Purple Power: 7 Benefits of Purple Potatoes

Purple potatoes are the eye-catching gems of the potato aisle. Like other members of the potato family (Solanum tuberosum), they come from a tuber plant native to the Andes mountain region in South America.

They have a blue-purple to almost black outer skin and an inner flesh that’s brilliant purple, even after cooking. Some common varieties include Purple Peruvian, Purple Majesty, All Blue, Congo, Adirondack Blue, Purple Fiesta, and Vitelotte.

They have a denser texture and slightly nuttier, earthier flavor than white potatoes. Purple potatoes are a tasty way to add a pop of color to your plate while enjoying a serving of health benefits.

Here are 7 surprising benefits of purple potatoes.

1. Highly nutritious

Potatoes often get a bad rap because of their high starch content, but they contain many other important nutrients and can be a very healthy addition to your diet (1).

Purple potatoes have a nutrient content similar to that of other varieties of potatoes in the Solanum tuberosum family, though their mineral content can vary depending on the soil in which they were grown (1, 2, 3).

There is a misconception that all of the nutrients in potatoes are found in their skin. In fact, more than half of their nutrients are found in their flesh (3).

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked potato with the skin provides (4):

• Calories: 87
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 20 grams
• Fiber: 3.3 grams
• Fat: less than 1 gram
• Manganese: 6% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Copper: 21% of the DV
• Iron: 2% of the DV
• Potassium: 8% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 18% of the DV
• Vitamin C:14% of the DV
• Interestingly, potatoes have more potassium than bananas. In addition, a serving of potatoes provides 3 grams of fiber, from both the flesh and skin, and they’re naturally low in sodium (3, 4).

2. 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 (5).

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.

These compounds may decrease the absorption of starches in the intestines, therefore minimizing purple potato’s impact on blood sugar levels (5).

An animal study observed similar results, finding that feeding purple potato extract to rats resulted in better glucose tolerance and improved short and long-term blood sugar levels (6).

3. Packed with antioxidants

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

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. To reap the benefit of their resistant starch, use purple potatoes to make potato salad.

Leave the skins on, cut them into chunks, and boil them until they’re tender. Then drain and toss them with thinly sliced onions, a handful of fresh minced herbs, and some Dijon-vinaigrette dressing. Chill them in the refrigerator and serve them cold.

The bottom line

Purple potatoes are a healthy and colorful member of the potato family that’s worth getting to know. You can prepare them similarly to how you would prepare white or yellow flesh potatoes, but if you swap them in, you’ll enjoy quite a few health benefits.

Compared with regular potatoes, they have a lower glycemic index and may be better for your blood sugar.

Many of their health benefits, including those related to blood pressure and cancer protection, stem from their content of anthocyanins — important antioxidants that are abundant in these colorful potatoes.

Next time you head to the supermarket, see if you can find this unique potato variety and give it a go.