Five Healthy Alternatives to Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes? They're creamy and comforting, but you're likely well aware of the fact that white potatoes—especially when mixed with cream or milk and lashings of butter—is not the healthiest side dish option. Is there a way to get the smooth comfort of mashed potatoes but up the nutrition or make your recipes a little lighter? Actually, there are lots of ways to do just that, and we're here to share our best mashed vegetable side dishes that you can enjoy at any meal.

Once you're on board with these colorful vegetable mash recipes, don't stop at using them as sides, swap them for mashed potatoes in other favorite family recipes like Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie.

Related: A Month of Healthy Recipes to Make

Sure, you can make sweet potato mash like you make regular white mashed potatoes, with boiled tubers, and it's a better-for-you option that tastes great. But if you really want to get the sweetness, roast your sweet potatoes (as opposed to boiling them) before mashing. It takes longer but requires less hands-on work since the oven takes care of the cooking. All you have to do is tackle the mashing.

Get the Sweet Potato Mash Recipe

Why mash one vegetable when you can make a delicious hybrid that brings twice the nutrition to the table? This velvety mash brings together two of our favorite root vegetables: underrated rutabaga and crowd-pleasing sweet potato. Enriched with butter and cream and flavored with garlic and sage, this is sure to become your new go-to winter side dish.

Get the Rutabaga-Sweet Potato Mash with Garlic and Sage Recipe

Not only is this recipe colorful and packed with nutrients from that anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powerhouse the cauliflower, and the beta-carotene- and fiber-packed kabocha squash, it's also dairy free. Creamy coconut milk produces a luscious, smooth mash.

Get the Kabocha-Cauliflower Mash Recipe

Why not add apples to a vegetable mash? They up the sweetness and make root vegetables more appealing. Adding butter and heavy cream also helps.

Get the Rutabaga-and-Apple Mash Recipe

In case you think vegetable mash is always cream or orange, there's this verdant combo. It's not as smooth as sweet potato or squash mash but it's a delicious way to ring the changes. Bonus: It's dairy-free, but you can feel free to add in cream or butter to make a richer mash if you like.

Get the Cauliflower-Broccoli Mash Recipe