All About Avocados: From the Market to Your Belly
Bright green, creamy, and delicious we love all that avocados have to offer! It’s not a secret that avocados are full of nutrients and healthy fat. And while the buttery fruit has seen its fair share of the limelight through trendy recipes, the mainstay is popular for good reason.
We Love Avocados
Avocados are incredibly versatile: There's a whole lot you can do with it. From blending it into smoothies or sauces, to dips, and, of course, the sovereign avocado toast. While they’re often incorporated into savory dishes, avocado brings a creamy texture to sweets like mousse, too. Avocado can even be a swap for butter or mayonnaise in some dishes! That makes it a win for dairy free and vegan recipes. And since they’re packed with protein and healthy fat, avocados often make a regular appearance in many vegetarian and vegan diets.
While it’s a delightful fruit to munch on, avocados can sometimes be a hassle to handle and store. They take a while to ripen, and then must be eaten as soon as they’re ripe. Plus, some people don’t know how to store half of an avocado in the fridge or even how to cut an avocado. But we can’t your lack of knowledge stop you from eating them regularly! Go here for a variety of how-to information about avocados, from picking them in a grocery store, to storage, and more.
Healthy Fats
Avocados are known for their healthy fats and other nutritious benefits. They’re fit with unsaturated fat, protein, and other nutrients like antioxidants and potassium. Harvard Catalyst even boasts heart benefits in avocados, pointing to research that an avocado a day may help reduce one’s amount of “bad” cholesterol. They also have some fiber, which work with fat and protein to help you feel full and satisfied. That’s why some people may be so inclined to blend a big chunk of avocado into a smoothie for a well-rounded snack alongside frozen fruit.
Other unsaturated healthy fats to eat other than avocado include:
- Nuts including nut butter
- Chia seeds and flaxseeds
- Extra virgin olive oil and olives
- Free range eggs
- Dark chocolate
- Fatty fish like salmon
Our Favorite Avocado Recipes
Avocado recipes are almost always simple to prepare and delicious to enjoy. Chopped up in salads, smashed into a guacamole, or spread onto a veggie sandwich: There are several ways to add avocado as a healthy fat to meals and snacks. And of course, the famous (or potentially infamous…?) avocado toast is one of the most common avocado recipes. The creamy fruit is also super easy to blend into dressings and sauces to use on salads or drizzle on finished dishes. One example is this recipe for avocado garlic lime sauce as a creamy but dairy free alternative to flavored crema for Latin-inspired dishes:
Avocado Garlic Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds.
- If desired for a thinner consistency, stir in a couple tablespoons of water.
We also love avocado recipes with eggs for breakfast or as a mix-and-match snack with other fruits or vegetables. If you’re looking to incorporate more avocado into your diet, use it as a topping for salads and stir-frys. These ideas for avocados should inspire you to continue experimenting with a variety of nutritious foods and recipes— All with the mindful intent to keep you happy, healthy, and satisfied!