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Bananas darken as they ripen because tissues change and phenolic compounds oxidize. Bruising and cold exposure can accelerate the browning. A nearly black peel can still hide usable flesh; mold, leaking liquid, a rotten odor, or badly decayed flesh are different warning signs.
Freezing does not strip vitamins out of fruit. Some vitamin C and other sensitive compounds can decline during preparation and long storage, but properly frozen fruit retains nutritional value very well. Fruit frozen soon after harvest can even compare favorably with fresh fruit that has spent many days in transport and refrigeration.
Pink or reddish ribs do not automatically mean lettuce is bad. UC Davis describes pink rib as a postharvest physiological disorder associated with overmaturity, long storage, or warmer-than-recommended conditions. If leaves remain reasonably crisp with no mold, slime, or off odor, the discoloration is usually a quality issue.
Watermelon and strawberries are among the most water-rich fruits at about 91% water. Cantaloupe is around 90%, peaches about 89%, grapefruit roughly 88%, and oranges around 87%. Two hundred grams of watermelon therefore contains about 182 grams of water.
A cut onion can generally be kept about 7–10 days in the refrigerator when stored at 40°F (4°C) or below in a sealed container. That range is a storage guideline, not a guarantee: mold, slime, watery breakdown, or a clearly abnormal odor are reasons to discard it sooner.
Among leafy vegetables, beet greens stand out at more than 700 mg potassium per 100 g in common databases; spinach is around 560 mg, Swiss chard around 380 mg, and Brussels sprouts near 390 mg. Serving size and cooking method change the amount you actually eat.
Olive oil is slightly higher in calories by tablespoon because it is essentially all fat, while butter contains water. Their fatty-acid profiles differ much more: a tablespoon of butter has about 7 g saturated fat, compared with roughly 2 g in olive oil, where monounsaturated oleic acid dominates.
Bell peppers are standouts: yellow peppers can exceed 180 mg vitamin C per 100 g and red peppers are around 125 mg in common composition tables. Raw broccoli and Brussels sprouts are often around 80–90 mg per 100 g.
Peanuts are energy-dense, but they are also high in protein and mostly unsaturated fat. Per 100 g they contain roughly 26 g protein, 49 g fat, and 8–9 g fiber. A 1-ounce serving provides about 160–170 calories, 7 g protein, 14 g fat, and 2–3 g fiber.
Some leafy greens contain substantial calcium: raw collards and certain kale entries can exceed 200 mg per 100 g, bok choy is around 100 mg, and broccoli around 45–50 mg. The number alone is not enough, because spinach calcium is much less bioavailable due to oxalate.
Fructose does not become a different molecule just because it is inside an apple, but the food carrying it changes a lot. Whole fruit delivers sugars inside a structure that also contains water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds; added sugar is often more concentrated and less filling.
Among common raw vegetables, cucumber and lettuce are near 15 calories per 100 g, zucchini about 17, tomato 18, green bell pepper around 20, and spinach about 23. Their very high water content explains the low energy density.