THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING AVOCADO

Do you love avocados but are afraid they are too high in calories to eat every day? Here's a way to eat avocado without worrying about calories. Very simply - eat half an avocado. The average medium size avocado has about 284 calories, which means half an avocado is only 142 calories, and avocados have so many health benefits that I recommend eating ½ an avocado every day, if you enjoy them.

Did you know avocados are actually considered a fruit? So having ½ an avocado counts toward your daily fruit intake. A 7 oz. avocado has 4 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber. (Most Americans do not get enough fiber so ½ an avocado helps in the fiber department as well.)

An avocado contains 22% of your daily Vit. C, 28% of your daily Vit. E, 42% of your daily copper, and 35% of your daily Vit. K. Half an avocado contains 10% of your daily potassium which helps counteract the high sodium levels in the standard American diet. Half an avocado also has 15% of your daily requirements for Vit. B6, a nutrient that helps suppress inflammation.

Avocados may help increase good cholesterol, HDL, and reduce lousy cholesterol, LDL Avocados are also an excellent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Here are ways you can add avocado to your daily meals.

• Chop up half an avocado on your salad at lunch or add it to a Mediterranean bowl.
• Make avocado toast by mashing 1/2 an avocado and spreading it over toasted sour dough bread, or on a whole wheat English muffin. To add more flavor, sprinkle your avocado toast with Everything But the Bagel seasoning.
• Add sliced avocado on top of a black bean soup or a black bean quesadilla.
• Add avocado to your scrambled eggs.
• Use avocado in place of mayo combined with plain fat-free Greek yogurt in tuna salad or egg salad.
• Toss frozen avocado chunks into your next protein smoothie.
• Top your veggie burger or hamburger with avocado.
• Make a homemade guacamole.

There are so many ways to enjoy avocados. My favorite way is to split it in half and eat ½ with a little salt and pepper right out of the rind for a snack. Save the other half with the pit still in it facedown on a plate in the fridge to have with breakfast or lunch the next day. Saving it in the fridge in this way also helps prevent your avocado from turning all brown.

Two other tips: If your avocado is hard when you take it home, put it in a brown paper bag on your counter for a few days and it will ripen. If your avocado is starting to get soft and you can’t eat it for a few days stick it in the fridge to “keep it” a bit longer.

So, enjoy your avocado. Let me know how you incorporate avocados into your meals and snacks. I am always keen on learning new ways to add avocado to my daily diet.

Thinking of you! _Lisa