Food & recipes

The wellbeing benefits of purple foods

Ready to add a purple pigment to your plate? We uncover the powerful antioxidant properties of purple foods and their benefits

While your mum may have told you to eat your greens, there’s another colour in the spectrum that you might be missing out on but you should be including in your dishes. From fighting fine lines and beating illnesses to helping aid weight loss – not to mention creating Insta-worthy meals – purple foods really do have it all.

What do purple foods contain?

From purple cauliflower and black rice to purple sweet potato and purple fruit, such as the acai berry, these richly coloured foods are currently making a big splash on the health scene, and for good reason.

All brightly coloured fruit and veg contain high levels of nutrients and antioxidants (like matcha, for example), which can help your body fight disease, lower inflammation, boost heart health and keep the signs of ageing at bay, but those with a rich purple hue often contain anthocyanin – a specific antioxidant which is believed to be particularly beneficial for our wellbeing.

What are anthocyanins and why are purple foods so healthy?

The bright tone of these foods is an indication of nutrient density and high levels of antioxidants, which help us to fight disease, inflammation and signs of ageing. Anthocyanins are the plant colourants that we see in red cabbage, red fruits, eggplant (or aubergine as we call them in the UK), blackberries and are the most prominent among the flavonoids in plants – the natural compounds they produce.

What are the health benefits of purple produce?

Much research has been done to look at the claims of this compound: and the results have been seriously impressive. One study published in the Annals of Neurology, for example, found that anthocyanins can reverse brain ageing by two and a half years, while another in the Circulation journal suggested that women who ate three or more servings of purple food a week reduced their risk of a heart attack by 32 percent. On top of that, research from the University of Porto revealed that the anthocyanins in blueberries could prevent the growth of breast cancer cells. We’re certainly sold!

How can you get more purple foods in your diet?

Keen to add some anthocyanin-rich foods to your plate? Blueberries, plums, purple cabbage, purple carrots and beetroot are all easily available in most supermarkets and contain good levels of powerful antioxidants. The humble blueberry, for example, has benefits for your overall wellbeing that can’t be understated. These little purple powerhouses are packed with antioxidants that help increase your body’s production of natural killer cells. Add blueberries to smoothie bowls, overnight oats and fruit salads to gain their nutrients.

Is purple potato good for you?

Or why not try something a little bit different? A purple potato could be a great new addition to your dinner plate. Similar in taste to their orange cousins, these anthocyanin-rich spuds have anti inflammatory properties and can help support healthy digestion.

Should I add purple rice to my diet?

Purple rice, on the other hand, is thought to have six times more antioxidants than its white or brown alternatives, and also has high levels of iron and vitamin E (goodbye wrinkles!).

Try purple asparagus for depth and crunch

Don’t forget purple asparagus either – rich in vitamin B, it also contains vitamins A, C and K, and has been used since the Roman times for its laxative effects and to help aid bowel movements.

Get a taste for the tropics with Acai berries

Acai berries are also full of phytonutrients and with an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value twice as high as blueberries, they’re the biggest buster of pollution’s effect on the body. They’re packed with fibre, amino acids, vitamins C, A, B1, B2, B3 and E, naturally high in essential fatty acids and a source of calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper. Time to get that smoothie maker out from the cupboard?

Want delicious recipes to help you get purple and blue food into your diet?

Got a sweet tooth? This recipe uses the purple vegetable beetroot for the creamy texture for a twist on the classic brownie. Beetroot are little purple powerhouses that are packed with polyphenol antioxidants and essential nutrients, such as iron and vitamin C.

Black forest beetroot brownies

Ingredients

280g Love Beets Cooked Beetroot (1 pack)
80g butter
200g dark chocolate, broken
130g caster sugar
130g soft dark brown sugar
3 eggs
110g plain flour
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

For the cheesecake

80g white chocolate
80g cream cheese
1 small egg
50g sour cream
25 kirsch-soaked cherries, drained (or you can use fresh, pitted cherries)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3. Line a 22cm square tin with baking parchment.
Put the Love Beets Cooked Beetroot into a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth.
Add the butter and dark chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of lightly simmering water to melt, stirring occasionally. Set aside once melted.
Add the caster sugar, soft dark brown sugar and eggs to a bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 5 minutes, until pale and thick.
Using a large metal spoon carefully fold in the blitzed beetroot puree and melted chocolate then the flour and white chocolate chunks, until just combined, be careful not to over mix. Pour into the prepared tin and set aside while you make the cheesecake mixture.
Melt the remaining white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth then beat in the egg, sour cream and finally the white chocolate, until combined.
Spoon over the cheesecake mixture, swirl through with a skewer to create a marble effect and scatter over the cherries. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until just set with the slightest wobble in the centre. Cool completely before cutting into squares.