Avocados: A Must Eat Super Food

 

Looking for a successful strategy to adopt a healthy diet? On your list of super foods, include avocados.

Avocados are a long-cultivated fruit that date back thousands of years. However, the USDA reports that in the last 20 years, the average person's consumption of avocados has increased from one pound to seven pounds. It's no longer a secret. Consider baked items, salads, sandwiches, guacamole, and avocado toast. The avocado has developed into a beloved food item with many health advantages.

Although there are other cultivars of avocado, Hass avocados, which are pronounced like "pass," are the most well-liked due to its creamy texture, nutty flavor, and large size. They produce 80% of the avocados grown in the United States, with 95% of the Hass varieties coming from California. You’ll

The avocado industry is currently working to develop new avocado types that are more resilient to pests and other growing problems including climate change.

You might not think of an avocado as a fruit with many health benefits due to its dark, rough surface, but when you cut one open, it transforms into a superstar in a balanced diet.

According to a comprehensive review of Hass avocado clinical trials and observational studies, Hass avocados have multiple health benefits including

by encouraging epithelial vascular health for improved blood flow, one can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy overweight or obese adults with elevated lipid levels.

preventing weight gain and obesity, encouraging weight loss, and lowering visceral fat.

enhancing cognitive processes, particularly executive processes.

increasing the health of the microbiota in adults who are overweight or obese.

Positive health benefits come from four nutrition factors including…

• A positive oleic acid ratio of 1:6 saturated fat to oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat like olive oil.
• A combination of water soluble and insoluble fibers that support gut health.
• An excellent source of lutein, a carotenoid essential for eye health, that when combined with other vegetables becomes more bioavailable.
• A relatively low caloric density. One-third of an avocado is roughly 80 calories.

Purchasing

Spring through fall are the best seasons to find abundant fresh avocadoes. The best way to tell if an avocado is ripe and ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm but will yield to gentle pressure. To learn more, 

Ripening

Put an unripe or hard avocado in a brown paper bag with an apple or a kiwi to speed up the ripening process. These fruits release ethylene naturally, which speeds up fruit ripening.

If you have a cut-up avocado that you won't be using, carefully spray it with vinegar, lemon, or lime juice before covering it completely with plastic wrap. To keep it fresh and prevent fading, refrigerate.

It is not advised to microwave an avocado to soften it. The avocado is not particularly enjoyable to eat because its flavor and texture have been harmed.

Recipe

Homemade guacamole is one of the freshest ways to enjoy any time of the year. Serve it with any kind of meal, use it as a dip, spread on toast, a sandwich, hamburger, or scrambled eggs. It’s always a crowd pleaser and a healthy one at that!

Traditional Guacamole

4 large, ripe avocados

Juice of one lime

1 serrano chili, diced

3 tablespoons minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tomato, cut in 1/4-inch dice

1. In a medium bowl, mash avocado with lime, chili, onion, garlic, and cilantro (if using) until guacamole is mostly smooth and only small chunks of avocado remain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir in tomatoes, gently, without mashing them. Serve immediately or chill by covering the top of the guacamole directly with plastic wrap to prevent browning.

Servings: 8