If you’re diabetic or following a low carb diet or eating plan, the thing you probably miss most on your dinner plate is a pile of mashed potatoes. The high glycemic index of potatoes makes them untenable on almost any low carb plan, but fortunately, there are substitutes.
1. Cauliflower. The simplest, and most commonly used low carb potato substitute is the cauliflower. This underutilized vegetable has the right color to pass for potatoes, even if it lacks the starchy mouth feel. But as a low carb potato substitute, cauliflower is also easy to get, easy to cook, and easy to disguise. Be creative in finding new ways to eat cauliflower, and you may find that you like it more than you used to. Put it in your food processor with butter, salt and pepper, and you have a simple mashed potato alternative. Add some cheddar cheese, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, and chives or bacon bits for a richer flavor. While the approximate taste of a twice-baked potato or even potato salad can be achieved using cauliflower, some never get past the texture, and turn to other root vegetables in their quest for a low carb potato substitute. Below, you’ll find a list of those.
2. Turnips. Turnips are a low carb root vegetable that can take on the texture of a potato, particularly in soups, stews, or when deep fried. The flesh of a turnip is even white, like a potato, and can be made to crisp up when cooked properly. The catch? Some people are especially sensitive to what they experience as a sharp mustard-like undertone to the turnip that does not please their taste buds.
3. Rutabagas. Like the turnip, the rutabaga is another low carb root vegetable that can be used as a low carb potato substitute. The rutabaga looks like a larger turnip, but the flesh is yellow. Of all the lower carb root vegetable potato substitutes, rutabagas have the best texture, complete with the starchy mouth-feel of a potato. The taste is distinctive, but seems to be experienced differently by people. One might describe it as a spicy potato. Another might describe it as a cross between a carrot and a potato. Still others detect a slight undercurrent of cabbage. One thing that most potato lovers agree upon, however, is that the main drawback to a rutabaga is the long cook time. When using a rutabaga in a scalloped potato recipe (which, by the way, is an extremely tasty way to enjoy them), one should expect to bake the rutabagas for double or even triple the time that one would cook a potato. One way to put a rutabaga to work for you without worrying about the long cooking time, is to throw it in a crock pot under a roast. It’ll come out with a milder flavor, and make an excellent low carb potato substitute.
4. Celeriac. For those who find the rutabaga’s taste a little too distinctive, celeriac, also known as celery root, might be the way to go. Celeriac also has a long cook time, but it’s flavor is more subtle than the rutabaga. It can definitely take on a starchy mouth-feel, though you’ll need a good food processor to mash it properly. And the best description of the taste of celeriac is that it’s a cross between a potato and celery.
5. Dixie Diners Mashers. Necessity is the mother of invention, and for those who are tired of mashed cauliflower and can’t abide substituting any other root vegetable, Dixie Diners has created “mashers” which are a low carb substitute for instant mashed potatoes. Acceptable as a potato substitute on their own, they are even better when mixed with one of the aforementioned vegetables. They lend a full-bodied potato flavor and texture enhancement to any vegetable puree, and can help turn your mashed cauliflower into latkes. Mashers are a great low carb potato substitute, and should be in the pantry of any low carb dieter.
So there you have it. You may have to give up potatoes, but it doesn’t have to end your mealtime enjoyment. Try a few of these low carb potato substitutes and choose a favorite. Your waistline will thank you.
