I’ve known for years about the benefits of purple foods. I’ve been eating them intermittently. But now I’m incorporating them into my diet weekly and often while I find them seasonally at our farmers markets and even in the grocery stores.
I am becoming more intentional about cooking with an eating more purple or purplish foods.
What Makes Purple Foods So Special?
The vibrant color in purple vegetables and fruits comes from plant compounds called anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that:
- Protect cells from oxidative stress
- Reduce inflammation
- Support brain function
- Promote heart health
- Strengthen blood vessels
Inflammation is often at the root of many chronic conditions. The more we nourish our bodies with colorful, phytonutrient-rich foods, the more we support resilience from the inside out.
Some of my favorite purple veggies are purple cauliflower, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple carrots, purple yams and potatoes, red onions, beets, purple broccoli, daikon radish, red leaf lettuce, purple kale, kohlrabi, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
🎨 Pegs’ Colorful Plate Challenge
There are so many fun combinations you can do with all these purple foods!
Ways to incorporate purple foods;
- Smoothies
- Yogurt cups
- Soups
- Combining veggies in sides or as main dishes
- Roasting, searing, baking or mashing purple potatoes or yams or cauliflower.
Our Favorite Purple Food Recipes
Adding purple foods to your plate doesn’t have to be complicated — and Curry Girls Kitchen has some delicious ways to make it happen!
Here are a few of our favorite recipes that feature purple veggies and help you reap those powerful health benefits:
🍝 1. Medicinal Mushroom Pasta with Purple Cauliflower
This vibrant pasta combines earthy mushrooms with seasonal purple cauliflower and zucchini, tossed in a herby pesto — comfort food with anti-inflammatory power.
👉 Try the recipe here
🎯 Why it’s great: Purple cauliflower delivers antioxidants, and the mushrooms add immune-supporting beta-glucans — perfect for a nourishing dinner that supports your brain and nervous system.
🥦 2. Seasonal Roasted Vegetables
This colorful roasted mix often features purple cauliflower, beets, and other seasonal rainbow veggies that caramelize beautifully in the oven.
👉 Make it here
🎯 Why it’s great: Roasting deepens flavor and helps preserve nutrients. Purple veggies like cauliflower and beets bring color and antioxidant punch.
🥕 3. Sugar Snaps, Carrots & Shiitake Mushroom Sauté
This simple sauté includes purple carrots (if you choose them!) paired with sugar snaps and mushrooms — quick, flavorful, and nutrient-rich.
👉 Try it here
🎯 Why it’s great: Purple carrots have anthocyanins that help reduce inflammation and support heart health.
🥗 4. Refreshing Corn Tomato Salad with Purple Bell Pepper
Summer fresh and full of color, this salad brings purple bell pepper into play alongside sweet corn and juicy tomatoes.
👉 Enjoy it here
🎯 Why it’s great: Purple bell peppers add antioxidants and a pop of color — perfect for light lunches or BBQ gatherings.
These recipes aren’t just beautiful; they’re functional food — meals that support inflammation balance, heart health, and nervous system regulation while tasting incredible.
A Gentle Challenge
This week, I invite you to make your plate more colorful — and intentionally add purple.
Food is information.
Color is intelligence.
And your body responds beautifully when you nourish it this way.
Small changes add up.
One purple vegetable at a time.
With love,
Peggy