Purple vegetables are special kinds of veggies that are, well, purple!
This cool color comes from a natural dye in them that’s really good for your health. Some everyday purple veggies are things like purple cabbage, purple carrots, and even purple potatoes. They’re not just nice to look at but are also packed with the good stuff for your body.
The Key Takeaways.
- Purple veggies are like nature’s multivitamins.
- The deep purple color in these veggies comes from special stuff called anthocyanins. They help fight off sickness and keep our bodies from getting hurt by bad things we can’t see.
- Eating purple veggies is good for your heart and your brain. Plus, they’re great for keeping your mind sharp as you get older.
Health Benefits of Purple Vegetables.
- Purple veggies have natural substances that protect your body from harm.
- They help keep your heart healthy and strong.
- If you’re feeling swollen or sore, these veggies can help calm that down.
- The good stuff in purple veggies might stop some serious illnesses from happening.
- Eating them can help your brain work better and stay healthy.
- They’re great for keeping a healthy weight because they don’t have many calories but fill you up.
- For people with sugar problems, like diabetes, they can help keep sugar levels balanced.
- Some purple veggies can help you see better for longer.
- They have fiber, which helps your digestion and keeps your stomach feeling good.
List Of Purple Vegetables.
- Purple Asparagus – It’s like the green asparagus but purple.
- Red Cabbage – It looks purple and is great in salads.
- Purple Carrots – They’re just like orange carrots but purple.
- Purple Cauliflower – A purple version of the white cauliflower.
- Purple Potatoes – These are purple all the way through.
- Red Onions – They’re actually purple and add a zing to your food.
- Purple Corn – Corn on the cob that’s a deep purple color.
- Purple Kale – A leafy veggie that’s a dark purple.
- Purple Lettuce – It’s lettuce with a purple tinge.
- Purple Radish – Spicy and crunchy, great in salads.
- Purple String Beans – Yep, they’re purple, not green.
- Purple Tomatoes – Tomatoes that are a rich purple color.
- Radicchio – A bitter and spicy leaf that’s purple and white.
- Purple Turnip – A root veggie that’s white and purple.
- Vitelotte – A small, nutty-flavored purple potato.
- Purple Bell Peppers – Like regular bell peppers, but less sweet and purple.
- Purple Brussels Sprouts – Tiny cabbages that are a bit purple.
- Eggplant – The classic big purple veggie used in lots of dishes.
5 Purple Vegetable Recipes.
Purple Cauliflower Soup Recipe.
What you need:
- A whole purple cauliflower, cut into pieces.
- 2 big spoons of cooking oil.
- 1 onion chopped up.
- 3 garlic cloves chopped up.
- 4 cups of veggie soup stock.
- 1 cup of coconut milk.
- Salt and pepper for taste.
- Some fresh thyme leaves for decoration.
How to make it:
- Put a big pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Pour in the oil and add your chopped onion and garlic. Cook them until the onion looks transparent.
- Now put in the purple cauliflower pieces and let them fry a bit for about 5 minutes. Give them a stir constantly.
- Next, pour in the veggie stock and let everything come to a boil. After it boils, turn down the heat and let it all simmer until the cauliflower is soft, this should take about 20 minutes.
- When the cauliflower is soft, use a hand blender right in the pot to make everything smooth like a cream.
- Now, mix with the coconut milk and add salt and pepper until it tastes just right for you.
- Serve the soup while it’s hot and sprinkle some fresh thyme on top to make it look nice.
Purple Sweet Potato Dumplings Recipe.
What you need:
- 2 medium-sized purple sweet potatoes (the kind that are purple inside).
- 1 cup plain flour (keep some more handy for later).
- 1 egg.
- A little salt.
- 2 big spoons of butter without salt.
- Some fresh sage leaves (they’re like herbs).
How to make it:
- Turn your oven on to get really hot, like 400°F (200°C). Make some holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them until they’re soft, which will take about 45 minutes.
- Wait for the potatoes to cool down a bit, then peel off the skin and mash up the insides in a big bowl.
- Crack the egg into the bowl with the mashed potatoes, throw in a pinch of salt, and mix it all up.
- Now, add the flour bit by bit and mix it until you get a soft dough. Don’t put too much, just enough until it’s all together.
- Sprinkle some flour on your table or counter and roll a piece of the dough into a long snake, about half an inch thick. Cut it into little pillow shapes, about 1 inch long.
