Avocado or "avo" as aussies like to call it- giving everything a bit of slang. Avocado on toast, choc-avocado mouse, avocado "cheesecake", avocado smoothies, avocado dip, avocado pasta sauce and now my most recent avocado loaf!!
So with my avocado bread experiementation and my long-term love for avocado I thought it was the right time to do a little write up about this beautiful, versatile fruit. Read below to find out why avocado is so good for you or to spark your new interest in adding avocado into your diet!
(Image from popsugar.com)
Nutritional benefits of Avocado!
Unlike most fruits that are primarily carbohydrates, avocado consists mainly of healthy fats. Not only is it crazily versitile (like i've shown you with my new amazing loaf of avocado bread!) but it has an array of nutritional benefits & is a great food that should be added (when in season) to the diet, daily! So here's a little bit of extra information about the beloved avocado:
Similar to otherfruits, they are high in water (75%) but contain macronutrients and around 20 vitamins & minerals, keeping them very, very nutrient dense!
The healthy-fat found in avocado's in MUFA (Monounsaturated Fatty Acid), majority being oleic acid, which is a healthy fat and has been linked to many health benefits (similar to that in olive oil and benefits seen in the mediterranean diet). These fatty acids have been shown to have an antiinflammatory effect within the body, has shown to assist in lowering cholesterol and tryglyceride levels and is beneficial for heart health.
Antioxidants: Avocado's contain a rich amount of vitamin E and C, which along side promoting antioxidant effects, will also recycle each other and create longer lasting effects. These both will contribute to cell protection from free-radical damamge and contribute to improved skin health. Vitamin C will also improve iron absorption, thus why it is great to have with your dark leafy green salads, with a squeeze of lemon juice!
Fibre: Although it may not look like your typical fibre rich fruit or veg, half an avo contains around 17% of your daily dietary fibre needs, with 2 out of 5g of that being soluble fibre. Both types of fibre are important to maintain a healthy bowl function and soluble fibre will help to reduce cholesterol reabsorption in the intestines, aiding in reduction of LDL "bad" cholesterol and inproving levels of HDL "good" cholesterol
More potassium than bananas!: In each 100g avocado's have 485mg of potassium, whereas bananas have 358mg. Potassium is crucial mineral for internal functioning, it has a role in regulating blood pressure, heart health, fluid regulation, muscle contractio, mineral balance and nerve signalling.
Helps maintain satiety: As i hope everyone has caught on by now- low fat is no longer the way to health. The body needs fats to maintain healthy and daily functioning. As above, the main type of fat in avocado is MUFA and also PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids). Fats in general take longer for the body to digest, maintaining the "fullness factor". Healthy fats will also help to signal Leptin (the fullness hormone). High leptin levels mean you are fuller for longer.
Folate (also known as Vitamin B9): Half an avo can give 36% of the recomended dietary intake. Folate is a water soluble vitamin that is vital for growth and development, especially in babies. It is vital that during pre-birth and pregnancy, folate considerations are addressed because a diet rich in folate has been proven to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida.
Head to the breakfast page to find avocado toast topped with herbed- tomato and a runny, fried egg. Or head over to my Snacks and Sweets page to find the full avocado loaf recipe with added serving suggestions!