Lesson the common seed bearing plant such as a grass consists of four major parts: root, stem, leaf and 4 flower. The Root

Vegetable Foods as Base Formers. The mineral substances are the agencies that are chiefly concerned in the reaction of the body fluids. Some of these elements are acidic and others basic – phosphorus and sulphur forming phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid, respectively – while calcium, magnesium, and potassium are the most important bases acting to neutralize these acids. The bases should be in excess of the acids in order that they may serve as alkali reserves of the blood.
Vegetables as a Source of Minerals. At least 10 mineral elements are needed for the proper growth and development of the body. Extensive investigations have shown that calcium, phosphorum, and iron, except in rare instances, are the only sufficient for the needs of the body. The mineral elements that are not present in foods in quantities sufficient for the needs of the body. The green vegetables are good sources of the important mineral elements. Because of the rich content of valuable substances vegetables are being widely used nowadays.

Vegetables as a Source of Vitamins. The name “vitamin” has been given to a group of food substances other than fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and salts that occur in small quantities in natural food materials. They are essential for growth, for reproduction, and for the maintenance of health.

Green and yellow vegetables are important sources of vitamin A. those ranking highest in this vitamin are carrots, turnip greens, spinach, sweet potatoes, beet greens, kale, mustard greens, winter squash, chard, and broccoli. The vegetables highest in thiamin are green peas, asparagus, Lima beans, spinach, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, snap beans, and mustard greens. The leafy vegetables in this list also contain appreciable quantities of riboflayin, ascorbic acid, and niacin. In addition to the green vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes and tomatoes contain appreciable quantities of niacin. It should be borne in mind, however, that the number of milligrams or International Units of a vitamin to the pound of food does not tell the whole story. A vegetable may be rich in vitamins, but if only a small quantity of that vegetable is eaten, the consumer will need other sources off supply. A pound of green peppers contains about seven times as many milligrams of ascorbic acid as a pound of Irish potatoes, but the average consumer obtain more of his requirement from potatoes than from peppers because of a much higher consumption of potatoes. Vitamins content of vegetables having been studied thoroughly they are recommended in the diet of men and animals.