Purple Potatoes: Health Benefits & Nutrition Facts. I love purple potatoes. So does my daughter. I remember the first time I made them for her when she was still little–she was delighted! Young children have some of the best reactions to some of the more odd vegetables, though I know a lot of adults that react the same way.

If you’ve never seen purple potatoes, then all I have to say is that they are what they seem: purple through and through – the skin, and even the flesh of the potato is a striking bright violet color. They make for a very boldly colored side dish.

I’ve mentioned our weekly produce box about a thousand times before because that really is where most of the inspiration for what we eat daily comes from and a lot of what we really eat gets shared here. This week’s box contained beautiful organic purple potatoes so I came up with this super simple tasty side, Garlic and Rosemary Purple Potatoes.

So,  when I got to thinking about what to do with these purple beauties I decided I wanted to do something that would preserve that lovely color. I’ve mashed them before and they become much lighter in color while boiling. I’ve also roasted them and they get brown around the edges and the color just isn’t as vivid. So, for this bunch I decided to smash them.

Baked Purple Sweet Potatoe

Baked purple sweet potatoes make a great side dish or meal- Learn how to bake perfectly fluffy sweet potatoes with this foolproof recipe! Baked purple sweet potatoes are the perfect, healthy side dish any time of the year. 

Just like classic sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes are super versatile but baking them whole in the oven is the simplest way to prepare them. This is by far my favorite recipe for purple sweet potato. It’s effortlessly easy, healthy and it makes a great side dish or a meal on its own.

They are delicious served with just butter (or vegan butter), salt & pepper, and a sprinkle of chives on top, but they’re the perfect base for all types of toppings. There are tons of other exciting ways to fill a baked potato, so I’ll leave more toppings ideas below!

MOST COMMON PURPLE SWEET POTATOES

Purple Potatoes: Health Benefits & Nutrition Facts. Purple sweet potatoes have become very popular in the last few years, and they’re easy to find in most grocery stores.

The most common varieties available on the market include:

• Stokes Purple : Originally from Stokes County, North Carolina, they’re now grown in California. They have a deep purple flesh and skin, a mildly sweet flavour and starchy texture.
• Okinawan: Okinawan sweet potatoes are also known as Hawaiian sweet potatoes or Japanese purple sweet potatoes, and they’re very popular in Japan and Hawaii. They have beige skin and purple flesh, a mildly sweet flavour and a very starchy texture.

5 Benefits of Purple Potatoes

1. Better for blood sugar 

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the extent to which a food raises your blood sugar. It ranges from 0 to 100, and a GI greater than 70 is considered high.

A comparison study in humans found that purple potatoes have a GI of 77, yellow potatoes have a GI of 81, and white potatoes have a GI of 93.

While all potato varieties impact blood sugar levels because of their carbohydrate content, purple potatoes may exert less of an effect than other types due to their high concentration of polyphenol plant compounds.

2. Packed with antioxidants

Like other colorful fruits and vegetables, purple potatoes’ bright color is a telltale sign that they’re high in antioxidants. In fact, they have two to three times more antioxidant activity than white or yellow potatoes.

Antioxidants are plant compounds that can protect your cells from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

In addition to their high anthocyanin content, purple potatoes pack other antioxidants common to all types of potatoes, including

• vitamin C
• carotenoid compounds
• selenium
• tyrosine
• polyphenolic compounds like caffeic acid, scopolin, chlorogenic acid, and ferulic acid

3. May improve your blood pressure

Eating purple potatoes may promote blood vessel and blood pressure health. This may partly be due to their higher potassium content, as this nutrient helps reduce blood pressure, but their antioxidant content likely plays a role, too.

A small 4-week study in people with high blood pressure found that eating six to eight purple potatoes twice daily reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (the top and bottom numbers of a reading) by 3.5% and 4.3%, respectively.

In addition, some studies suggest that compared with eating white potatoes, eating purple potatoes may reduce arterial stiffness. Having stiff arteries increases your risk of heart attack or stroke, as your vessels can’t dilate as easily in response to changes in blood pressure

4. Can help fill your fiber gap

Most people don’t meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation to consume 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories, but adding a few servings of purple potatoes to your diet each week can help fill the gap.

Dietary fiber helps keep you feeling full, prevents constipation, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

The fiber content of potatoes varies slightly depending on the cooking method, but mostly depending on whether you eat the skin.

For example, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) potato with the skin cooked in the microwave contains 3.3 grams of fiber, while a potato of the same size boiled without the skin has 1.8 grams.

5. Brighten up your plate

You can use purple potatoes similarly to how you’d use white, yellow, or red varieties.

Substituting them for a lighter flesh potato is a great way to add more color and interest to your meals — after all, you really do eat with your eyes.

Use them to make mashed or baked potatoes and add your favorite toppings for a side dish that everyone will want to try.

If you like them crispy like fries, slice them into wedges, toss them with olive oil, minced garlic, and rosemary, and roast them at 400°F (204°C) for about 20 minutes or until they’re tender.

HOW TO BAKE PURPLE SWEET POTATOES

Check out these easy step-by-step instructions below to make the perfect baked purple sweet potato.

Scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.

STEP 1 – Wash and clean them.

Wash and scrub the skins lightly to get rid of any dirt and soil, then pat them dry on a clean kitchen towel.

STEP 2 – Poke holes all around.

Grab a fork and prick the potatoes. The holes help reduce the baking time and allow the steam to escape.

STEP 3 – Rub with oil.

For mess-free baking, I recommend lining up your baking tray with some foil. Then, rub each potato lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, to help crisp up the skin during the baking process.

STEP 4 – Bake until done.

Bake for a minimum of 40 minutes, or until they’re soft inside when pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven, let them cool, season with salt and pepper, and add your favorite toppings.

Mashed Purple Potatoes Recipe

Mashed purple potatoes are a gorgeous addition to your table! This vegetarian recipe is easy to make, using just a handful of ingredients you probably have on hand. You’ll learn where to buy purple potatoes, how long to boil them, and tips about purple potato nutrition.

I guess I’m really into the color purple right now, hence my post on Purple Carrot Hummus right before this new recipe. With so much gray weather during the Minnesota winter, it can’t hurt to brighten up your plate every once in a while!

I picked up a bag of purple potatoes a few weeks ago so that I could use them for a recipe, but I didn’t realize how much fun I would have photographing the finished product. Isn’t the color of mashed purple potatoes just gorgeous?!

In addition to the vibrant hue, this recipe is SUPER simple to make. The technique is really not any different than other mashed potato recipes.

How Long to Boil Mashed Purple Potatoes

As I mentioned, this recipe is not at all complicated and is prepared in the same way as other types of mashed potatoes. So, of course, you need to boil your purple potatoes first! Boil them for 15 to 17 minutes until fork-tender.

Expert Tips

• Whether or not you peel purple potatoes before boiling is up to you. Some people prefer to have pieces of skin for added texture and fiber in the finished recipe, while others do not. Just make sure you scrub off or wash away any dirt from the skin if you choose not to peel them.
• The potatoes will lose some of their color in the water while boiling, but this is totally normal. Mashed purple potatoes are still gorgeous even with the slight color loss!
• Since purple potatoes are earthier than most other varieties, you may find that you’ll need a little extra salt, butter, or herbs to get to your desired flavor. For additional flavor, add up to ½ cup sour cream and/or fresh herbs, like chives or parsley.
• This recipe tastes delicious as a side for a piece of fish or meat or as the base of a stew or gravy. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or a slab of butter as needed, for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.