I love nightshades so much!
But they hate me.
At least… they hate my joints. I have RA and Celiac and I can’t eat nightshades or gluten anymore. I miss them.
That doesn’t matter though! Life must go on and it must be delicious because who wants to eat nasty food?
Cooking is my happy place so I spend a lot of time tweaking my recipes and trying to recreate dishes from the past that are gluten and nightshade-free. These are the subs I use to keep my food tasting the same.
(I can’t do anything about the texture most of the time. They do feel a bit different, but so far, no one has complained about the flavor.)
Potato Substitutes You Won’t Regret
Don’t fight it. They are so good. Most of the time I mix a few of these together instead of choosing one.
I like to confuse my palate. I gaslight it into thinking it’s eating a real potato.
I fought these swaps for a long time and wasted many years avoiding these delicious alternatives.
Radishes
Those little red blobs you see at the grocery store are good subs for white potatoes.
The color drains as they cook. They look and taste like baby potatoes when they’ve been cooked. Somehow, they manage to soak up the flavor of herbs and oils better than potatoes do.
Whenever I make a beef stew or chicken pot pie, I use these and no one ever knows.
Turnips
Just like radishes, turnips are a one-for-one swap in most dishes. They do have a bit more of their own flavor than radishes do though. The smell and taste are more earthy. Not dirty, but definitely a stronger root undertone than the radish has.
Just like the radishes, they will soak up any flavor you cook them with. They are like flavor sponges.
Since they are much larger than a radish, you can use them to replace larger chunks in your dishes.
Yuca (cassava)
One of the most delicious (and difficult to detect) swaps for potatoes is the Yuca root.
Whether you boil it, fry it, chop it or slice it doesn’t matter. I have been subbing Yuca chips for potato chips for nearly 5 years and I don’t miss regular chips one bit.
The same goes for mashed Yuca or Yuca fries. They taste incredible!
Every Thanksgiving I make mashed Yuca in place of mashed potatoes and they are always gone by the end of the night. They are like mashed potatoes thicker, more flavorful cousin.
Cauliflower
This is one where the texture gets off but the flavor is spot on.
Using a blender helps to make the texture more palatable. If you boil the cauliflower, add some thick flavorings like sour cream or heavy cream and butter, long with some herbs, you have the makings for a killer side dish.
Toss some cheese on top and broil it in the oven and you will forget it wasn’t a potato.
Rutabaga
Like the turnip and radish, the Rutabaga is easy to sub in most dishes. In it’s original form, it tastes like the love child of a turnip and cabbage.
While that may not sound as appealing as a French fry, it can be used in many stews and soups to add depth and create a thicker base when you mash it up.
Give These Nightshade Swaps A Try
If you have arthritis or other inflammatory issues, it’s worth it to give these swaps a chance.
I noticed a massive improvement in my overall health and wellness after removing them from my diet.
When I went gluten free I thought there couldn’t be a more drastic difference, but when I cut out all nightshades everything got even better.
I’m not saying this will happen for everyone, but my cat allergies and seasonal allergies went away completely after 1 year of removing nightshades. I also got rid of a persistent ringing in my ears that I didn’t even realize was there.
Now, when I am not as careful and eat more than a few servings of nightshades in a month, those symptoms come back. Removing them clears them up again.
Everyone will have a different reaction. My results may not be yours. Yours may be more amazing!
North Carolina, USA