Top 7 Purple Vegetables
When it comes to taste, nutrition, and aesthetic appeal, purple vegetables are hard to beat. I am both a health nut and highly visual, so I try to include purple vegetables in most meals that I cook. Purple fruits and vegetables are positively packed with anthocyanins, a group of powerful antioxidants linked to immune support, heart health, cancer prevention, and even weight loss. The more richly colored a purple vegetable is, the higher its concentration of anthocyanins.
Purple vegetables are relatively rare and difficult to find. However, your local organic grocer is likely to carry at least a few purple veggie options. Here are some that are worth looking for.
1. Purple Eggplants
Eggplants are one of the only vegetables that are purple by default. In fact, the word "eggplant" is essentially synonymous with the deep-purple hue that occurs on the skins of most eggplants. Leave eggplant skin on the plant's "meat" for maximum nutrition.
2. Purple Bell Peppers
Delicately sweet, with a satisfying texture, purple bell peppers are an ideal alternative to ordinary green, red or yellow bell peppers. Try using purple and yellow bell peppers alongside one another for a complementary color scheme and a full-spectrum nutritional profile.
3. Purple Potatoes
Purple potatoes are one of several "rainbow" varieties of potato, known for their powerful nutritional properties and striking appearance. Purple potatoes have a dark-purple outer skin and juicy purple flesh. Roast them with garlic.
4. Purple Corn
A delicious, anthocyanin-packed form of maize native to Peru, purple corn is far more visually appealing than conventional white and yellow corn varieties. In addition to adding nutrition to your recipes, purple corn helps to preserve heirloom "Indian" corn-- which is quickly vanishing as GMOs take over the agriculture industry.
5. Purple Cauliflower
Purple cauliflower tastes just like white cauliflower, but it sure is beautiful! In varieties such as "graffiti" and "purple cape," purple cauliflower can diversify your kitchen's vegetable assortment and add a potent antioxidant punch to your meal.
6. Purple Carrots
Historically, many varieties of carrot were purple or maroon in color, but these forms nearly became extinct until scientists recently revived them. Now, the "purple maroon" variety of carrot is available in several natural foods stores. These root-veggies are slightly sweeter than conventional orange carrots and taste great raw.
7. Purple Kale
Kale is a leafy, meaty form of cabbage. But, unlike other forms of cabbage, it does not grow in heads. Purple kale is a true superfood-- positively packed with beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, calcium, iron, and, of course, those violet-hued anthocyanins. Use it in the same context as cabbage or spinach for a delicious, nutritious meal.
Purple vegetables are relatively rare and difficult to find. However, your local organic grocer is likely to carry at least a few purple veggie options. Here are some that are worth looking for.
1. Purple Eggplants
Eggplants are one of the only vegetables that are purple by default. In fact, the word "eggplant" is essentially synonymous with the deep-purple hue that occurs on the skins of most eggplants. Leave eggplant skin on the plant's "meat" for maximum nutrition.
2. Purple Bell Peppers
Delicately sweet, with a satisfying texture, purple bell peppers are an ideal alternative to ordinary green, red or yellow bell peppers. Try using purple and yellow bell peppers alongside one another for a complementary color scheme and a full-spectrum nutritional profile.
3. Purple Potatoes
Purple potatoes are one of several "rainbow" varieties of potato, known for their powerful nutritional properties and striking appearance. Purple potatoes have a dark-purple outer skin and juicy purple flesh. Roast them with garlic.
4. Purple Corn
A delicious, anthocyanin-packed form of maize native to Peru, purple corn is far more visually appealing than conventional white and yellow corn varieties. In addition to adding nutrition to your recipes, purple corn helps to preserve heirloom "Indian" corn-- which is quickly vanishing as GMOs take over the agriculture industry.
5. Purple Cauliflower
Purple cauliflower tastes just like white cauliflower, but it sure is beautiful! In varieties such as "graffiti" and "purple cape," purple cauliflower can diversify your kitchen's vegetable assortment and add a potent antioxidant punch to your meal.
6. Purple Carrots
Historically, many varieties of carrot were purple or maroon in color, but these forms nearly became extinct until scientists recently revived them. Now, the "purple maroon" variety of carrot is available in several natural foods stores. These root-veggies are slightly sweeter than conventional orange carrots and taste great raw.
7. Purple Kale
Kale is a leafy, meaty form of cabbage. But, unlike other forms of cabbage, it does not grow in heads. Purple kale is a true superfood-- positively packed with beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, calcium, iron, and, of course, those violet-hued anthocyanins. Use it in the same context as cabbage or spinach for a delicious, nutritious meal.
Published by Juniper Russo - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness
Juniper Russo is a freelance writer living in the Southern US. She writes for several online and print-based publications and passionately advocates an evidence-based approach to holistic health and activism... View profile
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