Amazing Avocados

8Jan Vegetarian Tips 16 comments

Amazing Avocados

The conventional wisdom of which foods are good and which foods are bad is constantly changing. This is a subject I would like to address in future programs and on this blog. My first pick of 2006 are avocados. For quite some time, avocados have gotten a bad rap, unfairly I might add.

So many people think of avocados as a fat-laden luxury equivalent to mayonaise or even pork. The truth is that the fats found in avocado are heart healthy and an incredibly rich source of cholesterol lowering phytochemicals, similar to those found in olive oil. They are also packed with vitamins E, C, and B, folic acid, riboflavins, and loaded with fiber. The fats found in avocados help your body absorb beta carotene and lutein more efficently than eating carotenoid rich foods without avocado. Thirteen times more in fact.

Though some people fear consuming any fat, you must include heart healthy fats in your diet in order to efficently absord many nutrients. So skip the chips, cheese, fried fast foods, and enjoy one of life’s great pleasures instead. Include avocados as part of your regular diet plan. Your palate and your body will thank you.

About the author

Written by

Toni Fiore was raised by an Italian-American father and a German mother who instilled in her a sociable nature and the love of travel and of good food. She has lived in Italy and Germany and now resides in southern Maine. She is the author of: Totally Vegetarian: Easy, Fast, Comforting Cooking for Every Kind of Vegetarian

16 Responses

  1. The problem with avocados is that they are too expensive. The ones purchased in most stores tend to turn black inside before they ripen. I lived in Calif for many years and love avocados and you’re right, they are good for you. What we need to do is buy a crate or 2 and split the cost! There are buyers groups around but none for vegetarians. Maybe it’s time to start one!

  2. I just bought five avacados for five dollars at Wild Oats today. I hope they’re good cause I’m making up some Quacamole for bridge night.

  3. Aren’t they suppposed to be green inside? I bought one that turned out to be yellow.

  4. OH MY GOSH…I am so glad they are good for me. I just happened upon your site and read this and will be fowarding it to my sister (nurse) who gets on to me all the time for eating whole avocados. I just can’t help it they are so good with tons of garlic powder, a little salt and lemon juice too! Yummy. I’m going to go eat another one….for my health!

  5. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO STORE AVACADOS? I JUST BOUGHT A BAG OF 5 AT SAM’S TODAY AND I DON’T WANT THEM TO TURN BLACK ON THE INSIDE BEFOR I EAT THEM ALL.

  6. AVACADOS ARE A YELLOWISH COLOR INSIDE. ONLY THE VERY OUTER PART IS GREEN.

  7. Toni,

    I stumbled upon your show for the first time yesterday morning and I am so thrilled I found you. I watched the episode where you made Fresh Salsa, Quacamole, corn and rice salad, etc. The Salsa looks fantastic and I am making it tonight and I can’t wait to try it.

    I am a vegetarian and admit to being very strict with myself as far as fat, carb, sodium, etc. intake. Your cooking methods are what I have been looking for – lowfat, healthy, vegetarian. I have begun experimenting with cooking, and because of my strict diet, I am always searching for new recipes and ideas. I look forward to trying many of your recipes.

    FYI… on the website, the tv listing for NYC may not be accurate. I saw your show on Saturday morning on channel 13 or 21 (cannot remember). Your website does not list that time/channel – I do not want to miss you!

    Thank you Toni!

  8. I love your show so much! thank you for teaching us that our little friend, the tender and gentle avocado, is particularly sensitive to metal blades. I believe I have eaten guacamole in the past that had a distinct metallic flavor and now I know why! I hope we can all learn to be kind to the delicate avocado in the future. I happily look forward to all future episodes.

  9. Thanks for your great questions about avocados. The first thing, of course, is to try not to buy too many avocados if you don’t plan on eating them all before storage becomes an issue. Another viewer brought up the fact that avocados can be expensive so it’s great to buy them in quantity when they are on sale. So, here’s what I do. Don’t put them in the refridgerator. I store them in a cool , fairly dark place, away from other fruits, especialy bananas, and then use them everyday. Once avocados start turning overripe they move at warp speed to almost inedible. So every now and then just plan on an avocadofest.

  10. I find that if I buy avocados when they are ripe and use them right away, they rae the best. I find that most stores have unripe ones. I feel the outside and find ones that are just soft, not mushy, and these turn out to be the best. A good ripe avocado is yellow with a green outer layer. With a good avocado it is easy from there.

  11. I actualy went out and bought some avocados after reading this and tasty it certanly was, i to have a blog on veggie recipies and welfare issues if any one wants to visit,http://leace.blogsource.com

  12. someone asked how to store avocados properly.after peeling them or scooping them out whole or in cubes,automatically they begin the browning process.i store my peeled avocados with saran wrap tucked down tightly over them,not just over the bowl.the less oxygen the fresher they will stay.hope this helps:O)

  13. My grandmother passed on the best trick for half-eaten avacados. Many times I will only use half an avacado for a sandwich or something. If you leave the pit in the other half, smear mayonaise over flesh of the avacado and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, the other half will stay nice and green!

    I too am very happy to hear that avacados are good for you. :)

  14. oh – make sure to scrape off the mayo before you use the rest of it! The oils in the mayonaise are what keeps it fresh.
    :P

  15. If I only need half or less of my avocado I leave the stone in the other half until I am ready to use it. I find this helps to stop the browning process and it lasts longer.

  16. and store it in the fridge

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