Whilst you all know that I am an advocate for eating real food, I’m also a huge advocate for what we call a “rotation diet”. What does this mean? By following a rotation diet, you make a conscious effort to rotate your fruits, vegetables, fats and proteins you consume on a daily basis in order to maximise nutrition and prevent any unnecessary stress on your digestive system.

As the chilly months are well and truly upon us, one of the most regular appearances on the dinner time menu’s is that of potato mash. Whilst organic potatoes can be a wonderful source of nutrition, using them each and every night can do more harm than good. What’s the easiest solution? Substitution. To help you get started, I have listed my favourite paleo potato mash substitutes below.  

Sweet Potato Mash 
This is a great side to help warm those chilly nights. If you have the time, roasting the sweet potato in the oven (peeled and cut into 2cm cubes) packs so much more flavour then boiling or steaming it alone. Whatever method you choose, once the sweet potato has softened, add some grass-fed butter or macadamia oil and a pinch of Himalayan rock or celtic sea salt to the mix and mash away. 

Cauliflower Mash 
This is an absolute favourite of mine and goes perfectly with my Moroccan Lamb Stew. According to Dr Mercola, one serving of cauliflower contains 77% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fibre, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese. It is also available in abundance throughout the winter months which makes it really inexpensive to buy organically grown. You can find my recipe for cauliflower mash here. 

Parsnip and Turnip Mash
This is another one of my absolute favourites (and pairs perfectly with any steak including my grilled steak with herbed butter). This mix is slightly sweet and because of the vegetables being used, is a much bulkier alternative to the cauliflower mash mentioned above. You can find this recipe here.

Parsnip & Carrot Mash 
Again, similar to the mash mentioned above, this is a fun way to add more vegetables to your plate without even realising. Boil or steam 200g of parsnips (peeled and chopped) with 2 medium carrots (peeled and chopped) for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a food processor, add a dash of macadamia oil, some celtic sea salt and a few sprigs of fresh thyme to taste, whiz to form a softened puree and serve up immediately. 

Celeriac & Sage Mash 
Celeriac is more than likely one of those vegetables you walk past at your local fruit and veg market without even considering. Although it appears a little ugly on the exterior, celeriac is rich in vitamins A, C, K and E, carotene, micro elements and other nutrients that are known to boost the health of our digestive system, reduce inflammation and improve liver function. 
If you hate celery, this is one I might skip as it does have a slight celery taste, but a little nuttier than you would think. Adding sage to the mix is a perfect way to complement flavours. This recipe is available here.