Fruits are enjoyed by all age groups. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and have a pleasant flavor.
Fruits are a great gift of nature to mankind. They are delicious, nutritious, ready-to-eat foods. They have a nice flavor and texture. Fresh fruits have an attractive color.
Think, for example, about the color of ripe yellow mangoes or rosy red apples.
Children are fussy about milk and other nutritious foods. But they relish fruits very much. People of all age groups enjoy fruits as an appetizer, snack, or a dessert. Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals. They protect us against many deficiency diseases. They provide roughage which prevents constipation.
Eat more fruits they protect us from deficiency diseases

Classification and nutritive value of fruits

Fruit can be termed as tonics supplying vitamin C and vitamin A. They also give us energy as they have a lot of carbohydrates in them. The fruit has both edible and non-edible portions. Generally, seeds and peels are non-edible parts. In some of the fruit, however, the outer covering is also eaten, e.g. apricots, peaches, pears, raspberry, apple, etc. The peels and seeds of fruits provide roughage which is essential for a normal bowel movement. We can group fruits according to their nutritive value us follows:

Yellow fruits: Fruits like mangoes, apricots, gooseberries, Papayas belong to this group. These fruits are rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. They protect the eyes against night blindness and other eye infections.
Vitamin C rich fruits: This group includes citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, sweet lime, and fruits like amlas, guavas, pineapples, strawberries, etc. They are rich in vitamin C. vitamin C provides resistance against infections, prevents bleeding of gums and helps in speedy recovery of wounds.
Other Fruits: Fruits like apples, bananas, melons, and grapes which are not mentioned above are included in this group. They provide good health by providing vitamins and minerals to the body. They also add bulk to the diet as they have a lot of fiber. This helps to prevent constipation by maintaining normal movement of the gastrointestinal tract.
Fruits also have a small amount of B vitamins, i.e. thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin.

Some fruits like raspberries, strawberries, dried apricots, prunes, dates, and figs are good sources of iron. Oranges, grapefruits, and figs have a fair amount of calcium. The protein and fat content of fruits is low. The main energy constituent is a carbohydrate which is present mainly as sugars.
Fruits are commonly used for making jams, jellies, and marmalades. A good jam or jelly is firm and well set. Have you ever thought about why this is so? This is due to a substance called pectin which is a carbohydrate present in fruits which helps in the formation of a gel.
On the whole fruits have protective nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Their vitamin and mineral content depends upon the variety, climate, sunlight and stage of maturity.