Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Mashed “Potatoes”

It’s just three days till the biggest face-stuffing celebration of the year. A delicious day for people who know how to pace themselves and enjoy small portions of rich dishes, a terrifying day for Overeaters Anonymous over here. 

 Yeah, secret’s out. I like to eat startling amounts of food. 

 Example #1: The average size of Froyo I consume: 

 If you have a similar problem controlling your portion sizes, I have a simple solution for you so you can eat all you want on turkey day, and not worry about your waist line. 

 Today through Wednesday, I’ll be posting a series of savory side dishes with a fraction of the calories in your favorite T-Day staples. These recipes are all so low-cal that you can eat all you want and still fit in your skinnies for the weekend. And, they taste so close to the real stuff that you won’t have to sacrifice your beloved seasonal flavors. 

 Up first, an alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. What I love about this recipe is it only takes three ingredients and is so easy to make. It also tastes amazing. Regular mashed potatoes will cost you around 200 calories per cup. These babies are about 40 calories for a whole cup. 

They are made from cauliflower which gives them the creamy consistency and white appearance of potatoes without all the starch. Cauliflower also packs a ton of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and fiber, which will help keep you fuller longer. 

Not Your Mama’s Mashed Potatoes 

 Ingredients: 

 1 Head of Cauliflower 

1/2 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk 

1/2 Tbs. Garlic Powder 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

 Directions: 

1. Cut the leaves and stems off the cauliflower and chop into chunks. 

2. Rinse the cauliflower and steam it in a covered pot over medium high heat with about two inches of water for approximately 10 to 15 minutes (you want it a bit overcooked and mushy, but not browned, so continually check that the water hasn’t all evaporated). 

3. Let the cauliflower cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a blender. 

4. Puree the cauliflower with the milk and garlic. Add a dash of salt and pepper. 

5. Transfer back into the pot to reheat (and fool anyone who is peeking in the kitchen that they’re real mashed potatoes). 

6. Enjoy! 

Makes about two servings at 40 calories each.

 Don’t be afraid to try these. Every time I’ve made them for an unsuspecting dinner guest, they had no idea they weren’t actually mashed potatoes. Stay tuned tomorrow and Wednesday for fabulous alternatives to Stuffing, Candied Yams, and Cranberry Sauce. 

 And follow me on Twitter @WhitneyLEnglish