25 Sep Avocado Tricks!
I think it’s a requirement to love avocados if you live in San Diego…which is great for me because I eat at least half of one every day and have them on hand at all times. If you’re in other parts of the country, you should hop on the avocado train too! Avocados may get a bad rap for being high in fat, but it’s a healthy unsaturated fat and our bodies need fat…especially for brain and reproductive health.
Plus, avocados contain B vitamins, fiber, vitamin K, vitamin E, potassium, vitamin C and even minerals like magnesium and iron, and what other vegetable (fruit) is that rich and creamy?
If you’re not a fan yet…here’s a little help….
5 Creative & Healthy Ways to Incorporate Avocados into your Diet
1. Sub Avocado for Mayo
If you’re looking for something to keep your sandwich from being dry, try adding some avocado slices instead of mayonnaise. Avocado is also especially great for tuna or chicken salads, just mash it up and mix it in. For a vegetarian option, my favorite sandwich is avocado, tomato, onion, sprouts, dijon mustard and a little sea salt and pepper…meat isn’t even necessary.
2. Use Avocados in your Salad Dressing
Most store-bought dressings are loaded with tons of sugar and stuff you can’t pronounce, so I always make my own. It may sound intimidating, but it’s super easy. Most dressings are only 3-4 ingredients and you just throw them in a blender (or sometimes even just a jar to mix). The basic equation I use is: oil + vinegar + honey/agave + flavor (lemon, lime, cilantro, garlic, etc). Most of the time they are pretty watery though unless you add some dijon mustard to emulsify it…but that’s where the avocado comes in. If you use the avocado in place of oil, it automatically creates a thick creamy dressing base. My friend Traci made a delicious dressing the other day for our meatless dinner club from avocado, cilantro, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and jalapeños; it was to die for. I recreated it the other day and added a little honey too…with this badass dressing, who needs ranch?
3. Add to Smoothies
WHAT?! Yes, avocados are mild enough to use in smoothies. You can’t really taste them but they add a creamy texture and the fat and fiber will help make you feel full longer…and I’m all about trying to get as many nutrients into my smoothies as possible. Blend 1/2 of an avocado up with some almond milk, berries, kale, chia seeds and a little stevia and you have a perfect morning breakfast.
4. Have an Avocado Snack
I love when nature provides you with a snack that comes in it’s own container; this is probably why I eat so many bananas and the same is true for avocados. They are easy to carry around and if you slice them in half, they even come with their own little bowl. Use a fork to mash them up in their skin, add a little sea salt and fresh black pepper or some Bragg’s liquid aminos and you’ve got a snack that is quick, easy, satisfying and won’t weigh you down. Here’s one of my go-to’s.
5. Rub it on Kale Leaves
Oh kale yeah! I love kale salads but if you’re a newbie and you just try to chop it up in place of lettuce, it might not be so tasty. Before I make any kale salad, I always massage avocado into the chopped leaves (stems removed) which softens the kale and makes it much more palatable. Here’s a quick and easy kale salad recipe that’s basically a superfood explosion. I also find that my hands are quite moisturized afterwards. 🙂
BONUS TIP: Be sure to scrape the avocado all the way to the skin…you see that darker green color near the outside? That’s where all the healthy goodness is concentrated.
What is your favorite way to use avocados? Do you have any go-to avocado recipes? Let me know in the comments!
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