Vitamin A is derived from beta-carotene and carrots are the leading source of this substance in the American diet. In fact, carotenoids, the group of plant pigments of which beta-carotene is a member, are so named because they were first identified in carrots. This ever-popular vegetable is also a source of disease-fighting flavonoids, and carrots contain a specific type of fiber, called calcium pectate, which may lower blood cholesterol.

With the exception of beets, carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable, which makes them a satisfying snack eaten raw and a tasty addition to a variety of cooked dishes. In fact, some of the nutrients in carrots are more easily absorbed when the vegetable has been cooked, even briefly.

The carrot belongs to the Umbelliferae family, and is recognizable by its feathery leaves as a relative of parsley, dill, fennel, celery, and the wildflower Queen Anne's Lace, from which it first may have been domesticated. In earlier times, carrots were small red, yellow, or purple roots; the elongated orange carrot, forerunner of today's familiar vegetable, was probably developed in the seventeenth century.

Nutrition Chart

Carrots: 1 cup shredded raw
Calories	47
Total fat (g)	0.2
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Dietary fiber (g)	3.3
Protein (g)	1
Carbohydrate (g)	11
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	39
Beta-carotene (mg)	15
Carrot Juice: 1/2 cup
Calories	47
Total fat (g)	0.2
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Dietary fiber (g)	0.9
Protein (g)	1
Carbohydrate (g)	11
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	34
Beta-carotene (mg)	6.3

Nutritional Facts of Eggplants

Many people would agree that eggplant, with its elegant pear shape and glossy purple skin, is one of the most attractive vegetables. In fact, until this century, Americans valued it more as an ornament or table decoration than as a food. Eggplant is not high in any single vitamin or mineral. However, it is very filling, while supplying few calories and virtually no fat, and its "meaty" texture makes eggplant a perfect vegetarian main-dish choice.

Little known in Europe until the 12th century, the first eggplants that English-speaking people came into contact with bore egg-shaped fruits, probably white ones, hence the vegetable's name. In various parts of Europe, eating eggplant was suspected of causing madness, not to mention leprosy, cancer and bad breath, which prompted its use as a decorative plant. But by the 18th century it was established as a food in Italy and France (where it is known as aubergine).

Nutrition Chart

Eggplant: 1 cup cubed boiled
Calories	28
Total fat (g)	0.2
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Dietary fiber (g)	2.5
Protein (g)	0.8
Carbohydrate (g)	7
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	3

Nutritional and Fun Facts of Tomatoes

* The tomato is in the same family as the potato, pepper, eggplant, and petunia.

* There are thousands of different tomato varieties.

* The French used to refer to the tomato as the “apple of love.”

* Scientists at Cornell University have identified two cancer-fighting substances in the tomato: P-courmaric and chlorogenic acids.

* Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins A and C.

* A versatile vegetable for cooking, tomatoes can be prepared stuffed, baked, boiled, stewed, pickled, and fried, and are the base for many sauces.

* Florida is the number one producer of fresh market tomatoes.

Actually a fruit, it took a ruling by the Supreme Court in 1893 to make the tomato a vegetable.

Fresh tomatoes are a delicious source of vitamin C, but recent findings attribute an even more important nutritional asset to this favorite vegetable: It is one of the best sources of lycopene, a carotenoid with cancer-fighting properties. Preliminary research suggests that lycopene may fight heart disease as well. Americans eat a lot of tomatoes in processed form—as sauce on pasta or pizza, in soups, stews, and chilies, and as tomato juice—and as it turns out, this is one case where a vegetable is more healthful cooked than it is raw: Tomatoes contain a lot of water, so they become more concentrated as the water evaporates during cooking. The result is that a half cup of cooked tomatoes, in the form of sauce or paste, for instance, is a far more concentrated source of lycopene than a half cup of fresh tomatoes. And your body absorbs more lycopene from cooked or processed tomatoes, especially when the tomatoes are cooked with a little oil, as they often are. (Serving raw tomatoes with oil—a drizzle of olive oil, for instance—also enhances lycopene absorption).

The Tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum)
Originally cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D., the tomato is native to the Americas. Europeans were first made aware of the tomato when explorers brought back seed from Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. Tomatoes quickly became popular in the Mediterranean countries but received resistance as they spread north. The British in particular considered the fruit to be beautiful but poisonous. This fear was shared in the American colonies and it was years before the tomato gained widespread acceptance. By the middle of the 19th century, tomatoes were in use across America. Today the tomato is generally considered to be the favorite vegetable of the American public.

Nutrition Chart

Tomatoes: 1 cup raw chopped
Calories	38
Total fat (g)	0.6
Saturated fat (g)	0.1
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.2
Dietary fiber (g)	2
Protein (g)	2
Carbohydrate (g)	8
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	16
Vitamin C (mg)	34
Tomato Juice: 1 cup canned unsalted
Calories	41
Total fat (g)	0.2
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Dietary fiber (g)	1.9
Protein (g)	2
Carbohydrate (g)	10
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	24
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.3
Vitamin C (mg)	45
Vitamin E (mg)	2.2
Folate (mcg)	48
Potassium (mg)	535

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