Eat your greens
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It's summer vegetable season and, if you're like most of your neighbors, that means cucumbers are on the menu.
The big picture: Cucumbers were the most-ordered veggie on Instacart in Arizona last year, according to the company.
Yes, but: Are cucumbers actually a vegetable? That depends on whom you ask.
The distinction between fruits and vegetables "is largely semantic and has different significance whether you're thinking like a botanist, a chef or a nutritionist," food writer and educator Pamela Vachon tells Axios.
- Botanists might not even use the word "vegetable" at all, focusing instead on a plant's parts (including the root, leaves and fruit) and how it grows.
- Nutritionists and chefs typically classify produce based on nutrients and taste (sweet vs. savory).
State of play: Cucumbers and other foods with seeds surrounded by flesh are typically considered fruits by botanists but vegetables by nutritionists and chefs.
The bottom line: Fruit or vegetable, cucumbers can be a healthy addition to your diet (unless, of course, you prepare them like Jessica's Midwestern grandmother — with Miracle Whip, sour cream and sugar!).
Go deeper: Eat your veggies — or whatever you call them