Dietary experts have long advised eating an array of colored vegetables, as each carries different nutrients.

Many yellow and orange crops, for instance, are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene; while most greens contain iron, calcium and folic acid; and reds provide lycopene and other nutrients.

Filling your plate with a rainbow of foods covers your bases and ensures a balanced diet. But one color that hasn’t gotten much attention until now is purple.

Purple vegetables contain pigments called anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in red wine.

Antioxidants have been shown to protect human cells from oxidation, which can result in disease.

But with few exceptions, purple isn’t a color typically seen in the produce department, so how is one supposed to eat more of it?

Luckily for us, 2017 seems to be shaping up to be the Year of the Purple Garden. Many of the season’s seed catalogs offer everything from purple cauliflower to purple sweet potatoes. And the best news is these aren’t lab-created Frankenfoods — they’re heirlooms and hybrids from all over the world.

Here are some of my favorites. Plant them and enjoy a new color in your garden — and on your table.

[naviga:h3]Molokai purple sweet potato[/naviga:h3]

Commonly found in Hawaii and similar to the Filipino purple yam, Molokai is “much higher in antioxidants than orange-fleshed” sweet potatoes. Flesh is sweet and creamy with overtones of chestnuts. Plant in a sunny spot in loose, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. $9 for three 6- to 12-inch plants at rareseeds.com

[naviga:h3]Depurple hybrid cauliflower[/naviga:h3]

Cauliflower, the darling of low-carb and gluten-free dieters, is now stepping in for rice, mashed potatoes and even pizza crust. Depurple has a “buttery-sweet, nuttily nuanced lavender-blue florets.” Start indoors, then plant it in full sun in spring (or late summer for a fall harvest). $5.95 for a packet of 30 seeds at burpee.com

[naviga:h3]Indigo rose tomato[/naviga:h3]

Sun-exposed fruit parts turn blueish plum, while shaded portions mature to dark red, which accounts for the two-color nomenclature. Sow seeds indoors or set starter plants outdoors after the danger of frost has passed in a spot that provides at least six to eight hours of direct sun daily. $3.65 for a packet of 20 seeds (other sizes available) at territorialseed.com

[naviga:h3]Red Fire broccoli[/naviga:h3]

These mini broccoli plants produce eye-catching, 6- to 8-inch bright purple florets. Plant in well-draining, fertile soil. $7.15 for 250 seeds at johnnyseeds.com

[naviga:h3]Purple dragon carrot[/naviga:h3]

Fun fact: Orange carrots were created by Dutch growers in the 17th century. Before that, all carrots were either purple, white or yellow. Plant purple dragon seeds directly into the garden in deep, well-cultivated soil after the danger of frost has passed. $5.95 for a packet of 1,000 seeds at burpee.com

[naviga:h3]Purple beauty pepper[/naviga:h3]

These heat-tolerant, compact, bushy plants produce an abundance of deeply colored, mildly flavored bell peppers. Plant them in full sun. $2.50 for a packet of 25 seeds at rareseeds.com