We’re nearing the end of summer, and it’s avocado season. This delicious food has found its way into restaurant menus in unique ways.
Cutting an avocado can be a challenge, but there is an easy way to do it. Once you get the hang of it, it’s no problem.
Several types of avocados are available, but the Hass variety is the most popular and comes from the West Coast. Hass avocados have a nutty flavor and almond butter texture.
Picking an Avocado
What’s Cooking America describes how to choose the right avocado: “To test for ripeness by cradling an avocado gently in your hand. Ripe fruit will yield will be firm yet yield to gentle pressure. If pressing leaves a dent, the avocado is very ripe and suitable for mashing. They are best served at room temperature.
To avoid choosing an avocado that is brown inside, check the stem end of the fruit. Look beneath the edge of the brown button left from the stem. If it is bright green beneath, that avocado is a pretty green inside. If it is brown, do not buy it.”
Nutritional Highlights
These delicious gems have almost 5 grams of fiber per cup and therefore help with digestion.
They’re loaded with “good” fats (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and can help curb hunger with their fat and fiber content.
Avocados contain a carotenoid called lutein, which helps with filtering blue light, making the avocado good for your eye health.
Lots of skin care products have avocado oil and extracts that contain vitamins E and C, along with lutein, all of which help your skin stay youthful and avoid dryness.
Those same vitamins help your liver function and clear out fats, reducing LDL cholesterol.
They have nutrients that help keep your breath smelling great.
The vitamin B6 in avocados makes them a healthy snack during pregnancy and can even help with nausea.
Avocados contain lycopene (most people think of tomatoes as a source for lycopene) and beta-carotene (carrots also contain this nutrient), which are antioxidants associated with fighting cancer and reducing cell damage.
And lastly, they contain vitamins K and D, which help strengthen your bones.
Buy avocados today
If you are not eating avocados, you’re missing out on a delicious and nutritious fruit. Yes, botanically, it’s considered a fruit – a berry because of the fleshy pulp and seed. Think of them as a fruit and use them in smoothies and other fruity recipes.
