Plants contain various pigments that is why each plant has various colors to their parts. People have been using color to estimate the nutritional value of food. Foods with bright colors are believed to be more nutritious than the other food group.
While many assume that colorful foods are healthier than the rest, only 3% of the average American diet includes blue to their diet. Keep on reading to learn more about these blue foods and what are the blue varieties you can eat.
Best Foods that are blue
Here are some of the foods that are blue:
- Blueberries
Blueberries are normally the first to come to our mind when we think of blue food. We can eat it directly or add it to cheesecakes, pies and drinks.
Aside from being a good source of fiber, blueberries are rich with vitamins and minerals.
- Blue Corn
Blue corn is also known as Rio Grande Blue, Yoeme Blue, Hopi maize and Tarahumara Maiz Azul. This blue variety of maize is commonly found in traditional Southwestern dishes including tortillas, tlacoyo and piki bread.
Blue corn can protect you from heart diabetes, disease and even cancer as they are high in antioxidants.
- Blue Tomato
Blue tomatoes are healthier than common red tomatoes. This variety produces the blue color because of its excellent level of anthocyanins.
Unlike the common red tomatoes which are slightly sweet, blue tomatoes are slightly sour. But they can be eaten directly or added to your favorite dishes. You can also add them to your juice.
- Butterfly Peas
This bright blue flower is also known as Asian Pigeonwings. They are commonly used across Southeast Asia to make tea. They are often mixed with dried lemongrass or lemon.
In Thailand and Myanmar, they battered butterfly peas and fried them to make a delightful snack. Meanwhile, the flowers used to make sky-blue nasi kerabu rice dishes in Northeast Malaysia.
Many Asian people drink butterfly pea flower tea to boost mood and relieve stress. This flower has anti-aging properties too.
- Damson Plums
This small fruit is sour and the skin color ranges from indigo to dark blue. Other varieties look black.
This fruit originated from Great Britain and is famously known as Jamblang in South and Southeast Asia.
Damson plums are commonly used for fruit preservation like making jams. It is high in vitamin C and anthocyanins.
- Indigo Milk Cap
This interesting colored fungus is dark blue and changes to pale blue-gray as it ages. It grows naturally in East Asia, Central America, Northeast America and in some parts of Southern France.
When you cut the flesh of this mushroom, indigo-colored milk drips out and turns to green when exposed to air. It has a coarse-grained texture and bitter taste.
This mushroom contains saturated fatty acids including stearic acid.
- Rosemary
The little flowers of the Mediterranean plant are often used in cooking to add a unique aroma to the dishes. They are often blue but you can also find them in white, pink or purple.
Aside from being a handy kitchen herb, rosemary is edible so you can eat it fresh or add it as decorative to your salad.
- Pansy
This flower is derived from the French “pensée” meaning thought. Throughout history, this flower has been used by many people as a symbol of thought. If you give someone pansy it only means you are thinking of that person.
Pansies are edible and taste like lettuce actually. In fact, you can add it to your favorite salad or sandwiches.
- Haskap
Haskap is also known as sweetberry honeysuckle, blue honeysuckle, honeyberry, fly honeysuckle and blue-berried honeysuckle. This type of blueberry commonly grows in cold places like Russia, Canada and Japan.
Haskap is distinct from other berries as it has a rectangular shape. This blue fruit can be used in pastries, jams, yogurt, ice cream and juices. The best thing about this fruit is it has an excellent vitamin C boost.
- Elderberries
Elderberries are also used as colorant and are certified safe as it is FDA-approved. When diluted in water, this blue-purple berry changes its color to red.
Many people use elderberries for medicinal purposes to treat minor diseases like colds and constipation. Elderberries are in iron, vitamin C and vitamin B6.
