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Top 5 Ways to Use Avocados

Sharon Palmer

Learn how to enjoy avocados in the kitchen, as well as the nutrition and health benefits of these plant foods, with these top five tips on ways to use avocados from nutrition expert Sharon Palmer.

It’s tough to talk about healthy, delicious plant-powered eating without including the wonderful avocado. That rich, creamy texture and earthy, satisfying flavor is quite unique in the plant world. So, it’s no wonder that avocados are having their moment—whether it’s in avocado toast or avocado superfood smoothies, everyone just can’t get enough of the green stuff!

Try unusual varieties of avocados found at farmers markets, such as these Zutano avocados, which have a small pit and creamy bright green flesh.

It’s not just about taste when it comes to avocado appeal. Avocados are nutritional superstars. Every serving (one-third of an avocado) is packed with a bounty of heart-healthy fats, gut-friendly fiber (3 grams), and twenty different vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K (10%), vitamin C (4%), vitamin B6 (6%), vitamin E (6%), folate (10%), and potassium (6%). Research shows that avocados are also full of disease-fighting phytochemicals, including lutein and zeaxanthin. It’s no wonder that a body of research has found benefits in eating avocados, including improved bone health, decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and better blood glucose control.

These Hass avocados were on display at the annual Avocado Festival held in Carpenteria, California, about 30 minutes from my home.

The avocado love actually reaches back throughout history. Archeological research has discovered avocado consumption in central Mexico dating back 10,000 years! Avocado trees grow best in warm, moderately humid climates with lots of sunshine, which explains why Mexico is world’s largest supplier, with California producing a bounty as well. In fact, it is a well known avocado growing region where I live in Ojai, California, and I have five avocado varieties growing in my orchard. There are a variety of avocado varieties worth trying too, from Fuerte to Haas to Zutano, each with their own season and characteristics. Mexican culture has embraced the power of the avocado for a long time, even using it as currency at one point. In this food culture, avocados are included daily, along with black beans and tortillas, as part of a healthy, traditional cuisine.

Make the versatile, delicious, and healthy avocado part of your own food traditions! Check out these 5 Ways to Use Avocados in your diet, and go green today.

Top 5 Ways to Use Avocados

Rustic Avocado Garlic Toast

1. Spread Avocado on Toast. Avocado toast is all the rage and it’s so simple! You can create your own variation at home with anything you’d like. One of my favorites is this simple, easy Rustic Avocado Garlic Toast. Check out my suggested variations and toppings for making your own favorite style of Avocado Toast, too.

Spicy Sorghum Avocado Salad

2. Top Off Your Salad. What’s better than a fresh salad full of healthy, tasty ingredients, such as avocado slices? A perfectly ripe avocado can be the delicious focal point for any fulfilling salad, plus the healthy fats can help make nutrients in the salad more bioavailable. Check out some of my favorite avocado-topped salads, including Spicy Sorghum Avocado Salad and Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Lemon Cumin Vinaigrette for inspiration.

Chocolate Zucchini Power Muffins

3. Incorporate Avocado into Your Baking. Avocado has a wonderfully smooth texture that can blend perfectly in most recipes, and help replace less healthy options for fats, such as butter. This is also a great way to use up avocadoes that have gotten a little too ripe. Avocados serve as the healthy fat component in these healthy Chocolate Zucchini Power Muffins, which can be a great breakfast or snack on the go.

Cold Cucumber Avocado Soup

4. Step Up Your Soup Game. Soup is a staple, but it doesn’t have to be boring! Have you tried adding sliced avocado on a rice soup, or better yet, blend them into a cold, creamy avocado soup? Start out with this Cold Cucumber Avocado Soup for a cool, creamy start to your meal.

Vegan Glow Bowl

5. Mix Up Your Power Bowl. Power bowls are a trendy food item right now, so make your bowl even tastier and healthier by topping it with avocado. Creating your own power bowl with whole grains, veggies, plant protein, and a flavorful sauce can be a great solution for lunch and dinner, so try out this Chipotle Tomato Rice Power Bowl and Green Goddess Grain Bowl to get your creative juices flowing.

Check out one of my favorite recipes using avocados in this video of Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad.

 

For other tips on how to use plant foods, check out the following:

Top 5 Ways to Use Brown Rice
Top 5 Ways to Use Blackberries
Top 5 Ways to Use Pumpkin Seeds

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References:

Fulgoni, V. L., Dreher, M., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008. Nutrition journal, 12, 1. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-1

Tremocoldi, M. A., Rosalen, P. L., Franchin, M., Massarioli, A. P., Denny, C., Daiuto, É. R., … Alencar, S. M. (2018). Exploration of avocado by-products as natural sources of bioactive compounds. PloS one, 13(2), e0192577. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0192577

Deepti Dabas, Rachel M. Shegog, Gregory R. Ziegler and Joshua D. Lambert, “Avocado (Persea americana) Seed as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals”, Current Pharmaceutical Design (2013) 19: 6133. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612811319340007

Martin J. Shearer, Alexandra Bach, Martin Kohlmeier, Chemistry, Nutritional Sources, Tissue Distribution and Metabolism of Vitamin K with Special Reference to Bone Health, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 126, Issue suppl_4, April 1996, Pages 1181S–1186S, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/126.suppl_4.1181S

C.N. Ishiwu, J.E. Obiegbuna, N.M. Aniagolu, “Evaluation of Chemical Properties of Mistletoe Leaves from Three Different Trees (Avocado, African Oil Bean and Kola)”, Nigerian Food Journal, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 1-7, ISSN 0189-7241, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0189-7241(15)30070-9.

 

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