After spending time in Arizona in April my husband and I have become addicted to guacamole. I started thinking about avocados and the bad wrap they sometimes get because of their fat content. The California Avocado Commission has great information on avocados including nutrition, recipes, growing etc.
Avocados contain about 20 essential nutrients. They are rich sources of fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and some B vitamins. Per servings (1/5 of a medium fruit) contains 50 kcal, 4.5 gm fat (which includes 0.5 gm Saturated Fat, 0.5 gm Polyunsaturated Fat, and 3gm Monounsaturated Fat), 150 mg Potassium, 3 gm Carbohydrates, 0gm Protein. As you can see avocados do contain monounsaturated fat, which is a heart healthy fat. Yes fat will add extra calories to your total intake, but this type of fat has been shown to not lead to cardiovascular disease. The high levels of potassium and fiber also make this a powerful heart healthy food. So the verdict is that avocado is a good food!!
Check out the California Avocado Commission’s bank of recipes. There are tons of ways to use avocado. My favorite of course is guacamole. My favorite recipe comes from the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. The Flying V Bar and Grill located at the resort serves up their classic Tableside Guacamole. Check out their recipe: Flying V Signature Guacamole.
This is so simple to make. First you mash the avocado. I use two forks and sort of cut through the fruit to mash it.
Next I dice up the tomato, jalapeno pepper, red onion, and garlic (I did not have the green onion on hand) and add to avocado mash.
Season with salt and pepper. Add lime juice and finished!
