Just look at that fresh green colour! Don't tell me it doesn't just fill you with happiness.
Avocados are something else. The avocado, a fruit native to Central and South America bags a spot among some of the best superfoods around. Yes, it's not only a superfood, it's one of the best ones! The health benefits of avocados are endless. Avocados are an incredibly nutrient-rich, energy dense whole food, containing an abundance of unsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients will boost heart health in the lowering of blood pressure and bad cholesterol! Eating avocados also will increase healthy brain function, established by the omega 3 fatty acids, folate and vitamin E, all of which have been proven to prevent the development of Alzheimer's. Not only are they a fab source of vitamins and minerals, they are carotenoid packed which aid the body in the absorption of nutrients from other foods. The antioxidant Lutein, is the main carotenoid present in the avocado, helping to fend off eye diseases. This is not all, though! There is so much more that avocados will do for you. This fruit is, dare I say it, utterly bangin.
As there are too many things to say about them, I will list the benefits of avocados below (but even this list has been simplified)!
Clearly, eating avocados will do a world of good to us. We must take advantage of them! And did I mention they are extremely scrummy and so unbelievably easy to add into your diet?
Take a chopping board and lie your avocado on it. Take a medium sharp knife and cut vertically down the length of the avocado - in other words from the pointed part to the rounder part, or vice versa. The stone will prevent the knife from cutting right the way through the avocado, so turn the avocado as you cut into the skin to cut all the way around the stone. You might need to ease each half of avocado away from each other a bit, but you should be left with two halves, one of which containing the seed. The seed is easily removable and can be discarded if you want the whole avocado.
You can then cut the open flesh of each avocado half length and/or width ways a few times, and scoop it out from the skin or just scoop out the flesh with a spoon without cutting, depending on the requirements of your recipe.
Chop up your avocado and any greens you have in the fridge, slice your tomato in two and plonk it all in a bowl. Mix a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a small splodge of honey together in a bowl. Add a tiny sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss it all into the salad. And you're done! Eat with sandwiches, soup or make it bigger and add a wider variety of greens and veggies/ chicken or turkey/ cheeses to have it for a lunch!
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Scoop out the flesh of a small avocado into a bowl, and squash it all up. Mix in a teaspoon of lemon juice and some black pepper. Slice the tomatoes and squash them with the avocado mixture. Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently ease it into a pan of boiling water with a teaspoon of white wine vinegar (water must be covered in bubbles). Set the timer for 4 minutes, or until the whites are set. Meanwhile, toast your bread. Spread the toasted bread with the avocado and tomato mixture. When the eggs are cooked, lift out with a slotted spoon and lower onto the bread and enjoy!
One thing you ALL MUST DO is eat more avocado. Or at least try it! Including avocados into your daily diet is something you can do to benefit your well being. And such a simple move to make too, you can do it right now. Why would you not?
Enjoy your avocados!
Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets x
As there are too many things to say about them, I will list the benefits of avocados below (but even this list has been simplified)!
Health benefits of avocados
- Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- Anti-inflammatory
- Optimised absorption of carotenoids
- Protect skin from ageing and dryness
- Prevention of Alzheimer's disease
- Anticarcinogenic
- Satisfying, YUMMY taste!
Clearly, eating avocados will do a world of good to us. We must take advantage of them! And did I mention they are extremely scrummy and so unbelievably easy to add into your diet?
We have some tips to help you with your avocados at home, including storage, ripening and cutting (bit of a no-brainer but I thought I'd add that one in anyway), and a few yum avocado 'recipes' which can be easily inserted into/act as substitutes for your regular day to day meals!
TIP #1
Making sure your avocado is ripe to eat:
Ready avocados are usually very dark green or black, with slightly wrinkled skin. If your avocado is giving way slightly when it's top (near the stem) and bottom are gently pinched, it will be ready to eat.TIP #2
How to spot a spoiled avocado:
In your supermarket, sneakily remove the short stem part protruding from the avocado's top! If what lays beneath is black, put it back! It will be rotten. It is a healthy avocado if this piece of skin is green/yellow.TIP #3
Cutting your avocado:
Take a chopping board and lie your avocado on it. Take a medium sharp knife and cut vertically down the length of the avocado - in other words from the pointed part to the rounder part, or vice versa. The stone will prevent the knife from cutting right the way through the avocado, so turn the avocado as you cut into the skin to cut all the way around the stone. You might need to ease each half of avocado away from each other a bit, but you should be left with two halves, one of which containing the seed. The seed is easily removable and can be discarded if you want the whole avocado.
You can then cut the open flesh of each avocado half length and/or width ways a few times, and scoop it out from the skin or just scoop out the flesh with a spoon without cutting, depending on the requirements of your recipe.
TIP #4
Storing your avocado:
For avocado pieces, give them a dash of lemon or lime juice and place in a plastic container or set on a plate covered in cling film to be left in the fridge for one day. To store half an avocado, make sure this half has the seed still intact and spritz the exposed flesh with lemon or lime juice. Cover with cling film pressing the wrap close to the exposed flesh. The avocado half can be left in the fridge for a maximum of one day.
This is, literally, avocado on toast. Amazing.
It literally takes only a couple minutes to do, and makes a crazy good, healthy brekkie (or any timie!)
The avocado recipes!
AVOAST (my fav!)
This is, literally, avocado on toast. Amazing.
It literally takes only a couple minutes to do, and makes a crazy good, healthy brekkie (or any timie!)
Pop your favourite sourdough, wholemeal or seeded bread in the toaster (I'm using some granary french bread sliced in half here), scoop out the flesh of half a medium, or the whole of a small avocado and squash onto the toast. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper and eat eat eat!
SIMPLE TOMATO AND AVOCADO SALAD WITH A SUPER DRESSING
So quick, so easy - you will always have these ingredients!
Chop up your avocado and any greens you have in the fridge, slice your tomato in two and plonk it all in a bowl. Mix a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a small splodge of honey together in a bowl. Add a tiny sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss it all into the salad. And you're done! Eat with sandwiches, soup or make it bigger and add a wider variety of greens and veggies/ chicken or turkey/ cheeses to have it for a lunch!
AVOCADO-SPRUCED POACHED EGG
This is similar to the first recipe, but it's a little different...
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One thing you ALL MUST DO is eat more avocado. Or at least try it! Including avocados into your daily diet is something you can do to benefit your well being. And such a simple move to make too, you can do it right now. Why would you not?
Enjoy your avocados!
Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets x
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