One traditional Thanksgiving dish I’ve largely given up since my angioplasty is mashed potatoes. The milk and butter in them carry too much fat for my low-fat diet.
This year, though, my wife challenged me to make mashed potatoes that were low-fat. And I did with results that pleased her but left me with mixed feelings about their taste.
I started by using fat-free milk instead of regular or even 1%. Note that a cup of fat-free milk has 135 mgs of sodium for some reason that escapes me, so even there you have salt to deal with. I doubt I used a cup on five pounds of potatoes though. I don’t measure it in, just keep adding to get to the creaminess I want for the potatoes.
Instead of butter, I used Smart Balance which one nutritionist recommended to me. I actually used a variety called Smart Balance Light which has less sodium, only 80 mgs a tablespoon and 5 grams of fat. I used about four tablespoons, so there was still 20 grams of fat in the five pounds of potatoes.
But that big bowl had many servings obviously. I tried a tablespoon full, so fat and sodium were likely negligible. Now as to the taste. I found them a bit earthy tasting, which I first thought was the potatoes without salt added but came to realize could have been an after-taste from heating the Smart Balance. My wife said she didn’t notice and guests were eating them without adding salt, so they must have liked them as well.
I later wondered if using olive use instead would have had the same effect, I may try that next time.
John
You can save five more milligrams of sodium by using powdered non fat milk. I use Herb ox sodium free bullion to get my potatoes to the right consistency then add powdered milk to achieve a creamy taste.
Thanks for the tip, so you use a stock made with the bullion? No butter or butter substitute at all?
Yes, I make broth from the bouillon, I buy it in bulk from firehouse pantry. I will make about a gallon of the broth for holiday cooking. I don’t measure just keep adding until i have the right consistency. Then I add the powdered milk in powdered form to get a creamy taste. When I first started cooking fat free I used Molly Mcbutter, but once my blood pressure became issue, i cut it out, I don’t miss it now, but i may have just retrained my pallet. My son does had butter at the table to his potatoes. I am fine with just sodium free, fat free gravy.
Do you make the gravy as well, I’ve found fat-free gravy and low-sodium gravy premade, but not both fat-free and sodium free in one product.
Yes, I make my own gravy, I start with the sodium free broth and bring it to a boil and add a spoonful of arrowroot. and let it simmer until thick, then I start adding things for flavor, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried mushrooms that I have ground into a powder. You can also use vegetable powders made from dehydrated vegetables. These are the standard things I use for flavoring in all kinds of things I cook. A well stock spice rack helps too.