- Get a big pot of water, add some salt, and make it boil. Cook the little dough pillows in the water. When they float up to the top, they’re done. Take them out with a spoon that has holes in it.
- Next, put a pan on the stove, melt the butter, and fry the sage leaves until they’re crispy.
- Put the cooked dumplings in the pan with the butter and sage and shake them around so they get all covered.
- Serve them while they’re hot, and you can put some more sage on top to make it look fancy.
Purple Leafy Stir-Fry Recipe.
What you need:
- A couple of handfuls of purple tatsoi leaves (they’re like spinach but purple).
- 1 spoon of cooking oil.
- 2 garlic cloves, make ’em small pieces.
- A little bit of grated ginger.
- 1 spoon of soy sauce (it’s that salty sauce).
- 1 spoon of sesame oil (it’s got a nice nutty taste).
- 1 spoon of oyster sauce (this one’s optional, it’s a thick sauce with a seafoody taste).
- A pinch of salt and pepper.
- Some sesame seeds to make it look good.
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How to make it:
- Give the purple leaves a good wash and dry them off.
- Heat up oil in a frying pan. Throw in the garlic and ginger until they smell great.
- Toss in the purple leaves and stir them around until they get a bit soft.
- Drizzle over the soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce if you’re using it. Mix it all up.
- Shake in a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve it while it’s hot and sprinkle those sesame seeds on top for a fancy touch.
Purple Leaf Salad Recipe.
What you need:
- A big bunch of purple orach leaves (it’s like spinach but purple).
- 1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes.
- A handful of little tomatoes, cut in half.
- A small handful of pine nuts (they’re like little crunchy seeds).
- 2 spoonfuls of dark, sweet vinegar (balsamic vinegar).
- 1 spoonful of regular cooking oil.
- A pinch of salt and pepper.
- Some crumbled white cheese (like feta, but it’s optional).
How to make it:
- Wash the purple leaves well and dry them with a towel.
- Get a big bowl and put the leaves, avocado cubes, and tomato halves in it.
- Put a pan on the stove, no oil needed, and toast the pine nuts until they’re nice and golden. Watch them so they don’t burn. Then, throw them into the bowl with the other stuff.
- In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and oil with a little salt and pepper until it tastes good to you.
- Pour this mix over the stuff in the big bowl and toss it all together gently.
- If you want, sprinkle some of that crumbled cheese on top for extra yumminess.
Purple Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe.
What you need:
- A bunch of purple basil leaves (they’re like regular basil but purple).
- Some grated cheese (Parmesan is good).
- A small cup of pine nuts (they’re tiny and taste a bit like pine).
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled.
- A good glug of olive oil (the extra-virgin kind is best).
- A pinch of salt and pepper.
- Your favorite pasta (any kind works).
How to make it:
- Take all the purple basil, cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and put them in a food mixer. Give it a good mix until it’s all chopped up but not too smooth.
- Keep the mixer going and slowly pour in the olive oil until it all mixes together.
- Add a little salt and pepper to make it taste just right.
- Boil some water in a big pot, add a pinch of salt, and cook your pasta until it’s soft but still a bit firm (that’s what ‘al dente’ means).
- Drain the pasta but keep a cup of the water you cooked it in.
- Mix the pasta and the purple pesto together. If it’s too thick, add a bit of the pasta water to make it saucy.
- Dish it up and eat it while it’s warm. You can sprinkle some more cheese on top if you like.
Antioxidants In Purple Vegetables.
- Vitamin C is in lots of purple veggies and helps your skin, keeps you from getting sick, and fixes up cuts and bruises.
- Vitamin A in purple veggies helps you see better in the dark and keeps your skin and body healthy.
- Vitamin E in purple veggies are like a shield for your cells, keeping them safe from damage, and it’s also good for your skin and eyes.
- Selenium is not in all purple veggies, but it’s super good for your body to work right and helps your thyroid, which is like your body’s thermostat.
- Flavonoids help calm down swelling in your body and can keep you from getting some long-term sicknesses.
How To Grow Purple Vegetables?
- Get the soil ready: Mix some dirt from your yard with stuff that plants like (compost) to make it rich and good for growing.
- Plant the seeds: You can put the seeds in small pots or straight into the ground, depending on what you’re growing.
- Sunbathe them: Most plants love the sun, so find a sunny spot for them to soak up some rays.
