Powerful Purple Foods & Sweet Potato String Fries Recipe

Powerful good, those purple foods! No, no, not chemically-colorfied candies and goodies, but natural, wholesome fruits and vegetables from Mother Nature’s edible rainbow. If you’ve been passing up purple foods in the produce section, judging them too weird or trendy, it’s time to circle back! Load your basked from the prolific selection of purple foods available today including healthy-diet darlings like purple sweet potatoes (one of my favorite), purple cauliflower, purple carrots and long-time favorites such as purple grapes, eggplant, plums, berries and more.

Purple Food and Why You Should Eat It -- all the healhty benefits!

Fittingly it’s a “P” word that makes purple foods so healthful – polyphenols!  Purple fruits and vegetables are filled with polyphenols, important plant-based micronutrients which researchers say may help prevent degenerative diseases (like certain cancers) and protect your heart and overall cardiovascular health. One of the most abundant polyphenols in purple foods is a sub-classification named anthocyanins. Also found in foods like cocoa, nuts, olive oil and tea, anthocyanins are health-promoting, natural chemical compounds that aid in cell protection and healing.  Nutritionists recommend include purple fruits and vegetables into your diet at least 4 to 5 days a week alongside dark green, orange and yellow foods for maximum benefits.

Purple Asparagus from Friedas.comI love the Purple Asparagus from Friedas.com, it’s noticeably sweeter than it’s green siblings.Developed in Italy, the the large spears are purple-burgundy toned with a a creamy white interior.

 

Purple Sweet PotatoAnother one of my favorite foods with the good-for-you purple hue is a purple sweet potato. This dark tuber is royally delicious and once reserved only for the feasts of Incan kings in Peru. These days, purple potatoes reign supreme in the supermarket and, according to the USDA, can have in excess four times the antioxidant power of traditional white potatoes. Plus, potatoes of any color are such a great source of nutrition for athletes including complex carbohydrates to provide energy for workouts and potassium, iron, and other nutrients to help keep a hard-working body in balance. Eat them just like you would any other potato!

I also like to spiralize a purple sweet potato (or finely slice) my purple sweet potatoes and make healthy string fries. The easy recipe is featured below along with a few other links in my recipe collection that are popping with the power of PURPLE! Enjoy!

Purple Power Sweet Potato Strings make a healthy side dish to dinner or crowd-pleasing appetizer

Here are two other recipes to try!

Purple Cow Protein Smoothie

Tuscan Grilled Eggplant

What is your favorite purple food? What are you doing this weekend, any races or events?! Please share in the comments below — xoxo, Jennifer

Purple Sweet Potato Fries
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Purple sweet potato fries make a healthy side dish to your entree or a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Baked and not fried!
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 large purple sweet potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  2. Wash and dry purple sweet potato. Use spiralizer or mandoline to create string-sized pieces -- or, alternately, julienne very finely. Place on large rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Toss sweet potato strings with olive oil, bake at 400 F degrees for about 15 minutes, using a spatula to toss around halfway through baking.
  4. Crumble blue cheese on top while sweet potatoes are still warm.

20 thoughts on “Powerful Purple Foods & Sweet Potato String Fries Recipe

  1. I had no idea purple sweet potatoes would have different nutrient properties, but it makes complete sense! Can’t say I’ve seen these in any store near me. But I have had purple cauliflower and purple carrots!

    • Don’t you love the attachment?! It’s my favorite . . .and, to think, I almost talked myself out of getting it!

  2. I’ve tried purple ‘regular’ potatoes once – made mashed potatoes, and it tasted completely the same as white potatoes, but much more fun to look at 😀

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