By Karen Wright

One marketing strategy used often to get people to purchase food is specific colored labels.  Foods with blue labels or food served on blue plates are chosen more often than foods with other colored labels or on different colored plates. But when we pick fruits and vegetables, the blue foods are the least consumed. Purple foods are included in the blue category.

A partial list of blue/purple foods includes blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, black currants, elderberries, plums, eggplant, blue corn, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple onions, purple potatoes, purple peppers and certain dried fruits like raisins and prunes.

The two main phytonutrients found in this food group anthocyanins and phenolics are powerful antioxidants and may be instrumental in reducing the risk of illness associated with aging like memory loss, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and diabetes.  Anthocyanins help with urinary tract and kidney health and may be helpful for preventing certain types of cancer. Try incorporating one blue/purple food into your daily diet daily.

Blue/Purple Cabbage Slaw

(serves 6)

½ of a shredded purple cabbage

2 shredded purple carrots

¼ cup diced purple onion

½ cup blueberries

Dressing

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons stone ground or Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons apple cider or balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine olive oil, mustard, vinegar and lime juice and mix thoroughly

Mix cabbage, carrots, onion and blueberries in bowl.

Toss in the dressing to taste