Avocados: History, varieties, nutrition & recipes
Avocados grow on evergreen trees in tropical, sub-tropical and Mediterranean regions through the world. Avocados are delicious, creamy fruits with a versatility that makes them well suited to savoury Mexican dishes, as well as salads and have also been enjoyed as dessert making a smooth mousse.
Selecting tips:
Look for a very dark green (Shepard) to dark brown colour (Hass).
The skin will be the bumpier than the unripe fruit.
It will yield to gentle pressure, but shouldn't feel mushy or leave any indentations.
Health Benefits:
Avocados are high in nutrients, containing many vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acid. Avocados are a great source of magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid. This combination of minerals have great health benefits for the skin and hair.
Avocados are 100% cholesterol-free, contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients; and just one serving of the superfood offers eight percent of the daily value of fiber—a nutrient which provides a feeling of fullness and has also been found to potentially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
With less than one gram of sugar per ounce, avocados have the least amount of sugar per serving of any fruit, and they act as a “nutrient booster” by helping the body to better absorb fat-soluble nutrients.
100g of avocado offers the following:
Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value (DV)
Folate: 20% of the DV
Vitamin C: 17% of the DV
Potassium: 14% of the DV
Vitamin B5: 14% of the DV
Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
Vitamin E: 10% of the DV
Recipes
Seared Tuna Salad with Avocado, Watermelon and Grapefruit
