The Great Veggie Debate
Oct 17, 2025
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? What about a pumpkin? Cucumber? Carrot?
In the October–December 2025 issue of Kids Answers magazine, we shared some tasty facts about veggies—including that cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins, and peppers are all scientifically considered fruit.
If you thought these garden favorites were vegetables, you’re not alone! Many people might not know the difference. Let’s learn what distinguishes vegetables from fruits.
A Tasty Garden
God created the plant kinds on the third day of creation, about 6,000 years ago. Genesis 1:11 says, “And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so.”
Later, on day six of creation week, God made Adam and Eve and gave them all the plants and trees for food to eat, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 1:29, 2:16–17).
What Is a Fruit?
Apples, oranges, and grapes might be some of your favorite fruits. But did you know peas, zucchini, and eggplant are all considered fruits too? Why?
These fruits develop from a flower. Think about apple trees, cherry trees, and even the zucchini or pumpkins you might see growing in a garden. The plants flower and then eventually grow fruit.
Fruits also contain seeds. Let’s look at Genesis 1:11 again: “And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed . . .” (emphasis added). God created fruit plants with seeds inside. These plants reproduce through the dispersal (spreading) of their seeds.
What Is a Vegetable?
A vegetable, on the other hand, is the edible part of a plant that develops from any part of the plant other than the flower, such as the root or the stem. Carrots are the root of the plant. Asparagus is part of the stem of its plant. Lettuce is the leaves of its plant.
A Rainbow of Nutrients
Fruits and veggies offer us all kinds of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to stay healthy. Whether you enjoy your fruits and veggies sliced up or whole, fresh or cooked, remember to thank God for the rainbow of produce he created to keep us feeling our best.
