Avocado

A food so super it should probably have a cape and a movie franchise.

Article and recipe by Scott Hall, RDN, LD, bariatric dietitian

You may have seen articles about “superfoods.” The articles list foods so high in various vitamins and nutrients you can meet a large chunk of your daily need with just a serving or two. These nutrients include things like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Avocado is a food that people often love or hate. You might be missing out if you’ve never tried it in anything other than guacamole. Avocado is highly versatile and, as the title suggests, extraordinarily healthful.

Avocado is often identified as the highest potassium food on Earth. One medium avocado has almost a fourth (25%) of your daily potassium needs. It contains nearly half of your daily fiber needs – a whopping 14 grams! It is an excellent source of several B vitamins, vitamins C, E, and K, and magnesium.

A unique aspect of avocados is their high-fat content. That same medium avocado contains about 30 grams of fat, which is why the calorie content is relatively high (compared to most vegetables and fruits). It is the same heart-healthy oil found in olives – called a “monounsaturated fat.” Intake of monounsaturated fat is associated with higher levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower levels of LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol). In other words, it may help protect against heart disease and plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis).

One of my favorite uses for avocado is to substitute for mayonnaise in anything you would typically use mayo in. Check out this recipe for chicken salad, and if you’re an avocado nay-sayer, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Chicken Avocado Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked, shredded, or pulled chicken
  This is an excellent use for leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breast. You can also use canned chicken.
• 2 medium avocados, sliced or cubed
  Remove the skin and the pit, see below for tips
• ¼ cup diced celery
  If you like the snappy flavor of onion, use diced red onion instead of celery
• 1 to teaspoons of dill weed (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash or pinch of black pepper

Directions

Place the sliced avocado in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. If it’s ripe, it will mash easily. Add the rest of the ingredients to your bowl and mix until well-blended. Serve immediately, and place leftovers in an air-tight container.

Similar to apples, avocados will start to brown when exposed to air. It isn’t spoiling and is still safe to eat! When properly stored, it will keep in the fridge for two to three days.

There’s a simple trick to slicing into / cutting up a fresh avocado. Check out these tips on Youtube for slicing up avocados like a pro with this video, another video, and one more video.