Mashed Potato Alternatives
Low-carb or Paleo Mashed Potato Alternatives for the Holidays
It’s that time of year again. The time where wagon-falling becomes commonplace, diets fail, people get fat, and start thinking about how they’ll start back on their program “right after January 1st.”
Of course this never happens with the Primal/Paleo crowd 
We are not on a “diet”! We just have a different menu!
Whether your goals are simply weight-loss or you’re a lifestyle changing paleo convert, mashed potatoes are a tradition on the American plate during the holidays. Teamed with stuffing, biscuits, fresh bread, flour thickened gravies, sweet sauces (cranberry sauce anyone?), and last but not least… the pies, all make for a huge blood sugar spike or “carb coma” that always seems to get blamed on the turkey and tryptophan!
Most Paleo and other low-carb eaters know this is pure hogwash by now, but if you’re a new reader here, this may be news to you. It’s not the turkey folks!
Mashed potato alternatives are probably old hat for most people visiting this site, but I just wanted to throw out a refresher. Eating mashed potato alternatives is not a compromise, it’s a smart and completely delicious thing! I haven’t included significant breakdowns of the micro-nutrients, but rest assured, by not using potatoes this holiday season you are giving you body better food and more nutrients with any of the selections below.
The Contenders
Cauliflower – Zucchini – Kohlrabi – Celery Root - Parsnips
You can also add mushrooms for a delicious twist!
I was going to add a recipe, but mashing vegetables is not rocket science. Basically you cut them up, boil, mash and add pastured butter, virgin olive oil, or some kind of cream to taste. Serve with some sea salt, chives, or sour cream (if you didn’t add it originally). And don’t use that low-fat sour cream garbage! We like flavor!
Here are the nutritional facts for the above potato alternatives
The above Nutritional facts are are based on 100 grams. Most people probably don’t eat only 100 grams. I would say about 300g or the equivalent to one large potato is about what most people with consume during a holiday feast.
As you can see from the labels above, Cauliflower and/or a Cauliflower & Mushroom combo is the carbohydrate winner. Coming in at around only around 6 net carbohydrates to the potatoes 54 net! Cauliflower also packs a 3/1 Omega-3 ratio, where the Potato is 3/1 in the Omega-6’s favor.
In a nutshell, potatoes are inflammatory food that raises insulin levels!
Zucchini comes in a close 2nd at 9 net, Kohlrabi a slightly distant 3rd at 18 net, Celery Root 4th at 21 net, and finally Parsnips a distant 5th at 39 net.
All the choices are primal/paleo and could be mixed to create your own uniquely delicious primal low-carb mashed potato substitute. Happy Holidays!
Have another favorite not mentioned?
Please leave it in a comment for other readers!
I love potatoes as must as the next person, but if I’m honest… they really do taste like wet cardboard without slopping something on them!
At almost 300 calories and 60 carbos, I’d ditch to stupid potatoes in a second to go for something better! Like say a piece of pie?
Planned cheat day? Do the alternatives above and you can almost eat a piece of pie guilt free!
(If you’re one who gets OCE guilt)
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I’m responsible for this years stevia sweetened, nut encrusted pumpkin pie. And coconut flour bread stuffing. Perhaps not ideal, but better than, well, refined sugar, white flour and crystallized corn oil. The Native Americans would’ve brought venison and fish. I hope there’s some dark meat on this turkey!
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“Perhaps not ideal” Sounds pretty good to me.
I’m not a stevia advocate, but it is probably a better option than anything else. I avoid it as much as possible, but am not afraid of consuming it like most of the others.
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I just noticed… with a cauliflower selection, you would also be getting a 225% dose of your daily RDA of Vitamin C. Add some pepper & onions to that mash and you’ll have a whopping dose of REAL FOOD vitamins!
I know you’re already taking a healthy dose of Vitamin D (right?), so a good dose of Vitamin C and low-levels of insulin from your new mashed selection almost assures your immune system will be in tip-top shape around all those relatives with lingering colds and flu! Plus you’ll be doing them a favor too (maybe if they stay light on the pie. Ha-ha)!
Add some fermented foods to the table like non-pasteurized sauerkraut or homemade yogurt with raw milk and you’ll be the most caring family member or friend they have! Give the gift of thriving health this holiday season!
I guess while I’m on the topic of thriving health, maybe consider gifting them with copies of the Primal Blueprint and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I highly recommend both. They’re easy reading. Both authors have a great writing style. If they’re lazy, maybe warm them up to the idea of real food with a copy of Food Inc. on DVD.
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Update: Kohlrabi added. I was going to add Kohlrabi originally because I love the the stuff… but completely forgot! Thank you Richard for the reminder.
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Visually appealing, great photo’s, easy to read. Great article. I am passing it on…
Thanks Lisa
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Lately, we’ve been mashing cauliflower (steamed) with celeric root (boiled) w/ grass-fed butter and coconut milk. Good stuff.
