Food Spotlight: Avocado

The Subway restaurant chain recently announced plans to add avocados to its mix of sandwich ingredients and all I can say is, “It's about time!”

In addition to being creamy and delicious, avocados are packed full of nutrients including fiber, potassium, vitamins C, E, K and B6 and folic acid.

In the past avocados have gotten a bad rap because of their fat content. And yes, they are high in fat. (An average avocado has 29g of fat, which is 45% of the recommended daily allowance.)

BUT…it’s the good fat. Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. The same one found in olive oil. Thus avocados have the same heart healthy benefits as olive oil. They lower blood cholesterol levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, the bad stuff) and raise levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein, the good stuff), for a total effect of lowering cholesterol overall.

It’s not all wine and roses though. With all that fat comes high calories. (A whole avocado contains 322 calories. That’s the same as consuming two and a half bananas.) So, as much as it pains me to say this, we should eat them in moderation.

I like to dice one and add it to a salad or put slices on a sandwich. And of course, there’s guacamole. My favorite store brand is Wholly Guacamole. They sell a three-pack at Costco. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat it all within a week, guacamole freezes really well. Just don’t defrost it in the microwave. Defrost it in the refrigerator.

For a real treat, make your own guacamole. My family loves this recipe. Enjoy!

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

A dash of freshly ground black pepper

           

• Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel with a spoon, put in a bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the avocado.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. (Note: Depending on how spicy you like things, you might want to start with half of the jalapeno pepper)

Tip: The best method for preserving leftover guacamole is to vacuum-pack it. I have a Food Saver machine which works great. If you don’t have something like this, place the leftovers in a bowl and press plastic wrap over the entire surface of the guacamole and up the sides of the bowl, eliminating as much air as you can. It’s the oxygen in the air that makes it turn brown. Or, you could just eat all of it. Which is what I tend to do.