Meatless Monday: The Mighty Avocado

The avocado appears on many Superfood Lists, for good reason. A heart-healthy fruit, it is rich in both polyunsaturated fats and mono-saturated fats, which help to lower cholesterol. Avocados are an excellent source of vitamins B6, C, E, and K, as well as folate, lutein, magnesium, and potassium. They are high in fiber and have been shown to boost the absorbency of fat-soluble nutrients in foods with which they are eaten.  

Check out these healthy facts about avocados (and a salad recipe) at WebMD. 

Thanks to a Member Appreciation Day at the Elm City Market a while back, when the giveaway was an avocado, a lime, and a head of garlic, I discovered that making your own guacamole is a snap. With a ripe avocado or two on hand, and a lime in the refrigerator, you can whip up a batch in no time.

When you make your own, the color is a lovely bright green, the taste is incredibly fresh, and you can make it is garlicky or as salty as you wish.

Make Your Own Guacamole 

INGREDIENTS

2 large avocados, slightly soft when squeezed

1 large lime

3 large cloves of garlic crushed (more or less to taste)

a pinch of salt

In a large bowl, mash the avocados with a fork (or a potato masher if you have one).

Add the juice from the lime. 

(An old-fashioned two-part glass juicer works really well.)

Add the crushed garlic.

Add a tiny bit of salt to taste.

This recipe couldn’t be much easier. I think you will agree that DIY fresh guacamole is the best you’ve ever tasted. Give it a try!

Guacamole is great on chips, but is also delicious in a bean/rice bowl, on a salad, or as a sandwich or burger topping. You can even enjoy it on its own, right out of the bowl. 

Enjoy!

Have a great week.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”