8 Reasons Why Ube Is Becoming So Popular in a Healthy Diet

Quick Summary

• Ube is a purple tuber, and it is also rich in fiber, potassium, and natural anthocyanins.
• I’ll show you why it can be a great companion in a healthy diet and also how it can support weight loss.
• You’ll also get a nutrient table, eight reasons, and plenty of ideas for everyday life.
• What you need to watch out for, because a sweet treat is still a sweet treat, even if it’s purple.

So why is ube showing up on more and more healthy menus, recipe blogs, and grocery lists? Surely you’ve also seen this unique purple color at your favorite coffee shop counter or on Pinterest. Perhaps until now you thought it was just a passing trend; however, there’s much more to it. In this article, we’ll therefore go through step by step what this purple tuber can do and how to add it to your diet so it also supports your goal.

What Is Ube, and Why Is Everyone Talking About It Now?

Ube is a tuber with purple flesh, scientifically known as Dioscorea alata, which belongs to the yam family and is also an icon of Filipino cuisine. Many people confuse it with purple sweet potato, although they are actually two different plants. The flavor of purple yam is mild, slightly nutty, with a hint of vanilla, so we use it in sweet dishes.

Its real breakthrough came from social media, since the deep purple color stopped everyone while scrolling. Moreover, the trend doesn’t stop at the looks. People started looking for it because the beautiful color also came with plenty of nutrients.

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1. Ube Is Rich in Fiber, So You Can Feel Full Longer

First of all, 100 grams of purple yam contains about 4 grams of dietary fiber. Fiber slows down digestion, so you can feel full for longer. This especially comes in handy when you want to lose weight and don’t want to snack all the time. In addition, fiber is also a friend of your gut flora. Your gut function then affects how you feel overall.

Generally, there are two main groups of fiber. Soluble fiber turns into a gel in the gut, so it slows down the absorption of carbohydrates. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, helps bowel movement, thus supporting regular digestion. This tuber also contains both types.

In fact, an adult should get about 25–30 grams of fiber per day. However, most people get much less than that. Also, if you cool cooked ube, part of the starch turns into what we call resistant starch. This behaves similarly to fiber and also feeds the beneficial gut bacteria. Therefore, a cooked and chilled purple yam salad prepared in advance or overnight oats can be an especially good choice. Source

2. Ube Contains Natural Anthocyanins

Indeed, the purple color is no coincidence. The tuber owes its color to anthocyanins, in other words, the same antioxidant pigment family that is also found in berries. Research also links foods rich in anthocyanins to healthy blood vessels.

Of course, purple yam is not a miracle cure, and no single food solves everything. However, it can be a valuable player in a colorful, varied diet. So the more colors you put on your plate, the more types of plant compounds your body gets. Source

3. Ube Has a Moderate Calorie Value and Also Provides Plenty of Nutrients

Below, I’ve also collected in a table what you get from 100 grams of purple yam. (However, the data is for reference only.)

Nutrient (100 g ube)	Value
Energy	about 118 kcal
Dietary fiber	about 4.1 g
Potassium	about 816 mg
Vitamin C	about 12 mg
Glycemic index	varies by source, listed between 24 and 79

So what do these numbers mean in practice? 118 kcal per hundred grams is slightly more than potatoes, while it’s roughly on par with cooked rice. So this tuber is not a miracle diet food, but it’s not a calorie bomb either. Above all, it’s worth thinking of it as a side dish or as the base of a dessert.

A bowl of cooked purple yam easily fits into a balanced day when your other meals are also well planned. The trap, however, lies in what you add to it: sugar, butter, and cream can quickly increase the calories.

The real strength of purple yam is, in fact, its nutrient density. Besides calories, you also get fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. In contrast, a white flour pastry gives your body far fewer useful nutrients for the same amount of energy.

Also pay attention to the form you buy it in. The fresh, frozen, and dried powder versions also carry the nutrients of the tuber. Ube flavoring, however, only adds taste and color, and practically no nutrients. Source

4. Ube Can Be Your Blood Sugar’s Friend When You Eat It Wisely

The glycemic index basically shows how quickly a food raises your blood sugar. So what does this mean in practice? This purple plant is a starchy root vegetable, therefore it’s worth watching your portion size. When you eat it together with protein and a little healthy fat, it can give you much steadier energy. If you have diabetes or take medication, however, consult your doctor or dietitian. Source

In practice, then, the plate method can help you the most. A quarter of your plate should be starch, for example purple yam, another quarter protein, and the other half vegetables.

Here are, for instance, a few tried and true pairings:

• roasted purple yam with chicken breast and also steamed broccoli,
• purple yam purée with a fried egg as well as spinach,
• ube oatmeal with Greek yogurt and then a handful of walnuts.

Timing also matters. After a workout or in the middle of an active day, your body uses carbohydrates better than late at night on the couch.

5. Ube Also Provides Potassium and Vitamin C

Potassium plays an important role in fluid balance as well as muscle function. Vitamin C, in addition, contributes to the health of your immune system and skin.

