You’ve surely heard that avocados are great for you, but what do you do with one? How do you eat it?
Well, to be able to eat one, you have to get into one. Avocados can easily be sliced and/or scooped, or you can buy it already prepared. They can be used in a variety of dishes, sweet and savory, for all meals of the day, including snacks and dessert. All it takes is a little knowledge to bring out the flavor and opportunities.
If you are starting from a raw avocado, you first have to get through the peel to get to the green goodness. Stand it up lengthwise and cut in half around the pit. From there, you can pull the halves apart and continue making slices, or you can scoop it out. After you have the avocado ready to use or bought prepared in a store, there are countless ways to include it in your diet. It provides healthy fats, fiber, potassium, folate, B 12, and plant chemicals that may help fight cancer, so it can give any dish a nutritional addition. The type of fat in avocado is monounsaturated which helps lower bad cholesterol (WebMD).
Eating avocado through the day
We’ll start with breakfast and work through a variety of ways you can eat avocado throughout the day. By no means are you limited to the well-known guacamole and avocado toast!
While avocado toast can be dressed up in many ways and is a great way to start your day with filling carbs, healthy fat, and steady energy, adding it in scrambled eggs or omelets is also a great breakfast idea. You could ask for this addition to an egg dish or toast at your favorite brunch spot, or try it with a savory pancake or blended in a drink at Ariff’s Restaurant.
For a snack, you could have chips and guacamole or add it to a smoothie for extra creaminess. Adding simple seasonings such as salt, paprika, or lemon can bring out the flavor in a huge way. Avocado is also an ingredient common in many sushi, such as the California roll.
For a lunch or dinner meal, it can be a topping for burgers, pizza, sandwiches, tacos, salads, nachos, soups, or on other meats or potatoes like salsa or butter. Avocado spreads like butter and can be a healthier alternative to the flavor-carrying fat. Avocado is a common addition to dishes at Baja Fresh. The Chix Avocado at Food Barn is a grilled chicken breast sandwich with veggies and cheese and avocado, of course! They also have varieties with only veggies or bacon, and you can top any burger with it. The Mexican burger already comes with guac on top.
Further avocado inspirations
Avocado can be used as a substitute in cooking and baking, adding extra health benefits and creaminess. It can substitute for cooking fats including mayonnaise, sour cream, shortening, butter, eggs, and oils. This also gives vegans a good alternative. Conversion is simple; for example, one cup of butter equals one cup of mashed avocado, and one egg equals 2-4 tablespoons of avocado. Use it as a whole or partial replacement in creamy salads such as chicken, egg, and tuna salads; blended into soup, homemade ice cream, and cakes and sweets. Two of the most popular homemade desserts using avocado are chocolate avocado pudding and brownies.
No matter what time of day or type of food you are craving, there is a way to incorporate this green fruit (yes, fruit) into your meals. While this is not medical advice, there are many benefits that have been associated with avocados.