Avocados: Friend or Foe?
When you say Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo,
you think of guacamole because most avocados are
sold at those two times of the year. Avocados,
however, offer an excellent nutritional and
flavor opportunity any time of the year. Think
nutrition, not Mexican food. And in Mexico and
parts of Central America, avocados are as much a
staple as potatoes in the U.S.
Avocados have been cultivated in Mexico since
300 B.C. and are one of the great gifts from the
Americas to the rest of the world. In Central
America, the Aztecs named the fruit (and it is a
fruit, not a vegetable) ahuacatl. The avocado
spread to Peru where it appears in Incan
archaeological findings dating to around 900
A.D. The avocados you buy today are direct
descendants of those early fruit trees.
Besides having an interesting history, avocados
are one of the most nutritious items in the
produce department. One-half of an avocado
contains app. 160 calories, about 20 calories
less than a small bag of peanuts, and slightly
lower than a small slice of cheddar cheese. They
provide monounsaturated fats that are known to
break down cholesterol in the blood and are an
excellent source of fiber and Vitamin E (a
fat-soluble antioxidant). Eating an avocado can
be part of a successful weight management
program:
- Its monounsaturated oil speeds up the
basic metabolic rate.
- Its oil content may help reduce
overeating because you get full faster.
- The same oil content reduces the urge to
binge on unhealthy foods.
Sliced avocados bring a refreshing addition
to a sandwich, a salad, or a vegetable tray.
Avocado spread is a healthy replacement for
butter or mayonnaise on bread or sandwiches.
However you use them, avocados are a route to a
healthy life style.
