One more thing I forgot to mention.

All of my life, I've always been a little defensive and feel as if I have a need--for whatever reason--to explain why I've always eschewed veggies.

I appreciate all the arguments on how veggies are better than fruits for various reasons. I don't dispute any of that, and agree there are many salient reasons why eating veggies would be more beneficial than eating fruits with all things being equal. For instance, I don't know of any other single food which packs as many quality nutrients as spinach; but, having admitted that, all things are not always equal.

For instance, I like to do my running outdoors, never indoors. The sensation of running on a treadmill with my scenery never progressing is something I've never been able to get used to. So, during those outdoor runs, after a few miles one builds up a nice sweat losing some fluids. In that case, it is adivsed to replenish some of those fluids immediately after the running. Experts suggest potassium.

4 miles out from home and in the streets, what is most convenient and easiest for immediate consumption? A banana, or any fruits high in potassium; fruit juice, mostly orange; or, my favorite, low sodium V8 with 900mgs of potassium. All the above one can easily walk into any store and pick up and eat/drink immediately. In that scenario, a serving of spinach, broccoli, or other assorted veggies would be more than adequate for the task; but, one can't find them outside after a run, other than walking into a restaurant and ordering a side order of them.

So, in my view, I think fruits and juices have their place too.