Oklahoma Favorite Foods Made Healthier: Sneaky Mashed Potatoes

Welcome to another entry in our "Oklahoma Favorite Foods Made Healthier" series, where we tweak some of Oklahoma's favorite comfort foods so you can enjoy them in a guilt-free, better-for-you way. You'll still get the great flavor that made the foods favorites in the first place, but limit the parts (like grease, lard, bad fats and refined sugar) that aren’t so healthy.

Small changes like the tweaks found in these recipes can eventually produce big results and will help you build momentum to establish other healthy food habits.

So, without further ado, here is our take on healthier mashed potatoes, courtesy of our friends at Full Plate Living. The recipe's main tweak? We added cauliflower and reduced the amount of potatoes you use.

Wait! Before you close this post without a backward glance, cauliflower has a very similar texture to mashed potatoes and a sweet and buttery flavor when prepared correctly. By mashing them together and using less potatoes you'll sneak in extra nutrients and protein. Since cauliflower is less starchy than the potato, it makes the dish a bit more slimming, without taking over the taste completely. And it helps reduce the amount of calories while increasing the fiber.

Sneaky Mashed Potatoes | Full Plate Living

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups potatoes fresh, red, with skin on
6 cups cauliflower fresh, cut into florets
2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread whipped
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a steamer basket set over boiling water, steam the cauliflower and potatoes together until soft, about 12 minutes. Place the hot vegetables and all remaining ingredients into a food processor, and puree on high for 15 seconds, until semi-smooth. Move the mashed potatoes to a bowl, and use a hand held mixer to mix until you reach the desired consistency.