Yes, potatoes are high in carbohydrates, but if you love potato salad and are trying to watch your weight, why should you have to suffer? Try this much healthier version of the famous party recipe/appetizer! This recipe is very versatile and can be tweaked to make it the way you love it, but keep in mind that the suggested versions may have more nutrients and less fat than the substituted ingredients.

Healthier Potato Salad

Ingredients

6-8 large white or red potatoes (almost any potato will work), cubed

2 large red onions (yellow can be used), diced

1 large fresh tomato, diced

1-2 red peppers, diced

1 cup frozen peas (or one can sweet peas, drained)

1 cup carrot, shredded

1 cup celery, diced

1-2 cups veganaise (or lowfat mayonaisse)

1 cup lowfat yogurt (low-fat sour cream is another option)

salt and pepper to taste

3 large garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon or so of garlic powder)

2 tablespoons vinaigrette or vinegar (I sometimes use organic raspberry vinaigrette dressing)

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

a few splashes hot sauce

Directions

Wash potatoes well and peel about half the skin off the potatoes. (The skin holds more nutrients, so don't remove quite all of it.) Cube potatoes and place into pot of boiling water. Cook about 10-20 minutes to desired softness.

While potatoes cook, slice/dice/shred the other vegetables and throw in a large bowl with the seasonings and other ingredients.

Drain the potatoes once they are ready and let sit for about 5 or 10 minutes to slightly cool.

Mix everything together well and serve warm or cold.

Variations

I love adding extra vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, corn, fresh spinach, and other healthy additions. Healthy herbs such as fresh basil. parsley, cilantro, and others can also be integrated into this recipe for more vitamins and nutrients.

Some people love to add egg to potato salad. If this is something you like, feel free to add it. I try to keep my potato salad a bit different and love making it different ways. I try to limit my consumption of animal ingredients as well, so this recipe is perfect for my own tastes and needs, but I don't believe in depriving oneself, even when dieting. Vegans can omit the sour cream and add a little more veganaise or use vegan sour cream. It's also great to sprinkle a few teaspoons of nutritional yeast to the finished product and stir it in well for more nutritional value.

I love the color the peas and peppers add to this salad. Why not try mixing red, orange, and yellow peppers with green veggies like broccoli, fresh spinach, peas, and the like? It looks so beautiful and is healthier than the traditional potato with eggs and mayo!

Try experimenting with sesame seeds, flax, quinoa, and other whole grains and such for extra benefits.

Add almost anything you wish but keep in mind that if you are trying to keep this low-fat and low-carb, obviously some choices are better than others. The broccoli and spinach will be much better than the corn, for example. However, adding small amounts of the ingredients you love will keep you satisfied and curb your craving, so don't be afraid to add what you'd like. Limit your servings depending on how much you're trying to watch your carbs and certain other dietary restrictions.

Source

personal experience and experimentation