Time to incorporate purple in your diet!

From purple grapes and beets, to trusty red cabbage and blueberries, the list of purple fruits and vegetables is endless. They are not only a great way of adding colour to a dish, but also help you feel good about eating them too and also boast of nutritional credentials.

From purple grapes and beets, to trusty red cabbage and blueberries, the list of purple fruits and vegetables is endless. They are not only a great way of adding colour to a dish, but also help you feel good about eating them too and also boast of nutritional credentials..

Chef Prabhakar Nagraj, Managing partner, Elior India, says, “In search of better and more natural nutrition, people’s focus has shifted towards healthier living that entails incorporating more and more vegetables into their diet.”

He adds, “There is an increased awareness towards the benefits of purple fruits and vegetables and people have thus begun to slowly replace existing vegetables, especially green vegetables, with them.”

Health-conscious consumers and those in the know are consuming more and more of these naturally rich foods. The vibrant colour indicates a naturally high presence of health-enhancing anti­oxidants. Foods like prunes, eggplant, purple cabbage, black currants, blackberries, beetroot and concord grapes contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant that gives these foods a natural purple hue and help reduce risks of cancer, stroke and heart diseases..

Chef Nishant Chaubey says, “Purple foods contain anthocyanin and has a high antioxidant character. For consumers, it’s a natural colour to work on. Purple food is fibrous and helps in making dishes flavourful. Red cabbage marmalade, beetroot kanji, purple grape sauce or smoothie , cherry shake are some of the easiest recipes. Lavender tea is the beverage to look at.”

Madhav Windlaas, Owner, Kiara Soul Kitchen, says, “Beetroot juice is a source of iron and if not taken directly can be used as colouring agents in pulaos, grilled cutlets. From mousakka to bharta to babaganoush, eggplant can be used to prepare dishes across the world .”

The best thing about food is that it can be played with and experimented. And, if it comes with a boxful of nutrients, nothing like it. Consumption of different coloured foods is important as that ensures that the body gets its regular dose of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Chef Rubal Pupneja, says, “It is a known fact that darker the food, the higher antioxidant content and
better nutrient value it contains. It’s important to maintain balance while consuming vegetables and fruits.
Balance is the key.”

So next time, you are out shopping for veggies, opt the purple ones for a change instead of the conventional greens. But don’t forget that its not only purple or green, a rainbow of differently coloured fruits and vegetables is essential for optimal health.