This beautiful pear shaped fruit with it’s delicious creamy flesh perfect for topping toast, slicing into a salad or mashing into a delightful dip or sauce is packed with so many nutrients that it can only be called Avocado Superfood.
I know the word superfood gets used for way too many things these days but Avocado’s really are a superfood.
What’s in Avocado Superfood?
Nutrient dense and packed with healthy fats, avocado is high in fibre, contains more potassium than a banana and is rich in antioxidants.
Nutrients from a 100 gram serve:
Potassium – protects against heart attacks, kidney failure and reduces blood pressure.
Magnesium – regulates some 300 functions in our bodies including sleep function, detoxification, our nervous system, our reproductives, helps absorb calcium needed for bones, teeth, nails, helps the body utilise Vitamin B6 and aids constipation.
Fatty Acids – 77% of the avocado is fat, mainly monounsaturated fat called Oleic Acid. Oleic Acid is known to reduce cholesterol, reduce inflammation, promote weight loss and help with absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E & K.
Fibre – Average serve of 100 grams gives you about 7 grams of fibre. Fibre not only feeds the good gut bacteria but can also reduce blood sugar from spiking and assist with weight loss.
Vitamin K – Like Vitamin D, many people are deficient in Vitamin K. Vitamin K is needed for essential blood clotting, building strong bones and teeth and preventing heart disease.
Folate – Aka Vitamin B9 is needed for fetal development and is needed in DNA synthesis and repair as well as cell and tissue growth.
Vitamin C – Necessary for the production of collagen, Vitamin C is also needed for healing wounds, maintaining bones and teeth and helps to absorb iron. It’s also an antioxidant.
Vitamin E – A fat soluble vitamin and antioxidant helps with skin repair and scarring as well as protection from free radical damage to cells.
In smaller amounts Avocados also contain Vitamins B1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 as well as Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc and Phosphorus.
Avocados are low in Carbs
A 100 gram serve will give you 9 grams of carb, 7 of which are fibre, so only 2 net grams of carbs. The bonus of 7 grams of fibre is that it slows down the digestion of carbs leaving you feeling full for longer. This then helps with weight loss.
Surely that’s enough to make Avocados a superfood!
Avocado Superfood Recipes
My most favourite way to eat avocado is literally straight out of the skin with a herb salt and freshly group pepper. Here’s some really simple recipes to get your taste buds melting.
Avocado Topper
- 1 avocado
- 1-2 teaspoons seeded mustard
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Squeeze of lemon or lime juice
- Scoop the avocado out into a bowl and mash lightly. Mix through 1 teaspoon of the mustard and add more if needed after tasting. Season with salt and pepper and lemon or lime juice. Eat as is or spread over sourdough, crackers, use as a dip for veggie sticks.
Avocado Smoothie
- 1 Banana
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 cup Liquid – water, non dairy milk, cow’s milk, coconut water
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- Flavourings – vanilla, cinnamon
- 1 – 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup or rice syrup
- Ice cubes
- Blend all the ingredients and serve
Avocado Pesto
- 1/2 – 1 small avocado
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 10 – 12 cashews
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon juiced
- Sea salt to taste
- Place the first 5 ingredients into a bullet blender or Vitamix and blend. Add in Olive oil and lemon juice, blend and taste. Add sea salt to taste. Adjust consistency with more oil if pesto to thick.
- Use as a pasta sauce, dip for veggies or serve with smoked salmon or on top of eggs and bacon.
Avocado Salsa
- 1 large or 2 small avocado
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tomato deseeded and diced
- 1/2 bunch coriander leaves and stems finely diced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Remove avocados from skin and chop. Add tomatoes and fold through avocado with lemon juice and then add diced coriander.
- Add salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
There are so many ways you can use avocado in your diet from tossing it through a salad, slicing it onto cooked eggs and bacon or using it in a dessert like Choc Avo Mousse. Read about how to peel an avocado to get the most yummy goodness from it.
How about you? Do you like Avocados? How do you eat them? Leave me your yummy suggestions below or connect with me on social media.
Cheers
Kerry 🙂
