Blogging from Colorado Springs

Purple Potatoes...

Besides being my favorite color, and how they add flash, color and texture to any dish, the purple potato is also packed with antioxidants!

Living up to their royal hue and lineage, purple potatoes have long been considered the food of the gods - 7,000 years ago they were reserved for the Incan Kings in their native Peru.  Perhaps the ancients knew there was more to this tuber than its violet skin and flesh because, as we are learning today, it serves up a kingly portion of health benefits.

Potatoes get a bad rap, but like most anything and everything, eaten in moderation, they have a lot of benefits! I love to roast them and throw them into my salads, or any side vegetable we are having!

Potatoes are part of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.  Potatoes supple a wide range of vital nutrients to the diet and are a particularly good source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid and iron.  

The purple spud’s striking pigment is its nutritional crown and glory, courtesy of the antioxidant powerhouse anthocyanin, which is responsible for the purple and blue colors of fruits and vegetables.  This flavoniod has been shown in studies to possess anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, as well as benefits such as boosting the immune system and protecting against age-related memory loss!

  

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!