When shopping for food, I think at some point we all fall into the trap of sticking to the same routine and buying the same old products week after week, month after month. There’s nothing inherently wrong with repetition, but by branching out from your regular routine, you have the opportunity to explore new foods. I've recently found an interest in a particular group of really nutritious plant-based ingredients known as purple superfoods.
The color purple in the world of food indicates an ingredient that is almost unsurpassable in terms of health. Virtually creating its own subcategory of fruits and vegetables, those that boast a purple-bluish hue possess many vitamins and antioxidants (chemicals that protect against cancer causing free radicals). Such foods include red onions, blueberries and beets, and each possesses numerous incredible health benefits.
While many food experts hold differing views over what makes for the most effective intake of food, you’d be hard pressed to find an expert who disagreed with the health benefits of purple superfoods. Universally considered as among the best things for you, virtually everything you need to function can be had within this category of food. Just a cup of blueberries once a week not only provides fiber and calcium, but aids with memory retention, lowers blood pressure and can bolster your metabolism.
Red cabbage and red onions are also considered among the healthiest of foods for their incredible ability to protect against various forms of cancer and heart disease. Healthy in all forms but particularly when consumed raw or minimally cooked, the chemicals within are among the most valuable minerals and nutrients to be had from your supermarket shelves. Eggplants are another if you can get past its slightly odd texture, as the antioxidant within known as ‘Nasunin’ not only removes excess fatty acids, but provides crucial iron and various other vitamins.
As nutritious and delicious as they might be, too much of even the healthiest of foods can be a bad thing. For instance, if somehow you overdosed on cabbage, you run the risk of suffering from goiters, where the thyroid gland becomes overly enlarged due to a lack of iodine which the cabbage has absorbed. Blueberries as small and easy to eat en-masse as they may be are nonetheless fairly sweet, and their healthy sugars can cause issues, but only if consumed in uncommonly huge quantities.
Overall though, purple superfoods have virtually no downside if not overdone and are among the best foods you can eat if you’re looking to live a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, if you’re getting tired of the same old fruit and veg, why not change it up? On average in the USA, 25-40% of our food will end up going to waste, weighing in at 70 billion pounds despite approximately 42 million people across the nation suffering from food insecurity.
The Chopping Block is joining forces with Native Tongue Magazine and Green City Market to present a Food Expo called Bridging the Gap, an event to unite Chicagoans through food on Sunday, March 12 at 2pm at our Merchandise Mart location. We'll dive into the “grocery store to home cooking” cycle in-depth in order to raise money to bring food education to Chicago's underserved communities.