- Water them right: Give them water to drink when the soil feels dry, but don’t drown them.
- Pick them when ready: When they look big enough and have that nice purple color, it’s time to harvest.
Where To Buy Purple Vegetables?
- Local grocery stores.
- Farmer markets.
- Online stores like Burpee and Amazon.
- Special food shops.
- Plant shops/garden centers.
What Happens If I Eat Purple Vegetables Daily?
If you eat purple veggies every day, it’s like giving your body a bunch of little helpers that keep you healthy. So, having purple veggies on your plate daily is a great way to stay healthy and feel good.
What Happens If I Eat Spoilt Purple Vegetables?
Eating bad purple veggies, or any spoiled food, can make you sick. Stay away from any food that looks weird or smells funny. If you do eat something and start feeling sick, you should go see a doctor right away.
How To Choose Purple Vegetables?
- Look for bright purple: The color should be deep and even, without any brown or mushy spots.
- Check if it’s firm: Give it a little squeeze. It should feel solid, not squishy or soft.
- Smooth skin: The outside should be nice and smooth, not wrinkled or with cuts.
- Not too big or small: Go for ones that are just the right size, not too big or tiny.
- Smell it: It shouldn’t smell funky or sour, just fresh or like nothing much.
- Leaves should look fresh: If it’s got leaves, like purple kale, they should be perky and fresh, not droopy and rough.
Best Purple Vegetables for Weight Loss.
- Purple Cabbage: It’s not heavy and has lots of fiber, so it’s good for your tummy and keeps you feeling full.
- Eggplant: It’s also not heavy and great for making meals bigger without adding too many calories.
- Purple Carrots: They have fiber and special nutrients that can help keep your heart healthy and help you lose weight.
- Purple Asparagus: It’s light, has lots of fiber, and helps you stay full.
- Purple Cauliflower: It has a lot of fiber, and you can cook it in many different ways.
- Purple Potatoes: They have more calories than some veggies but are full of potassium and fiber.
- Red Onions: They make food tasty without adding many calories and have good stuff called flavonoids.
- Purple Kale: It’s packed with nutrients and fiber, which can help you lose weight.
- Purple Bell Peppers: They’re light and can be a crunchy, yummy snack.
- Purple Brussels Sprouts: Just like the green ones, they’re full of fiber and good nutrients.
- Purple String Beans: They’re a not heavy and has fiber to help you feel full.
Purple Vegetables for Children.
Purple veggies are good for children too! They’re full of good stuff that helps keep kids strong and healthy. These veggies are special because they have something called anthocyanins, which are like shields that protect our bodies. Eating different purple veggies can give children lots of energy and help them grow. Plus, they make the plate look colorful, which can make eating more fun for them.
Most purple veggies are safe for all children to eat. It’s a good idea to start giving them these veggies when they begin eating solid food, usually when they’re about 6 months old. Giving children a mix of different veggies, including the purple ones, is a great way to help them love healthy food from the start.
Purple Vegetables VS. Green Vegetables.
Purple veggies are like the cool kids in the veggie world because they have a special color that helps fight off bad stuff in our bodies. They’re packed with a magic ingredient called anthocyanins, which are really good for us. These purple plants have more of this magic stuff than green plants, so they’re kind of like the veggie superheroes.
Green veggies are awesome too. They’re full of a green magic called chlorophyll, and they have lots of vitamins that keep us healthy. They might not have as much of the purple veggies, but they’re still heroes in their own right.
So, eating both purple and green veggies is like having a team of superheroes on your plate. They both have their own powers, and together, they make sure we get all the good stuff we need to stay strong and healthy.
Purple Vegetable Smoothie Recipes.
- Recipe 1: Blueberries, banana, red cabbage, chia seeds and almond milk. Blend all the ingredients until they’re all smooth. Use as much almond milk as you like to get the thickness you want.
- Recipe 2: frozen blackberries, beet (peeled), a ripe banana and orange juice. Blend everything together until it’s nice and smooth.
- Recipe 3: orange juice, a banana, pineapple, and blueberries. Blend and add a bit of water, and blend until it’s really smooth.
- Recipe 4: acai berries, blackberries, a few grapes, and goji berries. Just blend all these berries up for a quick, healthy drink.
- Recipe 5: unsweetened almond milk, frozen blueberries, a slice of red cabbage, a banana, and a spoon of chia seeds. Blend them all with the almond milk until you get a nice purple smoothie.
