Let’s admit it—we all wanted to give avocado toast a try when it became a trending brunch item a few years ago. Although avocados have been around for centuries, it’s only been in recent decades that they’ve taken the world by storm. In fact, the sales of avocados have grown so much since 2000 that the Washington Post once named them “America’s new favorite fruit.”
Not only are these beloved fruits delicious and versatile, but they also contain a dense nutrient profile that offers the human body a wide range of health benefits, making them a valuable addition to any diet and giving them a well-deserved designation as a superfood. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at the amazing benefits of this widely popular fruit.
Nutritional Benefits of Avocados
Just in case you’re unfamiliar, an avocado, which is scientifically called Persea Americana, is a fruit that comes from the avocado tree and is technically classified as a type of berry. There are many different types of avocados on the market today, some of which include Hass, Bacon, Pinkerton, Fuerte, Malama, and Shepard among many others. Each is named based on its size, taste (some taste sweeter than others), shape, and color.
So what is the nutritional profile of avocados? For a 100-gram serving, which is roughly half an avocado, these amazing fruits have:
- Calories: 160
- Protein: 2 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Fat: 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: 8.5 grams
- Sugar: Less than 1 gram
- Magnesium: 29 milligrams
- Other: Avocados are also rich in vitamins B, C, E, and K, amino acids like riboflavin and niacin, potassium, and beta-carotene.
Health Benefits of Avocados
Because of their impressive nutrient profile, avocados have the potential to help support many areas of your health.
Your Hearth
Incorporating avocados into your diet means you’re giving your body a dose of healthy fats like Omega-3 fatty acids, which is an important part of keeping your heart and cardiovascular system strong and healthy for years to come. Avocados also have other heart-supporting nutrients like potassium, folate, and fiber.
Your Eyes
A serving of avocado contains phytochemicals like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidant compounds that have been found to help protect your eyes from harmful environmental elements like UV rays.
Your Appetite and Weight
The healthy fats and fiber found in avocados help you feel full for a longer amount of time after eating, which can help curb your appetite and prevent overeating. This, in turn, can aid your efforts in reaching your weight loss or management goals.
Your Gut
Another benefit of the high fiber content of avocados is that it makes them wonderful for your digestive system since fiber can help nourish your gut microbiota and move food and waste smoothly through your digestive tract.
Your Skin
Your skin needs just as much love and care as your internal organs do to remain healthy, and avocados can help. Many of the nutrients found in avocados, such as healthy fats, antioxidant compounds, and B vitamins, are known to support healthy, glowing skin from the inside out.
Add Some Avocado Flair to Your Meals
Ready to give avocados a try? Great! Here are some of our favorite tips for incorporating them into your diet.
- Give avocados time to ripen. You can purchase unripe avocados and keep them in a cool, dry place for between 4 to 5 days to ripen. Alternatively, if you want your avocado fix immediately, you can purchase ripe ones and add them to your meals.
- Make guacamole. This fan-favorite dip, spread, and salad topping is made from avocados and makes a great addition to your snacks, tacos, nachos, and salads. Plus, it’s easier to make than you may think! Simply mash some avocados and add in chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, pepper (if you like it spicy), and cilantro. Once well mixed, squeeze in some lemon juice to bring it all together and mix it well one more time before serving.
- Stuffed avocados. Give your breakfast or lunch dishes a nutritional boost with a meal like stuffed avocados. Cut an avocado in half and take out the seed. You can fill it with raw egg, bacon, chopped tomatoes and onions, and spices to your liking. Place the avocados in an oven for 15–20 at 425℉or until the egg is ready. You can serve it with quinoa, brown rice, or as a main dish.
- Put it on your toast. Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention the widely popular avocado toast. There is no set recipe for avocado toast. You can mash an avocado and use it to replace butter or margarine on your toast, or if you’d like to get a little more creative, you can make it more filling by adding things like chopped salmon, shredded chicken, or lettuce.
- Use in salads. You can make a healthy salad bowl with ingredients of your choice like sweet corn, tomatoes, garlic, onion, kale, or nuts, then top it off with avocado to give it a boost of nutrients.
- Use in smoothies. Avocados make the perfect addition to your favorite green smoothie. One of our favorite smoothie recipes that has avocado also has ripe bananas, spinach, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and ice. Simply cut up the ingredients, add everything to your blender, mix until smooth, and enjoy!
- Just eat it. Just like any other fruit, you can also enjoy avocado by itself. You can cut it open and eat it plain, or spice it up with a dash of salt, a bit of honey, or a blend of your favorite spices.
Support Your Body with Avocados
By incorporating nutrient-dense fruit like avocados into your diet, you can enjoy all of these benefits while also savoring their rich and creamy flavor. So go ahead, add some avocados to your meal and snack rotation so you can support your body and allow it to truly thrive.
The best part is you can put it to the test risk-free with our 60-day money-back guarantee.