Amazing Avocado is Full of Healthy Fats

Avocado is well known in health circles as being full of healthy fats, namely, Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA).  They contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin , which are known for their contribution to eye health.  It is also packed with pantothenic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C, which makes it one of the most worthy “rich” fruit to choose.  In fact, avocados contain more potassium than bananas.

But that's not all that avocado has to offer.  Its rich and smooth texture makes it an excellent replacement for condiments like mayonnaise.  It does great work making a taco, a dry sandwich or wrap moist, and is wonderful as a topping.

Avocados make smoothies smoother, without the addition of dairy.  They make soup creamier, without the addition of heavy cream.  On top of this, avocado is an emulsifier, which means that it can be used to hold oil and water together, as in a salad dressing.  It can be used to make salad dressings creamy which can remove the cholesterol that normally comes from standard mayonnaise. It is a weak emulsifier, not as good as an egg, so it will not work well to actually make mayonnaise.  But it can be used in many things that one would not think of, as in cake frosting, as a part of ice cream, or as a substitute for some of the butter in baking brioche.

The trickiest part of using avocado is figuring out when it is ripe and ready to eat.  Avocados that yield to a little pressure are ripe and ready to eat.  Firm ones will need a day or two on the counter in order to be ready.  Choosing them according to when they will be eaten is the key.