15 Healthy Purple Foods To Try

Purple isn’t just pretty – it’s powerful. These deep-toned foods are bursting with anthocyanins, fierce antioxidants tied to sharper memory, reduced inflammation, and serious disease-fighting potential. Think purple sweet potatoes, blueberries, and red cabbage.

Each bite hits harder than your average superfood, turning your plate into a weapon for better health. Want real nutrition? Go bold. Go purple.

Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or dietary advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take medication. Nutritional values and health benefits mentioned are based on general research and may vary depending on preparation, sourcing, and individual needs.

1. Purple Potatoes

Move over, russets! Purple potatoes bring the party to your plate with their royal hue and nutty flavor. These colorful spuds contain four times the antioxidants of regular potatoes.

Roast them with olive oil and rosemary for a side dish that’s as nutritious as it is Instagram-worthy. Fun fact: Ancient Incas treasured these vibrant tubers as food fit for kings!

2. Eggplant

Though technically a berry (mind blown!), eggplant rocks a glossy purple jacket that signals its antioxidant superpowers. The skin contains nasunin, which specifically protects brain cell membranes.

How about trying it grilled with a drizzle of tahini? Or baked into a hearty moussaka? However you slice it, this purple powerhouse deserves a starring role in your kitchen lineup.

3. Purple Cabbage

Crunch alert! Purple cabbage delivers major texture while packing more vitamin C than its green cousin. Where has this affordable superfood been all your life?

Shred it raw for vibrant slaws or quick-pickle it for tacos with that extra zing. If you’re feeling fancy, braise it slowly with apples for a sweet-tart side that transforms this humble veggie into dinner party material.

4. Blackberries

Juicy little flavor bombs! Blackberries burst with sweetness while delivering a fiber punch that keeps your digestion dancing. Their deep purple-black color comes from anthocyanins that fight oxidative stress.

Toss them into morning smoothies or scatter them over yogurt for breakfast with benefits. Wild blackberries might be smaller than store-bought varieties, but they often pack more intense flavor and nutrition!

5. Concord Grapes

Original purple cuisine! Concord grapes, with their nostalgic sweet-tart burst, are antioxidant champs and aren’t only for grandma’s jam. Resveratrol, the same heart-healthy compound found in red wine, is present in their seeds and skin.

Blend them into smoothies or freeze them for a natural treat. Unable to locate new ones? Without the sugar overload of commercial kinds, unsweetened 100% Concord grape juice provides comparable advantages.

6. Purple Carrots

Plot twist: carrots were originally purple before Dutch farmers bred the orange varieties we know today! These violet veggies contain the same beta-carotene as orange carrots, plus bonus anthocyanins.

Roast them to intensify their sweetness or shred them raw into salads for eye-catching color. Though slightly earthier than their orange cousins, purple carrots make any dish pop with their unexpected hue.

7. Purple Cauliflower

Cauliflower got a makeover! This violet version isn’t dyed – it’s naturally colored by anthocyanins while keeping all the cancer-fighting compounds of white cauliflower. Marvel at how it keeps its color even after cooking!

Roast it whole for a showstopping centerpiece or pulse it into purple cauliflower rice. Kids who wrinkle their noses at regular cauliflower might just give this magical purple version a chance.

8. Açaí Berries

More antioxidants than blueberries, these little purple powerhouses come straight from the Amazon rainforest! Frozen açaí puree makes amazing smoothie bowls, but you won’t find them fresh outside of Brazil.

Be wary of pre-packaged açaí products that contain added sugars! In actuality, the natural flavor is somewhat earthy and not too sweet. Before they were well-known on Instagram, these berries were a staple diet for native Amazonians for generations.

9. Purple Sweet Potatoes

Perhaps Okinawan purple sweet potatoes are the key to Japanese islanders’ fabled longevity! Orange variants lack the anthocyanins present in their stunning purple flesh.

For the most beautiful side dish ever, steam and mash them or bake them whole till caramelized. They are worth looking for in specialized stores because of their beautiful color and nutty flavor, even if they are a little less sweet than orange sweet potatoes.

10. Purple Asparagus

Rare and remarkable! Purple asparagus gets its royal hue from – you guessed it – anthocyanins. Unlike green varieties, these purple spears are naturally sweeter and can be enjoyed raw without any bitterness.

Sadly, the purple color fades with cooking, so showcase them in salads or as crudités. If you must cook them, quick-blanch for just 30 seconds to preserve some of that gorgeous color and their tender-crisp texture.

11. Elderberries

Grandma was right about elderberry syrup!

These tiny purple berries have been used for centuries to fight colds and flu. Modern research confirms they’re packed with immune-boosting compounds.

Never eat them raw though, they need cooking to remove natural toxins! Try them in homemade jams or syrups. These berries grow wild across North America and Europe, but always consult an expert before foraging.

12. Black Rice

Black rice, which turns purple when cooked, has more anthocyanins than blueberries and was formerly off-limits to anybody outside the Chinese emperor’s court! Its chewy texture and nutty flavor make regular rice look uninteresting.

For a gorgeous purple rice pudding, try it with coconut milk. It has a higher protein, fiber, and antioxidant content than brown rice, although it takes longer to cook than white rice.

13. Purple Brussels Sprouts

Not only are these little purple cabbages attractive, but they are also quite nutritious! They may be good for the heart since they contain the same anthocyanins that give red wine its purple color.

To enhance their inherent sweetness, sprinkle them with maple syrup while they are roasting. Look for the most colorful examples at farmers markets following the first frost, as the purple color increases when exposed to cold temperatures.

14. Purple Bell Peppers

Surprise! Purple bell peppers aren’t just green peppers with an identity crisis, they’re unique varieties with their own sweet, fruity flavor profile. Their royal color signals higher antioxidant content than green bells.

Eat them raw to preserve their gorgeous color and crisp texture. Unlike red or yellow peppers, purple varieties often have green flesh inside, creating a stunning contrast when sliced for veggie platters.

15. Purple Corn

Purple maize has long been prized by the ancient Peruvians! Blueberries are dwarfed by the anthocyanin levels in this gorgeous maize cultivar. It is historically used to produce chicha morada, a sweet, spicy beverage, in Peru.

To make pizzazz pancakes, go for purple corn flour. Before being turned into nourishing stocks, dried purple corn cobs, however more difficult to locate fresh, make beautiful fall decorations.