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BENEFITS AND EATING TIPS
Blue/purple vegetables

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Blue-purple vegetables have fewer nutrients than blue-purple fruits, but they are still a valuable source of phytonutrients. They also contain fibre and other nutrients such as antioxidants.

There are similarities between this group and the red vegetable group, primarily due to the anthocyanin content which gives the colour. Some of the vegetables in the blue-purple group are not commonly used so they can be exciting to cook with – try them out.

Get blue-purple protection into your day by including vegetables such as egg plant, beetroot, potatoes with purple flesh and/or skin, lettuce varieties with a dark purple tinge, purple or red cabbage, purple capsicum varieties, cauliflower, asparagus.


Try these quick and easy suggestions:

  • Make a stack with slices of egg plant, whole flat mushrooms, thickly sliced tomato, some pesto sauce and sliced cheddar or feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

  • Scrub but do not peel purple potatoes. Steam or gently boil until tender and toss in a little butter or olive oil. A delicious accompaniment to any meal.

  • Prepare a medley of vegetables, e.g. capsicum wedges, thick slices of egg plant, onion wedges, whole unpeeled cloves of garlic, kumara slices. Roast or barbecue brushed with a mixture of oil, crushed garlic and a little brown sugar.

  • Trim ends off beetroot. Microwave or bake whole. Slip skin off and serve with sour cream and lemon rind.

  • Toss drained, canned beetroot through a green leafy salad.

  • To make beetroot soup, peel and roughly chop 4 beetroot, 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 1 apple and 1 cup shredded red cabbage. Place in a large pan with 2 Tbsp vinegar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp ground cloves and 3 cups water. Simmer for 30 minutes then purée.

  • Add some dark purple lettuce, such as red oak or red frilly lettuce, to your leafy salad.

  • Stir fry red cabbage over a high heat with a little cumin and oil. Add lemon juice, a handful of raisins and plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley.

  • If you ever see purple varieties of capsicums, cauliflower and asparagus, snap them up and use them in the same way you would their green cousins.