Green, mushy with a giant seed in the middle, what’s so amazing about avocados? Turns out, a lot. This greenish fruit (yes, it’s a fruit) is chock full of health benefits. The two most widely marketed avocado varieties are the rough-skinned, almost black Hass and the smooth, thin-skinned green Fuerte. The Hass has a smaller pit and a more buttery texture than the Fuerte. Both varieties are surprisingly full of lots of vitamins and minerals and taste amazingly yummy.

Often condemned for their high fat content and mislabeled as “fattening”, avocados are a health-conscious person’s best friend. Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, the good fat that promotes heart health. Avocados are also a good source of vitamin K which is integral in blood clotting; dietary fiber which can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, cancer and gall stones; vitamin B6 which helps our bodies in so many ways including balancing our hormones and strengthening the immune system; vitamin C which helps protect against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling; and copper which among other things is a powerful antioxidant. Avocados are also an excellent source of folate which is important for heart health. And we can’t forget about potassium. One avocado has more than twice as much potassium as a banana. It all sounds pretty impressive, but wait there’s more: carotenoid and tocopherols contained in avocado have been studied and found to inhibit the growth of some forms of prostate cancer cells. Some pretty amazing stuff for such a little fruit, huh?


Avocados are also beneficial in weight control. Contrary to popular belief, the avocado can be a valuable part of a successful weight-management program as their monounsaturated fat speeds up the basal metabolic rate, as compared with saturated fat and their high fat content gives a quicker feeling of fullness therefore reducing the likelihood of overeating.

The most amazing thing about avocados is their versatility; they can be used in dips, soups, shakes, even candy! It’s true; I found a recipe for chocolate avocado truffles. They are also quite tasty eaten plain straight out of the peel with a spoon. Avocados are definitely not just for guacamole.

Avocados must be used when fully ripe. They do not ripen on the tree and are rarely found ripe in markets. A ripe avocado will be firm but a little squishy to the touch. If it is completely malleable in your hand, then it is overripe and not good to use. You want to be able to press on the fruit and feel it go in, not completely collapse. To ripen avocados slowly, put them in the fruit bin of your refrigerator. Avocados can be kept for up to two weeks this way. They will ripening very slowly, so when you take them out of the refrigerator they will be ready to eat in a couple of days. To ripen an avocado faster, place in a brown paper bag and set in your oven with only the oven light on. Once avocados are at a desired stage of ripeness, they may be refrigerated for up to two to three days. If you happen to find a good sale on avocados, you can buy a bunch and freeze them for later use. To freeze, mash the avocados with a fork. Add one-teaspoon lime or lemon juice per avocado and mix well. Then place the mixture in a freezer zip lock bag making sure to remove any excess air. To thaw, place the frozen avocados in the refrigerator or place the frozen bag in a bowl of cool water to accelerate thawing.

Avocados are often over looked and relegated to the guacamole dip. But know you know that avocados can be used in a variety of dishes, are highly nutritious and quite versatile. There’s not doubt about it avocados are one amazing fruit!