Summer Food: The Avocado

I just had a phenomenal sandwich the other day. The main reason it was so awesome? Avocado.

The avocado is a reeeeally strange type of fruit. It really has a much different profile than the rest of its fruit buddies. Good thing it has some awesome benefits, right?

The avocado has high fat content, but the fat is monounsaturated, making it a healthier fat for your diet. In comparison to bananas, the avocado has almost 50% more potassium than a banana making it a great source. Potassium is something you want to replenish with after sweating a lot, and it is sometimes hard to get naturally (in fruits and vegetables). The avocado rounds out its nutritional benefits with some vitamin B, E, and K, along with a high amount of fiber.

Due to the high fiber count and high healthy fat content, avocados have shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol. Boom.

When people usually think avocados, they think guacamole. And when made en casa this can be an amazingly healthy snack. Add a bunch of ripe tomatoes and you are looking at getting a serving of fruit aaand veg in one sitting. One thing avocados are really good at is enzymatic oxidation. In lamer terms? Browning. Add a bit of lemon or lime juice to your avocado's green surface, and it will help keep it nice and fresh.

Because of the profile, avocados can replace meats in sandwiches. A lot of vegetarians decide to replace the meat in a common sandwich with avocado. One of the best parts about this is the fact that you do not have to cook avocado to give it the best taste. By not cooking your fruits and veggies, the absorption of all those micronutrients increases. Hooray.

My friends use the avocado as a spread, which is totally doable because of its texture. Slice the avocado in half and spread it on bread. Replacing mayo with avocado will not only save you some calories, but boost your sandwich's nutritional value. My mother likes to slice up and cube an avocado to put on top of her salad. Yum! Some other countries have been known to even make smoothies with avocado...I may have to try this now.

Lastly, don't open that avocado until it gives to gentle pressure in your hand.

So get your summer rolling with some avocados. It tastes great in the sun and has many uses in your diet! That high potassium count is exactly what you athletes need after a long, hot practice.