3 Surprising Ways to Eat Avocados for Better Health

Avocados used to be considered a California thing, but today, they are one of the most prevalent fruits in the American diet and around the world. In fact, it is estimated that average avocado consumption across the U.S. is approximately 50 pounds per week!

It’s probably no surprise, though, that Americans love the avocado. After all, it’s one of the healthiest fruit known to humankind, packed with a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamins B5 and B6, potassium, and others. Plus, avocados are rich in both heart-healthy fats and fiber. They truly are a superfood!

The foods most commonly associated with avocados are guacamole and avocado toast. While those dishes are indeed delicious, there’s a whole world of other uses for this wonderful food. And, lucky for us, National Avocado Day is right around the corner on July 31^st, making this a perfect time to explore other uses.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is for those of us who love to indulge in chocolate but don’t necessarily want all the calories and fat associated with traditional chocolate mousse recipes. Using avocado instead of egg whites, along with almond milk, makes this a vegan mousse, making it a decadent way to pamper yourself without having to sacrifice healthy eating habits.

See how easy it is to make over on the Easy as Apple Pie blog.

Chocolate Avocado Cake

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? This amazing recipe uses avocados for both the cake and the frosting, ensuring that you get a powerful punch of nutrients in every chocolaty bite. Like the mousse above, this recipe is completely dairy free, but you’d never guess it from the taste.

Check out the recipe on BBC goodfood blog.

Vegan Avocado Chicken Salad

Nothing everything you make with avocado has to be sweet, of course. This salad, from our own In the Kitchen with Shakthi series, is coupled with protein-packed garbanzo beans, and is loaded with flavor using lime, cilantro, sweet onions, and tomatoes, all topped off with some crunchy almonds. This incredibly versatile and insanely easy recipe can be served as a dip, over quinoa, or even used in your own version of avocado toast.

Ingredients

• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 avocados
• 2 limes
• Cup chopped cilantro
• Cup chopped sweet onion
• Cup chopped tomato
• Cup sliced almonds
• 1-teaspoon sea salt
• Radishes for dipping

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans in a mesh strainer, dab to dry with a paper towel.
2. In a medium-mixing bowl combine the avocados and garbanzo beans. Mash with a fork or handheld potato-masher.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixture. Serve cold as a dip with sliced radishes and other veggies. You can even serve this dish over Quinoa or on a slice of your favorite wholegrain or gluten-free bread.

Schedule an appointment with our staff nutritionists, and we’ll send you home with loads of ideas to eat and live healthier!