No convincing needed here
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I have never been able to fool anyone that my mashed cauliflower is actually mashed potatoes, but I have convinced a few people to choose the cauli version over the spuds.
Too bad with so many benefits of switching that more people don’t try and fool themselves
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Grok, I grok! Great stuff. Can’t wait to check out more.
-Jay
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To lazy to put the work in yet, but I keep saying I am going to try and make mashed Turnips. If I do, I will let you know how it turns out! Just found your site via Free The Animal, I think I will enjoy nosing around
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Welcome @Steve! Friends of Richard The Animal are friends of mine.
Ah… Turnip mash. That would be a fine choice too. I haven’t had those, so please do!
As soon as I’m done with #SurvivalMonths (or you report back) I’ll try them. If approved… They’ll be added to this list
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Sorry about your house, that sucks.
As for mashed turnips, turned out awesome! I steamed them instead of boiling, figured I would not leech out as many nutrients that way. Got them fork tender, pulled them out, added some grass-feed, glass-bottled, hormone free heavy cream and some of the same said butter (amazing how much different it tastes than regular butter!)pulled out the hand masher, and 3 minutes later, mashed turnips. A little on the watery side, maybe the same consistency as oatmeal or cream-of-wheat. Not sure if it is something I did or I could do something about. Taste not to different than cauliflower, they are in the same family. I will definitely try to sub them for potatoes in the future, although I have never really been a potato fan, even before trying to go paleo/low carb, so I will have to make an effort
36 cal. total, 8 g carbs total, 2 of fiber, and 5 of sugar. Lots of other minerals, and an interesting history of use, not sure why it is not a more popular food.
Give it a try and see what you think!, Also, not bad raw. Good luck with the house.
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@Steve – Thanks!
Man I wish I had some of that cream! I might also steam. I’ve had both Turnips and Rutabagas since I went to the store after #SurvivalMonths, but with all the chaos haven’t had a chance to make them.
Since you just reviewed mashed turnips, maybe I’ll do the Rutabagas first. I think I’ll do them tonight.
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Made the Rutabaga mash tonight. Good stuff!
There is no butter, sour cream or heavy cream in this house, and the non-fat milk was empty. I did find some Philadelphia Chive & Onion cream cheese, so I added some of that.
http://twitpic.com/tzfop
A little more carb dense, and I think I may like the Cauliflower mash better… but this is still a nice alternative to mashed potatoes.
P.S. I steamed my Rutabaga
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Made the Turnip mash tonight. Again… good stuff!
Mom went shopping today, so there’s butter in this house now. She tried to hide the 4-5 more boxes of margarine she bought, because she knows I totally rag on her ass about it. She said he wouldn’t buy it anymore!
I decided to boil the turnips rather than steam. After mashing, just let them sit for a few minutes and then drain off the extra water. I added 2 tbsp of butter and ate. They almost had a raw pumpkin flavor. I really liked it
hhttp://twitpic.com/u4a6c
My pile of Turnip mash rolled in at 150 cal/25 net carbs.
Equivalent Russet potato mash 420 cal/89 net carbs
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Butter? Cream!? Sour cream!!??
I am super new to all this Paleo stuff but plan on doing it next week after a physical confirms that I am about to die (from evil western food) and I thought all dairy was off the diet!
Please clarify…
Cheers
Goose
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@V8Goose depends on whos book you read. For the most part dairy is.
Here’s the kicker: Butter, cream & sour cream are basically pure fat, so the drawbacks of dairy (casein/lactose) are missing for the most part. It’s accepted in the low carb community. Just make sure if you eat them, try to get organic and/or grass-fed if you can. All the garbage sits in the fat of the animals.
If I was in your situation… I would stay off the dairy except for maybe some butter.
Coconut oil rules. Start liking it
If you don’t now… you’ll probably love it in a few months when your tastebuds change.
See my other tips:
http://castlegrok.com/tag/paleo_diet/
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@V8Goose
P.S. Don’t go all crazy on the fat until you drop the inflammatory foods like the breads/white starches and sugars. Prof. Cordains basic guidelines are probably the best for you for quite a while.
It’ll be tough, but you wont be sorry.
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I’m reading The Paleo diet book now to understand how to implement this.
My basic approach at this time is to blacklist basically anything that man has screwed around with.
Learn to like coconut oil huh… hmmm… *sip* bleark! That could take some time…
Great site by the way, I was going to do a similar thing till I found it, no need to reinvent the wheel…
Goose
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@V8Goose, Thanks.
I’ve been slacking quite a bit lately, because I don’t have the extra free time during training. I might start doing more video when the weather gets a bit better and I implement some Xterra type runs. I just need to figure out a camera system that wont be such a distraction during my workout.
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