What Part of a Vegetable Can’t You Eat?
Eating healthy and incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables into your diet is essential for a healthy lifestyle. But when preparing vegetables for your meals, you may be familiar with their appearance, but have you ever thought about what part of a vegetable can’t be eaten?
Stems
When you think of a vegetable, you might think of the entire plant, including the stem. However, the stems of many vegetables can be inedible and even toxic. Depending on the type of vegetable, the stem can be too tough and fibrous to digest, such as broccoli stalks or celery.
Leaves and Skins
Leaves and skins of some vegetables can be toxic to eat. For example, the leaves of potatoes and rhubarb contain toxins and should not be consumed. Similarly, some vegetables such as corn, okra, and peppers have skins that should always be removed before consuming.
Roots
Roots like beets, carrots, and turnips are edible, but some parts of the root are not. Specifically, the stem and leaves that connect to the root are considered inedible. These stems and leaves often contain toxins that can cause digestive issues if consumed.
Edible Parts of a Vegetable
With all that said, it is important to also note that there are many edible parts of a vegetable that you can safely consume. These include:
- Fruit: This includes vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, however, this does not include potatoes as they are a type of starchy vegetable.
- Flowers: Flowery parts of vegetables, such as squash flowers, are edible.
- Tops and Greens: These include the tasty greens of root vegetables like carrot tops, radish greens, and beet greens.
- Tubers: Tubers are the underground storage organs of certain plants, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cassava root.
In conclusion, while there are many parts of a vegetable that can be safely consumed, there are also some parts that are not safe or healthy to eat. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the edibility of individual vegetables so you can make healthier eating decisions.
