Avocado: It's the Good Fat!

Avocado's. Lets talk about them. Some people love them, some people just aren't a fan. I happen to be overly obsessed.

It wasn't until about a year ago I really started to get into the odd shaped green skinned fruit. Yes, thats right. They're a fruit! They grow on trees and at first glance, look pretty yucky. But once you cut into their delicious bright green flesh its a different story. They have such a smooth and creamy texture and are one of the most versatile products out there! I happen to eat them out of the rind with a little bit of salt..I like them cold. Mexico produces over 80% of the avocado's supplied to the U.S., California grows them too.

One of my all time favorite lunches is a 100 Calorie Arnold Round, with a few slices of rosemary ham from Trader Joes, a Laughing Cow light swiss wedge, and a few slices of avocado. Talk about YUMMY. They are great in salads, on sandwiches, on burgers (I happen to love turkey burgers or morning star veggie burgers), on chicken, pastas, toast, sushi, or one of my favorites..guacamole! Trader Joes has an absolutley delcious pre-packaged guac, and Wholly Guacamole which you've probably seen in the store is just as good. I on the other hand like to make my own. I do it two different ways. McCormack has a great quick guacamole seasoning packet in the spices isle, that you add to two big fat avocados and mash well. Refrigerate for a an hour or two and you have a delcicious guac! If I have a little bit more time, I like to mash up a few avocados, add garlic, chopped tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, maybe even some chopped red pepper. A lot of people like cilantro but I'm not really a huge fan. You can really add anything you want to avocado to make a good guacamole. Some people prefer Haas avocados over any other kind, but I happen to think any old avocado is delicious.

The down side to avocado--its loaded with fat. BUT, its the GOOD fat! You need fat in your diet. I try to stick to about a quarter or so of an avocado when I put it in (or on) my food. One avocado has around 15 grams of fat. I figure a quarter of that isn't so bad. On the up side, they have 60% more potassium than bananas, and are rich in vitamins B and E. They also have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Another tip for you avocado lovers...if you keep the pit inside the avocado (if you have half left over, etc) it helps it from browning and will keep it green a little longer. My mom taught me that one! Lemon or lime juice will also do the trick.

I think its becoming more and more popular now that more people are trying to stick with a healthy/fit lifestyle, and spice up their diet.

Dinner tonight:
4 oz seasoned grilled chicken with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of feta cheese on top of Shirataki Tofu spaghetti. A drizzle of olive oil and I have a delicious dinner to devour!