5 Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Potato Dishes

Potatoes are fairly nutritious if they’re not deep-fried or smothered in butter. But if you’re stuck in a rut, try these healthy options.

Turnips
STUDIO GRAND OUEST/Shutterstock

Instead of roasted potatoes try: Roasted turnips

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim 2 pounds of turnips, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, and salt to taste. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until brown and tender. For added flavor, sprinkle with rosemary. Don’t miss these other healthy food swaps nutritionists love.

Sweet potato fries in cast iron skillet on wooden background
Shutterstock / Alena Haurylik

Instead of French fries try: Baked yam fries

Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub yams and cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 4-inch strips. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray, and arrange yams on the sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, turning once midway through. Check out more healthy swaps to improve your carb intake.

mashed cauliflower
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Instead of mashed potatoes try: Mashed cauliflower

Steam a whole cauliflower (or just some florets) until soft. In a large bowl, combine the steamed vegetable with 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Use a potato masher to mash the cauliflower until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Try this healthy mashed potato recipe if you can’t part with the real deal.

kale chips
Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

Instead of potato chips try: Kale chips

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and dry kale leaves; tear into roughly 3 x 3-inch strips. Mist leaves lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown and crispy. Here are more reasons to eat kale.

celery root
Artem Kas / Shutterstock

Instead of a baked potato try: Baked celery root

Preheat over to 400°F. Peel 4 pounds of celery root (about 3 pieces) and cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss with 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Place in a roasting pan and bake 30 minutes. Stir, reduce temperature to 375°F, and bake 60 minutes more.  Now, check out other vegetables you should stop avoiding.

Sources
Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

Jennifer Bowers, PhD, RD
Jennifer is a doctoral-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with nearly 25 years of experience. For the majority of her career she has focused on health care, disease prevention, and nutrition education for a range of ages—from middle school to graduate school students. In private practice, Dr. Bowers is involved in freelance writing and extracurricular nutrition clubs for children. When not working, she enjoys swimming, running, hiking, biking, camping, cooking, and reading.