonna try to start a garden soon that has fruits and vegetables. So I need 1 book that has both fruits & vegetables, meant for beginners with a good overview, procedures and methods, variety of produce, etc etc. Thanks!

Answer: All New Square Foot Gardening is a great book. It will help with vegetables and strawberries. I also grow my raspberries and rhubarb that way. For fruit trees you would need another book. A general one is Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. I would recommend checking any books out from the library to be sure it (or they) are what you want.

Question: What will happen to your health when eating no fruits & vegetables? If you stop getting the vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables, how badly can that affect one's health? Is it seriously detrimental or not so much?

Answer: You can get all you need (including vitamin C) from a meat & fat diet. As reflected in the traditional Eskimo diet (who ate no fruits & vegetables) & other cultures that reside in the Arctic circle. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Saying that, does not mean living off half burnt hamburgers. This would incorporate much more organ meat & fats that would need to be from grass fed animals. Carbs are worse for animals than us even. Half the antibiotics made in the USA are to pump cattle so they can survive while they are force fed carbs to double their weight in just a few weeks. These animals are at the prime of their lives & without antibiotics most would die in JUST A FEW WEEKS eating carbs, but carbs create all that fat.