Vegetables are parts of plants that are eaten by humans as food as part of a meal. This meaning is often used: it is applied to plants collectively to mean all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, roots, and seeds. The alternative definition of the term 'vegetable' may exclude foods derived from some plants that are fruits, nuts, and cereal grains, but include fruits from others such as tomatoes and courgettes and seeds such as pulses.