Avocados. The Super Yummy, Super Healthy, Super Easy, Super Food

Avocados are so healthy, we wouldn’t be surprised if Wonder Woman eats at least one a day. According to the California Avocado Commission, avocados are heart-healthy nutrient dense. In fact, just one-third of a medium avocado has nearly 20 vitamins and minerals and has just 80 calories. Plus, the sodium, sugar and cholesterol-free avocado is the only fruit that contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (the good kind!), and it helps people absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K and E. And if that’s not enough, creamy avocados are one of the first fresh foods a baby can enjoy.

The Skinny on Avocado’s Benefits
A study on the benefits of avocados, published in 2015 by the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that “an avocado a day may be able to keep heart disease at bay” and increase good cholesterol.

Nutrition experts at Authority Nutrition[1] explain that the avocado contains approximately one-third of the daily requirement of vitamin K, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, and it has twice the potassium of a banana. It also contains vitamin E, niacin, and riboflavin; stabilizes blood sugar levels by slowing digestion; and contains one-third of the recommended daily intake of folate, which helps form a baby’s brain and nervous system. Avocados can also protect eyes from macular degeneration and improve your vision.

In a nutshell, nutrients in a 3.5-ounce (100 gram) serving of avocado rank high on charts showing the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for vitamins and minerals.[2]

Vitamin K 26%
Folate 20%.
Vitamin C 17%
Potassium 14%
Vitamin B5 14%
Vitamin B6 13%
Vitamin E 10%

Also worth mentioning, avocados contain small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin).

Is organic worth it?
According to EWG’s Clean Fifteen list of produce, the avocado is among the least likely to contain pesticide residues. In fact, avocados and sweet corn were the cleanest: only one percent of samples showed any detectable pesticides.

Delicious & easy: eating this super food
Easy to pack and delicious avocados can be eaten at any meal or for a nutritious snack. Avocado toast is a current craze, popping up in trendy restaurants and healthy kitchens across the U.S. The California Avocado Commission offers these tasty spins on this new classic and handy tips on buying, ripening and using avocados and even how to grow your own tree.

You can also use an avocado to feed your face with this DIY spa recipe for a firming avocado and cucumber masque.

If you’re looking for a quick, delicious and healthy meal, give this easy Halibut with Avocado Sauce recipe from Canyon Ranch a try. It will wow your guests and even the most inexperienced of cooks will enjoy culinary success!

And we think you’ll love this pineapple–avocado gazpacho recipe from Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand. Tart, sweet and perfect for summer parties, it is packed with vitamin C and manganese, which means plenty of antioxidant protection and immune support.

You may also enjoy this article on the anti-aging super food.

[1] Authority Nutrition, “12 Proven Health Benefits of Avocado,” by Kris Gunnars, BSc, August 2016
[2] Self Nutrition Data: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2