Who doesn’t love avocados? This fruit is loaded with nutrients, uniquely creamy and delicious and it’s versatile for so many delicious dishes. We’ll start with the nutrition if offers and then get into a list of 10 easy avocado recipes to highlight this amazing fruit that many of us love.
Nutrition
According to Haas Avocado Board, 1/4 of a whole avocado provides 60 calories, 6 g fat (which 3.5 g are monounsaturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 0 g trans fat, 0 g sodium, 190 mg potassium, 3 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber and 1 g protein. In terms of vitamins and minerals, it provides Vitamin K, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B’s, Vitamin E.
Some of its health top benefits include:
Monounsaturated fat content: The heart healthy fat that is also found in olive oil, sesame oil and nuts. Include monounsaturated fats in your diet to help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, lower the bad cholesterol, and raise the good cholesterol. A quick tip on identifying unsaturated fats from saturated and trans fat (unhealthy fats) is to look at their ability to solidify at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are liquids at room temperature while saturated fats are solids at room temperature.
Vitamins and nutrients: Avocados provide the antioxidants vitamin E and C that are great for the skin and decreasing inflammation. They also provide tryptophan, a precursor to the “happy chemical” called serotonin that helps regulate mood. The combination of tryptophan, antioxidants and healthy fats makes it a powerful food for our brain and potentially can help with mood and depression (to learn more about the bidirectional relationship food and mood have, follow this link to todaysdietitian.com)
Satiety factor: Avocados contain both healthy fat and fiber, which can help you feel fuller for longer. A whole avocado provides about 10 grams of fiber, making it an excellent source of fiber. (To read more about the benefits of fiber, follow this link to eatright.org). For those of us who are cautious about portions and calories, don’t be afraid of avocados for its touted high caloric content. It’s really a nutrient dense food! There are many other less healthy foods that provide just the same amount of calories, if not more, that don’t provide quite as many nutrients as an avocado. And the best part is avocados are easily shareable with others by cutting them into half or quarter sections, so do include this healthy and nutritious fruit in your diet.
Avocado recipe ideas
1. Guacamole
Easy guacamole recipe (source: thesassydietitian.com)
Fire Roasted Corn Guacamole (source: californiaavocado.com)
Creamy Greek Yogurt Guacamole (source: justataste.com
Kale Guacamole (source: makingthymeforhealth.com)
Tropical Guacamole (source: tasteandtellblog.com)
2. Avoacdo appetizers:
Avocado Cucumber Shrimp (source: natashaskitchen.com)
Avocado Crostini (source: joyfulhealthyeats.com)
Avocado Black Bean Dip (source: allrecipes.com)
3. Avocado Sushi
Avocado Cucumber Roll (source: loveandlemons.com)
Smoked Salmon and Avocado Roll (source: bbcgoodfood.com)
Crab and Avocado Hand Roll (source: thekitchn.com)
4. Avocado ice cream (source: asweetpeachef.com)
5. Avocado Salads
Avocado Tuna Salad (source: natashaskitchen.com)
Avocado Chicken Salad (source: healthystepsnutrition.com)
Mango Avocado Chicken Salad (source: therealfoodrds.com)
Chopped Avocado Salad with Eggs and Toasted Walnuts (source: jackieunfiltered.com)
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad (source: todaysdietitian.com)
6. Avocado Pesto Sauce (source: eatingwell.com)
7. Blueberry Avocado Pancakes (source: californiaavocado.com)
8. Avocado Yogurt Dressing (source: californiaavocado.com)
9. Avocado Smoothie Bowl Recipe (source: betternutrition.com)
10. Grilled Avocado Pizza (source: californiaavocado.com)
For the best avocados, follow this link to learn about how to choose, use and store avocados properly. It includes useful instructions and video tutorials (source: californiaavocado.com).
If you love avocados as much as I do and have some favorite avocado recipes you can share, message me! Thanks for reading.