Vegetables
About Vegetables
One advice that most of the dietitians recommend is to include more vegetables in your diet. They are a great source of micronutrients that are hard to eat enough without making veggies part of your daily diet.
There are confusions regarding what makes up a vegetable. One simple definition is that all parts of an edible plant that are not fruits are vegetables. This can include leaves, stem, and roots. While this is true for a lot of things that we consider as vegetables, there are those that do not fit this description as well. For example, tomatoes are fruits according to this definition. Because of this, it is better to assume that everything that we traditionally considered vegetables to be vegetables. This article will tell you everything about shopping for them online.
Different ways to preserve vegetables
Fresh vegetables are always the best option. However, in some cases, it is useful to buy preserved ones as well. Because produce cannot last for a long time, preserved farm produce can save you money and also can be a great convenience. Some preservation methods can change the texture and nutritional value of the food as well. The properties of the food also change depending on the preservation method. So, it is always better to research and understand than to remain suspicious of the food on your plate. Considering that, here are the four main ways that people use to preserve fruits and vegetables.
Frozen
The easiest method to preserve vegetables is to freeze them to subzero temperatures. At that temperature, microorganisms cannot grow, and therefore the food item does not go bad. The advantage of freezing is that it can be done without any expensive tools except for a really good freezer. But the downside is that you have to keep it frozen until you use it. That makes frozen vegetables and food in general, impractical for travelling. Another problem is that freezing will affect the freshness of the food. Even Though the food won’t rot, the flavour and texture of the food changes because of the freezing process.
Dehydrated
Dehydrating is a very effective method of preserving foods. This method is expensive and requires specialised tools. Because of that, you might not be able to buy dehydrated vegetables from your corner store. However, dehydrating offers a slew of benefits over freezing. Firstly, because the process takes away the water, the overall weight of the food decreases. Secondly, if the packaging is air sealed, you can carry them around anywhere you want. The food won’t go bad until you open the packaging and the humidity comes in contact with the food.
Pickled
This is the oldest method of preserving food items. People have been using pickling for thousands of years. The chemistry behind pickling is that the food is steeped in a solution of salt and vinegar. Because organisms cannot grow in this medium, the food won’t go bad as long as it is kept away from humidity and water. People use this method even to this day. But there are two main problems with this method. Pickling requires huge jars. Therefore, pickled foods are not really portable unless in very small quantities. Also, pickled foods are not healthy in large quantities.
Canned
Canning is a pretty effective way of preserving foods. What canning does is that it creates an environment free of humidity or microorganisms inside that can. So, not only is the condition inside the can favourable for the growth of bacteria but also there are no bacteria to start the growth. But canning requires special and expensive machinery. Therefore, most of the canning is done by large food companies. Typical, canned foods are not that expensive because such food items have long shelf lives. But once you open the can, the food inside it should be consumed or refrigerated.
Tips on how to buy Vegetables online
Shopping for vegetables online might be a unique experience for many of you. Because shopping for vegetables online is different from shopping for shoes or electronics, it is easy to make mistakes, especially if you are new to it. However, if you know what criteria to consider while in them while buying it wouldn’t be as difficult to find the right products at reasonable prices. Here are some tips that you can follow when you are shopping for vegetables online.
- Prepare the list – Some of the things that you should do for shopping for vegetables online or at a physical store is the same. Prepare the list of what items you need and how much of each you need. If it is for a specific recipe, then calculate how much you would need for that. If you are buying to store them for a while, then think about how long it will take you to use them all up. Whenever you are buying perishable foods, do not buy a lot more than you need.
- Fresh vs Preserved – Fresh vegetables are the best choice for everyday use. They not only taste better but will contain higher levels of nutrients as they do not have to undergo much processing. But if you want to store it for a long time or you don’t have access to a refrigerator, then go for the preserved food items. Preserved foods are also great while you are travelling.
- Type of vegetables – Most vegetables and fruits are available in multiple varieties. If you are shopping for onions, you will come across onions from India, China and other parts of the world. The same applies to other items as well. Interestingly, the size, colour, texture, and taste of these vegetables will vary from each other. So, which one should you choose? Well, this is a matter of personal preference.
- Cost – Shopping for groceries online can be cheaper than buying them for a physical store. You will find plenty of offers and promotions online that run almost all year round. If you want to save a few bucks on vegetables, look for the products that are on sale. You might find pretty good quality products at low prices if you are lucky.
There are so many other items that are necessary for a kitchen besides vegetables. You might want to equip your kitchen with sauces, spices, fruits, snacks, sweets, bread spreads and other essential kitchen supplies. The great news is that you can find all of them easily using our shopping search engine . This will also let you compare the quality and prices of products and pick the best one among them. Also, don’t forget to check out other useful products from the Food & Beverage category.
Question & Answer
Do vegetables contain carbs?
Most people around the world use cereals as the main source of carbohydrates. These include rice and wheat. But there are a few vegetables that are rich in carbohydrates. There have been, and still are, communities that use vegetables as a source of carbs. The most common one among these is the potato. Other vegetables that are rich in carbohydrates are corn, squash and peas. Groundnut is also a rich source of carbs; however, peas are a staple food in many cultures while groundnuts are not. For this reason, it is entirely possible to replace wheat or rice with these vegetables.
How do vegetables help your body?
Vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, having a plateful of mixed vegetable salad is enough to meet your daily vitamin requirement. Whether or not you’re a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, it is vital to make vegetables part of your diet. There are no other sources of micronutrients that are as accessible and efficient as vegetables. Another reason why it is imperative to eat them is that they are the sole source of dietary fibres. It is these dietary fibres that are responsible for proper digestion and bowel movements.
What are the methods of preserving vegetables?
Preserving vegetables has been necessary since humans started farming and started producing a surplus of food more than they can consume in a short period of time. The earliest methods of preserving them were pickling and drying. People also used jellies for this. Modern technology has made the task of preserving a thousand times easier. Today, you can store unused fresh vegetables in a refrigerator. You can also buy canned or dehydrated products that theoretically doesn’t ever go bad. But in the real world, the packaging has a lifetime.
If you are looking to buy vegetables online in the UAE, look no further as you are in the right place. There are more than 500 shops and brands offering them here on Shops.ae. These shops offer products from popular brands like Green Giant, Giant Pumpkin Seeds, Jamie Oliver, Tabasco, Tenderstem Broccoli, and Torai.