If you work out regularly or you’re very active, potassium can be especially useful. In that case, a purple yam smoothie is an easy solution after a workout.

A hundred grams provides about 816 mg of potassium, which is more than twice as much as a banana. Since an adult’s recommended daily intake is roughly 3,500 mg, one serving of this tuber can cover nearly a quarter of it.

Why does this matter, then? Potassium also works as a counterbalance to sodium. When you eat a lot of salty, processed foods, getting enough potassium can help keep your blood pressure balanced. In addition, it also plays a role in preventing muscle cramps.

However, there’s one important thing to know about vitamin C. This vitamin is sensitive to heat and dissolves in water, so you lose part of it during cooking. If you want to keep as much of it as possible, steam the ube or boil it in its skin, and only peel it afterward.

6. Ube Is Naturally Sweet, So You Need Less Sugar

One of its biggest benefits is that it’s also pleasantly sweet on its own. So in many recipes you can reduce added sugar without losing flavor. When you want to lose weight, this can be a real help, because added sugar easily hides in baked goods.

Ube jam is, for example, the best proof of this. When you make it at home, you decide how much sweetener goes into it. Store versions, however, often contain much more sugar than you’d think.

How can you take advantage of this in practice, then? The simplest way, for example, is to replace part of the recipe’s sugar with ube purée. For muffins, pancake batter, or banana bread, you can confidently leave out a third of the sugar when you add a few tablespoons of purple purée. Moreover, the purée makes the batter moister, so you’ll need less butter.

It’s also perfect in your morning oatmeal. When you stir in a little cooked ube, a drop of honey will be enough. Similarly, when you combine it with ripe banana or dates, you can even skip the added sweetener entirely.

When shopping, however, read the label carefully. Many products that say “ube flavored” actually contain hardly any purple yam, since food coloring provides the color and flavoring provides the taste. If sugar or glucose syrup is first on the ingredient list, then it’s more of a sweet treat than a healthy choice.

7. Ube Drinks and Ube Latte Fit Easily Into Your Day

In the world of healthy drinks, ube has also become one of the biggest stars. The ube latte is creamy and beautifully colored, so for many people it’s a new ritual instead of the afternoon coffee. This purple drink usually contains milk or plant milk, therefore it’s worth checking how much sugar they put in it.

You can also combine the purple tuber with your favorite drinks in many ways:

• Ube Matcha is a striking duo because the earthy flavor of Matcha and the gentle sweetness of purple yam complement each other. The ube Matcha latte looks especially good when you serve it layered.
• Ube tea is a more relaxed option without caffeine when you want something tasty in the evening.
• Ube latte has a milk base, so it’s worth trying it with plant milk and a little sweetener.
• An ube drink served cold with ice is also a great summer refresher with little sugar.

Keep in mind, however, that the versions at coffee shops often contain sugary syrup. If possible, ask for less sweetener, or instead make your own version at home. Source

8. You Don’t Have to Give Up the Ube Dessert Experience on a Healthy Diet

Many people give up on losing weight because they feel they have to give up every treat. However, the secret to lasting change is not restriction but smart balance. A purple yam dessert can be a great help here, since its natural sweetness also works well with less sugar.

Healthy ube dessert recipes also follow similar principles:

• Partly replace refined flour with oat flour or almond flour, so you add more fiber to your baked goods.
• Reduce the amount of sugar, because the tuber is sweet on its own.
• Use plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or ripe banana instead of part of the cream.

How to Add Ube to Your Diet Step by Step

If you haven’t tried it before, don’t try every recipe at once. Instead, start small and notice how it makes you feel. These steps can then help you:

• First, buy a small pack of quality ube powder or frozen purple yam purée, and read the ingredient list.
• Secondly, try a simple ube recipe, for example a breakfast oatmeal or a smoothie.
• Thirdly, watch your portion size, because it’s a tuber, so you shouldn’t eat endless amounts.
• Fourthly, combine it with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats so your meals stay balanced.
• Finally, exercise regularly, because a nourishing diet and exercise support weight loss together.

A good ube recipe isn’t complicated, though. In fact, three or four simple ingredients are enough. It’s also fine if your first attempt isn’t perfect, because you’ll get better and better with practice.

When shopping, keep in mind that the quality of purple yam products can vary greatly. Some powders or flavorings from the store actually contain little real tuber but a lot of coloring or sugar. Therefore, always read the ingredient list and choose the one where purple yam is among the first ingredients. Source

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Frequently Asked Questions About Ube

Summary

Now you can finally see why ube has become one of the favorites of a healthy diet. It’s rich in fiber, has a moderate calorie value, is naturally sweet, and moreover, its color also brings joy. This purple plant isn’t a miracle cure, but it can be a great companion in a balanced lifestyle.

So start today with one simple step. For example, stir a spoonful of ube purée into your morning oatmeal, or make a small purple smoothie. Then notice how you feel, and afterward move on to the next idea. After all, big changes are made of small steps, and you’ve already started!