Healthy Purple Foods: 3 to Try

Purple and dark starches and grains have dark pigments known as anthocyanins. Just like in blueberries, the anthocyanins in starches and grains (see photos) provide the same type of benefits known to greatly reduce blood pressure, prevent cancer, and ease inflammation.

Note: Anthocyanins - is a water-soluble pigment that produces the violet, blue and red colors in plants. The complex flavonoid is anti-inflammatory and encourages the regeneration of connective tissues.

Listed below are three purple foods, filled with healthy benefits, that are growing in popularity:

Purple Corn - Surprisingly purple corn has 5xs more anthocyanin than blueberries. Often sold as dried kernels, I can find them at my local supermarket in a specialty section and they are also sold as popping corn. Often served as a side dish, the corn is boiled and may be chopped to mix with other grains such as quinoa. You've probably seen purple corn chips in the supermarket

Purple corn is cultivated in the coastal areas of Peru, as well as in the mountains at nearly 10 thousand feet; it is considered a super food. The local people made a drink called chica morada. Promoters of the benefits of purple corn say it lowers cholesterol and helps fight obesity.

Okinawan Sweet Potatoes - Also known as Hawaiian Purple Sweet Potatoes, these dark violet tubers are a great source of anthocyanins. Additionally, these purple sweet potatoes have twice as much selenium as the orange sweet potatoes. Selenium helps lower rates of colon and lung cancer. The tuber is also rich in vitamins and minerals. 

They can be enjoyed mashed and one cup has just 140 calories with 4 grams of fiber. They also make excellent fritters and also cook well when baked, broiled, roasted and fried like French fries. The potatoes are fat-free and considered great for diabetics and people who are sensitive to carbohydrates.

A nice food to introduce to children who love the color and flavor.

Black Rice - Why is black rice considered a purple food? When cooked, the black rice turns a deep rich purple. Black rice is even more nutritious than brown rice. The outer shell of black rice has more anthocyanins and antioxidants than berries or brown rice. This outer shell is removed from white rice.

I'm beginning to see this rice more and more on supermarket shelves at premium prices. However, if you have the benefit of living near a Chinese or Korean market you can find large bags at great prices - as it is often served in Asian cultures and not considered new or novel.

Considered an heirloom plant (see link below for more heirloom plants), the black rice has many variants such as Indonesian black rice and Thai black rice. Black rice has a high nutritional content and is rich in iron. My local Japanese restaurant offers black rice. Quite good and beautiful to look at.

The rice is not glutionous or rough like many other rices from Asia. Often it is cooked with a white rice.

For more healthy lists, and lists of heirloom foods, see links below: