Have I told you lately how much I LOVE AVOCADOS?
I must confess, sometimes I eat 2 of these bad boys a day. High in fat I know I know, but avo’s are a super clean, healthy, yummy fat. The best kind of fat for us, in fact.
Avocados are my number one super food. I don’t care if they’re a fruit or a vegetable (although nowadays they’re classified as a fruit), in my sushi or a side dish to my eggs, avocados taste AMAZING.
They’re naturally tasty and creamy but without the cream! And talk about easy. Grab one for a healthy snack, all you need is a knife (plastic will work just great if you don’t have your silverware around) and some optional sea salt.
If you’re looking to spice things up, there are a hundred recipes I could easily give you. But for now, let’s focus on why this scrumptious superfood is so good for us!
- Avocados are creamy and delicious!
- Avocados make an excellent fat substitute for a healthier and/or vegan version of your favorite dip. Cream cheese, sour cream dressings and mayonnaise can all be made with an avocado base.
- Avocados provide us with nearly 20 essential nutrients. Potassium, fiber, vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid are just a few of these top 20!
- Avo’s are naturally sodium and cholesterol free. (geez… I guess I better omit my himalayan sea salt and enjoy this sodium free fruit!)
- Avocados are a super unique fruit which can act as a nutrient booster! By helping increase the absorption of fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, K and E, your body gets more nutrients than ever in one meal that includes just one serving of avocado!
- An avo’s creamy consistency makes it a great superfood for your baby’s first fresh food meal! I’m not a “human” mom, but I suspect that if I was, I’d be traveling with a portable blender, avocados and a banana lol.
- According to the American Heart Association, mono and polyunsaturated fats when eaten in MODERATION 🙂 and INSTEAD of trans and saturated fats (yuck), can help reduce our blood cholesterol levels and decrease our risk for heart disease. Yay, just what all of us guacamole lovers want to hear! Avocados are one of those few fruits that provide good fats, .5g polyunsaturated and 3g of monounsaturated fat. They’re also high in lutein, which acts as an antioxidant that quite possibly blocks cholesterol absorption.
- Avo’s are antioxidant rich! Think blueberries guys! These antioxidants are thought to fight free radicals in our bodies… WE HOPE and MUST BELIEVE IT!
- Avocados can be part of a diabetic person’s diet in the right portion sizes, YES! Due to the nature of their good mono and polyunsaturated fats, avocados are great for everyone.
- Avocados have dietary fiber which cannot be broken down in the body during digestion. This is great for us carb conscious individuals 🙂 because carbs are broken down into glucose (sugar) and have the greatest impact on our blood sugar levels. With only 3g of carbs per serving of avocado, our blood sugar won’t be negatively affected.
OK so adding up my calories, I guess I eat 50 calories times 5 servings (the equivalent of one avocado) which is 250 calories when I devour one whole avocado (I totally scrape the last tiny bit from its skin too). I AM TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT. I’ll happily chow down on my creamy avocado and leave the bread and butter out thank you very much!
If you’re interested in some yummy recipes using avocado, check out California Avocados. Everything you have ever wanted to know or need to know about avocados is on this site!
My favorite recipes? I love a plain avocado with sea salt, lime or hummus. If Anton has a craving for his Russian cuisine, I’ll pick us up some caviar and place a spoonful on a half or two halves of avocado. The salty caviar mixed with the avocado tastes quite phenomenal.
Any thoughts? Who has a favorite avocado recipe we’ve never heard of? I love simple recipes but when it comes to avocados, I’ll try just about anything. I hope you guys feel good about eating an avocado once a day… at the very least, several times a week. You won’t have to worry about the fat or the calories after reading this article!
xx Shanna