We all love mashed potatoes, but most of us don't love the often unhealthy way they're made. (So. Much. Butter.) To get all the comfort and flavor of mashed potatoes without the fat, registered dietitian Megan Roosevelt suggests swapping that main ingredient with a much more nutritious option: cauliflower. It's low in calories and carbs while being high in fiber, she says, and, yes, it still tastes like the real thing.
Whipped Cauliflower
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Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
10 c. water
1 Tbsp. organic unrefined coconut oil
1/4 c. canned coconut milk
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Fresh herbs (like parsley or dill) for garnish, optional
Directions
Pour the water into a large pot and boil over high heat.
Chop the cauliflower into even-sized pieces and transfer to a vegetable steamer over the pot of boiling water. Let the cauliflower steam for about 10 minutes.
Place the steamed cauliflower into a blender. Add coconut milk, coconut oil, sea salt and pepper. Blend on low speed. (If you blend on high speed, the consistency will be more like a smoothie than mashed potatoes.)
To serve, sprinkle with fresh herbs like parsley or dill.
Pairs well with: Pan-roasted paprika chicken with carrots and fresh thyme
Also on HuffPost:
Black Bean Noodles
Adam Voorhes
Made from nutrient-rich beans, this boxed spaghetti alternative, which can be found in grocery stores and online, boasts some pretty remarkable stats: One serving delivers 12 grams of fiber (nearly twice as much as a cup of 100 percent whole wheat pasta), a whopping 25 grams of protein (almost as much as a three-ounce serving of chicken breast), and 36 percent of your daily iron needs. Try it in classic Italian dishes or Asian-inspired cold salads.
Zucchini Pasta
Adam Voorhes
Using a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler, you can transform fresh, whole zucchini into thin, pastalike noodles or ribbons. A generous three-cup portion sets you back only 58 calories and supplies nearly 20 percent of your daily adequate intake for potassium (more than four times its starchier counterpart), a mineral that helps control blood pressure. To take the raw edge off, briefly heat the zucchini pasta in your sauce of choice (pesto pairs with it nicely).
Eggplant Lasagna
Adam Voorhes
Whip up a lighter version of a family-dinner staple by using eggplant slices in place of flat white noodles. Eggplant is a good source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol. Cut two unpeeled eggplants into thin sheets, mist with oil spray, and roast in a 400-degree oven for about ten minutes per side -- then they're ready for your favorite lasagna recipe.
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Spaghetti Squash
Adam Voorhes
True to its name, baked spaghetti squash easily forks apart into long, thin strands that offer plenty of nutritional bang for the bite. Three cups contain only 126 calories -- the same amount of spaghetti packs 663. That three-cup serving also includes about 22 percent of your recommended daily dietary allowance of vitamin C. A medium squash, cut in half lengthwise, will roast in 30 minutes to an hour in a 375-degree oven (avoid overcooking, or your al dente "noodles" will turn to mush). Spaghetti squash holds up well to heartier rags, like ground-turkey marinara or olivey puttanesca.
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