Avocado each day keeps the doctor away
I do love avocados yet I steered clear of them for many years on my own weight loss journey due to the ‘they are really high in fat’ label they are given and yes, they are high in fat compared to other fruits (avocado is a berry!) or vegetables but over the past few years as I’ve learned a lot more about nutrition and eating healthily in general rather than purely in terms of weight loss, it’s really important to include fats in your diet – but all ‘fats’ are not created equal and an avocado is mainly made of monounsaturated fats – the so called ‘healthy fats’ which are essential for all sorts of things in our bodies and adding avocado into a healthy and well balanced diet can provide so many health benefits.
Avocados contain a huge amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals which aid towards numerous health benefits including improved digestion, eye health, better sleep, supporting heart health, managing cholesterol, a lower risk of depression – amongst others so these funny shaped green things really do pack a punch. As always, eating anything isn’t going to have sudden magic powers to help with any of those conditions but having a well balanced, healthy and whole food diet and making that your normal way of eating is certainly going to have an impact on your health long term as well as weight loss if that’s your goal too.
What I do want to add is that moderation is also important – NHS guidelines state that 1/2 an avocado counts as one of your five a day recommended fruit and vegetable portions. Interestingly, due to its high fibre content, avocado is really filling so having some with your meal will actually keep you fuller for longer and I find if I have some with breakfast (usually with eggs), I’m full all the way to lunch and no mid morning snack attacks appear.
My favourite and most used avocado recipe - guacamole
This has become a staple in our fridge these days and I usually eat some of it once a day either with breakfast (is there a better combination than eggs and guacamole?) or a dollop on my salads and I’ve even overcome a lifelong phobia of fresh tomatoes for this recipe (though it’s the only way I’ll eat fresh tomatoes still). Its really simple to make and keeps in the fridge for a good 3 days.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 small red onion
- 1 large tomatoe
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp of garlic (fresh or powdered works fine)
- 1/2 tsp of chilli (optional and add as much or as little as you like according to taste)
Step
One
Finely chop your onion and place in a large bowl
Step
Two
Half your avocado, remove the stone and then with a sharp knife, cut into the flesh sideways and the lengthways and then use a spoon to scoop it out into the bowl
Step
Three
Finely chop your tomato (this is the most challenging part for me with my phobia!)
Step
Four
Add a good healthy squeeze of lemon juice – I often use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh depending on what I have in my fruit bowl. Lime juice also works perfectly.
Step
Five
Add the olive oil, garlic and chilli if using
Step
Six
Give it all a good mix and voila it’s done!
Step
Seven
Place in a storage container and keep in the fridge and then use as you wish. Ours usually keeps for 3-4 days.
Serving suggestions
Brilliant as a side dish for the BBQ, on top of crackers with sliced boiled eggs or scrambled eggs for breakfast or just added to any of my salads.
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