Thank you to the Hass Avocado Board for sponsoring this post!
You guys know I am a HUGE avocado fan. The amount we buy at the grocery store at this point, because Matt loves them too, is getting comical.
Why do we love avocados so much? Well, besides being a delicious addition to almost everything, they are also extremely nutritious and go a long way with making meals and snacks more satisfying.
In honor of November being American Diabetes Month, the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) has joined the American Diabetes Association® in the national Stop Diabetes® movement to help increase awareness about the role that good fats play in daily nutrition.
To build a satisfying meal and to help stabilize energy/blood sugar levels, I tell my AnneTheRD nutrition clients to aim to include three main things at mealtime: carbs, protein, and good fats. Together, these macronutrients (along with the addition of some veggies for volume and extra fiber) will build a satisfying meal that will stick with you. I find that good fats in particular really help with making a meal that doesn’t leave me crashing/hungry an hour later, and avocados are a great source of good fats! Over 75% of the fat in avocados is unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) – and did you know that replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids can lower both total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) blood cholesterol levels? It’s actually been shown by studies to be more effective in reducing risk of heart disease than lowering total fat intake.
In addition to all that good fat, avocados also contain 8% of the daily value of fiber per serving. Fiber helps add bulk to a meal, improving fullness and satiety, and fiber-filled diets have also been found to potentially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
So – how can you pack more avocados into your diet? I thought you’d never ask. Here are some of my favorite ways to eat avocados.
Favorite Ways to Eat Avocados at Breakfast
- Mashed on toast and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and chia seeds – this makes a great filling and fast breakfast!
- With eggs! In a wrap or sandwich with scrambled eggs and veggies, or sliced atop fried eggs, toast, and wilted baby spinach.
Favorite Ways to Eat Avocados at Snack Time
- Guacamole! Enough said.
- Spinach and Avocado Hummus (if guac and hummus mated – you’re welcome)
- Straight out of the peel with a spoon! Just sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper.
- In smoothies – avocado makes smoothies really creamy! See also: Healthy Shamrock Shake.
- Healthier Seven Layer Dip – the best football season/party appetizer.
Favorite Ways to Eat Avocados at Lunch and Dinner
- Mashed with canned tuna and a squirt of dijon mustard to make a really easy and yummy tuna salad. This will also work with chicken or egg salad!
- On salads! I have avocado on almost every single one of my salads nowadays – can’t stop, won’t stop.
- Sliced on sandwiches – like my Easy Lentil Veggie Burgers.
- Atop casseroles, like my Mexican Lasagna and Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas.
- On soup/chili, like my Creamy Mexican Chicken Chili Soup and Sweet Potato Lentil Chili.
I realized writing this that the only category missing here is avocado-including desserts! I really want to try using avocado in baked goods – apparently you can use it in place of butter in things like brownies, cookies, muffins, breads, etc! Such a great idea.
Have you ever baked with avocado? Any good recipes to share? Links welcome!
What are your favorite ways to enjoy avocados?
Did you learn anything new from this post about avocado nutrition?
I’ve made dark chocolate gooey cookies with avocado before! They were ah-mazing! I am obsessed with avocado toast with sea salt and red pepper flakes. But, my favorite, is plantain chips dipped in avocado! Simply delicious.
Delicious ideas! Do you have a recipe for the dark chocolate cookies?!
I used this recipe I found on Pintrest!
http://thesmoothielover.com/healthy-avocado-chocolate-cookies/
Great, I’ll check it out – thanks!
I just pinned that cooked recipe to give them a try! Here is a avocado dessert I like to make – http://minimalistbaker.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-avocado-pudding/.
Sounds delicious, thanks for sharing!
I made these avocado grasshoppers for St. Patrick’s Day – http://raiasrecipes.com/2014/03/avocadograsshoppers.html
They were delicious :)
Whoa, those sound awesome! Thanks!
Any good suggestions for storing leftover avocados? I love them but they go bad so fast! TIA :)
Leave the pit in the part you are saving – it will help to keep them from going brown! A squirt of lemon juice will help stop browning, too.
I love baking with avocado! Huge fan of this recipe right here: http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/02/heart-healthier-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies/
Yummm those sound awesome!
I am OBSESSED with avocados!
Great article on my favorite food! avocados are fricken awesome! These avocado and couscous stuffed mushrooms make a great appetizer! http://athleticavocado.com/2014/11/23/avocado-and-couscous-stuffed-mushrooms/
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made avocado brownies and to be honest, I was not sure how they would taste but they exceeded my expectations! I love mashing them up on toast as you mentioned and also rice cakes! I need to find some sweet/savory recipes with avocado that would taste good. I still don’t think people realize that the unsaturated fat in avocados is beneficial and the kind we need, so great lesson :)
Another thumbs up for avocado brownies means I clearly need to try them asap! :)
Oh I LOVE avocados! I buy them in bulk :) I love making avocado toast with a slice of tomato & dippy egg plus a pitch of sea salt! This is my favorite baked good recipe! http://livinghealthywithchocolate.com/desserts/avocado-banana-bread-2243/ Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing — love banana bread and that sounds amazing!
I like avocados halved and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
I haven’t made it in about a year so I forget the details, but chovocado pudding is good – just avocado, cocoa power, and honey.
Yum – both of those sound amazing!