The avocado craze!

Even Subway is incorporating avocados into their menu as their newest healthy choice, per the latest avocado boom in today’s eating world. This started around early 2011 and has continued into the new year as a huge healthy choice in many restaurants and menus. What is it about these oily fruits, though? Let’s see.

Avocados have plenty of nutrients that are broadcasted everywhere as reasons to eat. The most common reason I see is the antioxidants–everyone wants antioxidants these days. Well, they are high in these sought-after nutrients, which helps prevent signs of aging and cancers, but it also contains high levels of folate–more per ounce than any other fruit! Folate is healthy for the skin and tissue, but is also a critical part in a pregnant woman’s diet for developing the baby. It can also prevent stroke and heart failure. Other vitamins include vitamin E and monosaturated fats, which lead to an extremely heart healthy snack!

Not everyone enjoys sitting down and taking a spoon to a fresh avocado. Some people do, but others just don’t find the taste appetizing. It’s often too bland for people. In this case, using it as an ingredient makes it just as useful and twice as tasty. Avocados are great in sandwiches, used for a chip dip, and even blended into smoothies. Mixed with a little yogurt and honey, this fruit can make for a tasty dessert that’ll have your body thanking you. I like to make it into more of an avocado yogurt, using my lactose-free vanilla yogurt, an avocado, and some agave nectar. Just a little whey milk makes it easier to blend. Pour it into a bowl, and it’s a great lunch–and it tastes fantastic! Avocados can also be used in dinners such as an avocado-tortilla soup, or a fresh salad with raspberries, greens, avocadoes, and a vinaigrette.

Avocadoes may sound frightening to some, but they’re truthfully a tasty little fruit. Versatile in their uses, even people that sound like the texture or flavor can find a way to enjoy it somehow and reap its benefits to stay healthy and happy. Happy eating!