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What veg can I use instead of Potato for mash

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Ibby

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I'm having my hba1c test soon so need to keep it at 48 or bellow. So thrying not having potato I've had swede and carrot mash but what else is there to try is butternut squash good are sweet potatoes and good
Any tips thanks x
 
Cauliflower
or boiled sweet potato (yam).
Sweet potato isn't potato and has a GI of 46 and a GL of 11
 
I use a mixture of butternut squash, cauliflower & celeric. Can be quite watery when mashed, but I just drain the water off & keep the mash on the hob to dry out a bit. The squash is the highest carb of the 3 so I use less of that, but a combination of the 3 makes it flavoursome.
 
I love love love sweet potato mash with proper butter and a dash of cream!

If I want to properly low carb though, I use cauliflower but it can be a little bland so make sure you have herbs or some kind of seasoning (I tend to make my cauliflower mash with a bit of chilli powder!)
 
Would carrot n parsnip work?
 
Yes but parsnips are high carb - that's why they go brown (caramelise) so successfully and deliciously when you roast em!
 
I use a mixture of butternut squash, cauliflower & celeric. Can be quite watery when mashed, but I just drain the water off & keep the mash on the hob to dry out a bit. The squash is the highest carb of the 3 so I use less of that, but a combination of
I use a mixture of butternut squash, cauliflower & celeric. Can be quite watery when mashed, but I just drain the water off & keep the mash on the hob to dry out a bit. The squash is the highest carb of the 3 so I use less of that, but a combination of the 3 makes it flavoursome.
what is celeric I've never had that
 
Celeriac is an ugly looking white root veg & part of the celery family, though doesn't really taste of celery. Once skinned, it can be used for anything that potatoes are used for. I slice it & make a gratin with garlic, onion, cream & topped with cheese. I have also made chips with it, though they don't crisp up much. Despite being a root veg, it's one of the lower carb ones & is certainly a lot better than potato.
 
@Mark Parrott does it taste completely different to celery? The reason I have avoided it is because I hate celery!
 
I normally use sweet potato, or mixed carrot and swede as a potato replacer. I'm not keen on celeriac. I also use carrot or courgette to make 'spaghetti', I have a spiraliser for that and of course there's cauli for a rice alternative.
 
I normally use sweet potato, or mixed carrot and swede as a potato replacer. I'm not keen on celeriac. I also use carrot or courgette to make 'spaghetti', I have a spiraliser for that and of course there's cauli for a rice alternative.

I'm still not convinced about this whole courgette spaghetti business!
 
@Mark Parrott does it taste completely different to celery? The reason I have avoided it is because I hate celery!
I'm not keen on celery either. I don't think it tastes of celery, but some people do. It seems to be a love/hate veg.🙂
 
I'm still not convinced about this whole courgette spaghetti business!
I was sceptical until l tried it. I find it best in a stir fry. I've even done strips of cabbage to replace tagliatelle & that works well.
 
I typed these out for a friend. I find that if I jazz up my veg I can fill up on that and don't miss the usual high carb element of a meal. Anyhoo...these might prove useful:

ZESTY CARROTS
Finely slice or julienne your carrots and put them in a saucepan.
Add a little water (about 1cm), put a lid on and boil/steam through until they're cooked to your liking.
Drain the carrots.
While the pan is still hot add a small knob of butter (or a teaspoonful of olive oil).
Add the zest of about 1/4 orange
Add the juice of 1/2 an orange
Return the carrots to the pan and toss in the orangey stuff
Season with salt and pepper
Taste and add a teaspoonful of honey if you want to make them nice and sweet.

SOUTH INDIAN CARROT SALAD
Finely grate your carrots and put them in a bowl
Put 1 dessertspoonful of olive oil in a pan and heat until hot, but not smoking (about 1 minute)
Throw in a dessertspoonful of black mustard seeds
The seeds will pop if the oil is hot enough and this releases their flavour
Pour the oil/seeds over the grated carrots and toss to coat.

CHILLI CARROT SALAD
As above, but use dried chilli flakes instead of black mustard seeds.


CREAMY CAULIFLOWER (a fraction of the carbs of mashed potato and I like it more)
Roughly chop the white of the cauliflower and place in a saucepan (you can used the stalky bits too...just not the leaves).
Add a little water (perhaps about 1cm), put a lid on and boil/steam through until soft.
Drain thoroughly by tipping into a collander/seive and leaving on one side to allow the steam to evaporate.
Put the pan back on the hob to get rid of any residual moisture.
When the cauli is very well drained return it to the pan and mash using a hand blender
Add a nice dollop of any cream cheese (Boursin with garlic and herbs works wonderfully)
Season with salt and pepper.

BACONY SPROUTS
Put some frozen sprouts on to boil (instructions on bag)
Cut up a rasher of streaky into tiny pieces using scissors.
Fry the bacon without adding any fat.
When the sprouts are cooked drain them.
Add the sprouts to the pan containing the meagre bit of bacon/bacon fat and toss.
Season with salt and pepper.
Delish

ZESTY SPROUTS WITH TOASTED ALMONDS
Put some frozen sprouts on to boil
While the sprouts are cooking put some flaked almonds in a dry frying pan
Heat and move them around gently until evenly toasted then set aside
When the sprouts are cooked drain them
Return sprouts to saucepan, drizzle over some balsamic vinegar and top with almonds

LEMONY CABBAGE
Chop cabbage and place in a pan with about 1cm water.
Put a lid on and boil/steam until cooked.
Drain
Put the pan back on the hob and add a knob of butter/olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon + 1 tsp cinnamon
Return cabbage to pan and toss in lemony stuff.
Season with salt and pepper.

DELISH SPINACH
Finely chop a small onion and fry in a little butter/oil until pale translucent golden
Add a tsp of garlic+ginger paste (from a jar) and fry for another minute
Add spinach (frozen works extremely well)
Add very little water to bottom of pan, cover and boil/steam until cooked (this doesn't take very long)
When almost done remove the lid and allow excess water to evaporate
Season with salt and pepper

ROASTED MED VEG
Preheat oven to 200C (or 180C for a fan oven) or Gas Mark 6
Chop pepper, onion and courgette
Place in a plastic bag and add some whole little tomatoes
Add about a tablespoonful of olive oil, some dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper, chilli flakes...whatever you fancy.
Rattle veg around inside bag until evenly coated with oil/seasoning
Pour into a roasting dish and place in the oven.
Roast for c20 minutes and then move them around/turn them a bit
Roast for another c10 minutes and move them again to ensure that nothing catches
They may need another 5-10 minutes
 
Ooh, that lot is making me very hungry. Got some pork chops in the oven with some roasted med veg. Yes, I know it's a bit late, but forgot to take the chops out of the freezer.🙄
 
I'm not keen on celery either. I don't think it tastes of celery, but some people do. It seems to be a love/hate veg.🙂
I'm on the hate it side. Yuck.

The thing about alternatives is that they're just that, alternatives. They won't taste the same, obviously, and may take some getting used to. But, when you're trying to gain a bit of control of this darned diabetes and it's winning, the alternatives are sometimes what it takes. Cauli rice tastes like cauli, but it does the job for me. Sweet potato has it's own flavour, but it gives me the same 'comfort' factor as ordinary spuds and I can do all the same things with it, minus the spikes. Courgetti, doesn't taste like pasta but it fills the role and I like courgettes anyway, so I can live with it. We all have to decide which alternatives suit us and which don't, such is life.
 
PeeEss, that wasn't aimed at anyone, it's just a point I felt was worth making and something to be considered.
 
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