Who loves sour cream and chives mashed potatoes – what a delicious comfort food! Well, I’ve got great news for those of you that are looking for a healthier version of it that basically just replaces the traditional ingredients with healthier and more nutrient rich options.
Before getting into replacement options, first a little explanation about why I treat regular white potatoes as a treat and only eat them once in a great while as opposed to a staple in my diet (especially if they’ve been peeled, which is what mashed potatoes calls for). Potatoes do have nutritious components, such as B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, and some excellent minerals, but they also have undesirable qualities that make them less healthy than most vegetables, relatively speaking.
1.) Potatoes are as close to a pure, refined starch as you can get without actually refining it, so as soon as we start to digest these spuds, we break them down into sugar. When this happens, we have a refined simple carb, which is responsible for increasing abdominal fat, promoting weight gain, and setting the stage for type 2 diabetes. Because of all this, eating potatoes can cause your insulin to spike, which spells disaster for someone suffering from diabetes or for someone trying to manage their weight.
2.) Most of the nutrients in a potato are found in the skin, so if you are making mashed potatoes, or a recipe that calls for removing the skin, you are basically just eating straight sugar.
3.) Potatoes are also slightly toxic. Potato skins contain saponins, a toxin which can cause digestive problems if you eat it in high quantities. Cooking potatoes gets rid of most of the saponins, but in general, if you have leaky-gut problems or digestive issues, you should try to avoid eating potatoes.
4.) Potatoes are strongly inflammatory. A 1/2 cup serving of mashed potatoes has an inflammation factor of -69 (If you are unfamiliar with inflammation ratings, a rating of -69 is NOT good). Potatoes are also a nightshade vegetable which can cause issues with individuals who have arthritis or other inflammatory conditions.
Before going on, I definitely need to mention that I am not talking about sweet potatoes here. Sweet potatoes have all the nutrients of a regular potato, but they have a much better carbohydrate profile and are much better for you! Sweet potatoes are also actually pretty strongly anti-inflammatory, making these a much better choice to include in your diet.
So, as you can see, potatoes aren’t necessarily the worst thing in the world, but in general, I opt for much healthier alternatives. Enter rutabagas!!!
Yes, I love these guys! They are FULL of nutritional and healthful properties, and SO yummy! Some of those benefits are as follows:
- Antioxidant properties
- Excellent source of Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and Vitamin E
- Good source of folate, phosphorus, and selenium
- Can help prevent premature aging
- Promotes bowel health
- Strongly Antifungal
- Great for the immune system
These guys are full of all of these benefits, and they make a wonderful substitute to potatoes, as they taste and cook similarly. My recipe is for mashed rutabagas with plain greek yogurt and chives tastes a lot like a sour cream and chive baked potato or mashed potatoes, due to the ingredients I chose to use, but you can add anything you would like to the recipe to make it your own. Add your favorite cheese, herbs, topping, etc. to make an extremely healthy and delicious side dish! You won’t be disappointed!
Alright, so here’s the recipe! It’s super easy, and SO good for you!
MASHED RUTABAGA WITH PLAIN YOGURT AND CHIVES
Ingredients: makes 2 large servings
- 1 large rutabaga
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1-2 Tbsp. chives
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1.) Clean, peel, and chop the rutabaga into small chunks. Place in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 30-40 minutes until the rutabaga is tender.
2.) When the rutabaga is tender, drain and then return the rutabaga to the pan, and use a masher to mash the rutabaga.
3.) Once mashed to desired consistency, stir in the olive oil, yogurt and chives. Mix well, then serve.
You gotta give these a try! They are delicious, and a great healthy alternative to mashed potatoes! Enjoy! 🙂
Loving and Laughing 